SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Chattanooga 184-pounder Bryce Carr has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year and Campbell 125-pounder Korbin Meink has been named the league’s Freshman of the Year as determined by a vote of the conference’s eight head coaches, the league office announced Wednesday.
The coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own wrestlers, also selected 10-member all-conference and all-freshman teams.
Appalachian State paced the field with four all-conference selections and four all-freshman selections. Campbell came in second having five total selections, two on the all-conference squad and three on the all-freshman team. Chattanooga and SIUE each boast two all-conference selections, while two Gardner-Webb wrestlers and one VMI wrestler round out the all-freshman team.
Carr, the 2016-17 league champion at 184 pounds, is ranked No. 12 nationally with an overall record of 23-5. Carr, who is a perfect 7-0 in SoCon action, is 11-4 in duals and is tied with The Citadel’s Ty Buckiso for most pins in the season with seven. The senior from Dublin, Georgia, was named SoCon Wrestler of the Week twice this season. Carr earned the honor in week one of competition and on Jan. 3 after going 5-1 and finishing third overall in the Southern Scuffle. Carr has six major decisions and three technical falls thus far in the year.
Teammate Mike Pongracz, ranked No. 33 nationally, was named all-conference at 141 pounds. Pongrancz is 16-10 overall with five major decisions and three technical falls. The senior from Milford, New Jersey, is coming off a 2016-17 redshirt season. As a junior in 2015-16, Pongracz was 22-6 overall, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Pongracz finished the 2017-18 regular season a perfect 6-0 in SoCon duals, helping the Mocs finish second in the SoCon with a 6-1 record.
A true freshman from Omaha, Nebraska, Meink claims the second consecutive freshman of the year award for the Camels after Campbell’s Austin Kraisser won the award in 2016-17. Meink, who is ranked 26th nationally at 125 pounds, is 23-9 overall, going 6-0 in SoCon action. Meink, who was also named to the all-conference squad, is 11-4 in duals with a pair of pins.
Campbell heavyweight Jere Heino joins Meink on the all-conference team, posting a record of 21-5 on the year. Heino, a junior from Helinski, Finland, is 7-0 in SoCon duals with four pins on the season. Joining Meink on the all-freshman team are Zach Barnes (141 pounds) and Luke Funck (184). Campbell finished third overall in the SoCon regular-season standings with a record of 5-2.
Appalachian State, which won the regular season with a perfect 7-0 mark, features four all-conference and four all-freshman selections. Gavin Londoff (149 pounds), Angel Najar (157), Forrest Przybysz (174) and Randall Diabe (197) represent the Mountaineers on the all-conference squad, while Joe Accousti (165), Alan Clothier (184), Codi Russell (133) and De’Andre Swinson Barr (125) were named to the all-freshman team.
SIUE’s John Muldoon (133 pounds) and Nate Higgins (165) round out the all-conference team. The two wrestlers, both in their redshirt-junior seasons, helped SIUE finish fourth in the SoCon, going 4-3 in league action.
Gardner-Webb’s Anthony Perrine and Denton Spencer were named to the all-freshman team as the Runnin’ Bulldogs went 3-4 in SoCon action. Perrine, wrestling at 197 pounds, is 11-14 on the season while Spencer (141) is 16-8 with six pins.
VMI’s Clifton Conway, a 125-pounder from Spotsylvania, Virginia, went 3-1 with SoCon duals, scoring two pins on the season overall.
Six of the 10 all-conference picks – Meink, Pongracz, Londoff, Carr, Diabe and Heino – earned the maximum number of points in the voting process.
The SoCon Wrestling Championship takes place Saturday, March 3, in Charleston, South Carolina, Doors to McAlister Field House open at 9 a.m. First-round matches are set to begin at 10 a.m., with finals slated to start at 7 p.m.
2017-18 Wrestler of the Year
Bryce Carr, Sr., 184, Chattanooga
2017-18 Freshman of the Year
Korbin Meink, 125, Campbell
2017-18 All-Southern Conference Team
125 Korbin Meink, Fr., Campbell
133 John Muldoon, R-Jr., SIUE
141 Mike Pongracz, Sr., Chattanooga
149 Gavin Londoff, So., Appalachian State
157 Angel Najar, Jr., Appalachian State
165 Nate Higgins, R-Jr., SIUE
174 Forrest Przybysz, Sr., Appalachian State
184 Bryce Carr, Sr., Chattanooga
197 Randall Diabe, Jr., Appalachian State
285 Jere Heino, Jr., Campbell
2017-18 All-Freshman Team
Joe Accousti, 165, Appalachian State
Alan Clothier, 184, Appalachian State
Codi Russell, 133, Appalachian State
De’Andre Swinson-Barr, 125, Appalachian State
Zach Barnes, 149, Campbell
Luke Funck, 184, Campbell
Korbin Meink, 125, Campbell
Anthony Perrine, 197, Gardner-Webb
Denton Spencer, 141, Gardner-Webb
Cliff Conway, 125, VMI
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