SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Campbell’s 133-pounder Noah Gonser has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year and Appalachian State’s 125-pounder Sean Carter 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 Thursday.  

The coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own wrestlers, also selected 10-member all-conference and all-freshman teams.
 
Campbell paced the all-conference field with five selections and one wrestler selected to the all-freshman team. Appalachian State was a close second with three selections to the all-conference team and four on the all-freshman team. Chattanooga rounded out the all-conference team with two selections. The Citadel, Davidson, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian and VMI each had one wrestler named to the all-freshman team.
 
Campbell was led by seventh-ranked Gonser (133), the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year, after he finished the year at 27-5 overall, 10-2 in duals and 6-0 in conference matches. The 133-pounder recorded 10 pins on the year, which was the second-best mark in the league. He is joined by Josh Heil (141), Quentin Perez (165), Andrew Morgan (184) and Jere Heino (HWT), who all ended the year with a perfect SoCon record. Heil, ranked 18^th nationally, went 26-4 overall this season while finishing 7-3 in duals and 4-0 in SoCon duals with three pins. The 15^th-ranked Perez finished at 23-6 overall, 10-2 in duals and 6-0 in SoCon duals with four pins. Morgan, ranked eighth nationally, went 27-5 overall, losing just one dual and going a perfect 6-0 in SoCon duals with four pins. 13^th-ranked Heino rounded out the Campbell contingent with a record of 21-4 overall, 10-2 in duals and 6-0 in SoCon duals with five pins.
 
The Camels were represented on the all-freshman team by 149-pounder Jason Kraisser.
 
Jonathan Millner (149), Matt Zovistoski (157) and Thomas Flitz (174) were the three Appalachian State selections on the all-conference team. Millner was ranked No. 21 in the NCAA coaches’ panel after going 28-4 overall with an 11-1 mark in duals and a perfect 7-0 record in SoCon duals with a pair of pins. Zovistoski was also included in the latest coaches’ panel at No. 25 after moving up to 157 pounds this season. The senior posted a record of 26-7 overall, 10-2 in duals and 7-0 in SoCon duals with two pins. Flitz was the final Mountaineer named to the all-conference team after going 28-10 this year, including a 10-2 record in duals and a 7-0 mark in SoCon duals with two pins. Flitz was ranked No. 28 in the latest NCAA coaches’ panel.
 
Carter (125) highlighted the Appalachian State contingent on the all-freshman team as the league’s freshman of the year. Carter went 26-13 overall in his first collegiate season and posted records of 9-3 and 6-1 in duals and SoCon matches, respectively. Will Formato (165), Julian Gorring (184) and Michael Burchell (HWT) were the remaining Mountaineers selected to the all-freshman team.
 
Chattanooga accounted for the final two all-conference selections, with Fabian Gutierrez (125) and Rodney Jones (197) making the team. The 24^th-ranked Gutierrez went 16-8 overall, 11-5 in duals and a perfect 6-0 in SoCon duals with three pins. Jones was the second and final Moc selected to the all-conference team. The senior led the weight class at 17-9 overall with a 12-4 duals record and a 6-0 mark in SoCon duals.
 
The Citadel’s Jake Rotunda (141), Davidson’s Cian Fischer (125), Gardner-Webb’s RJ Mosely (165), Presbyterian’s Zachary Phillips (157) and VMI’s Job Chishko (149) made up the remainder of the all-freshman team.

All 10 of the all-conference selections earned the maximum number of points in the voting process.

The SoCon Wrestling Championship takes place Sunday, March 8, in Boone, North Carolina. Doors to Holmes Convention Center 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. 

2019-20 Wrestler of the Year
Noah Gonser, 133, Campbell

2019-20 Freshman of the Year
Sean Carter, 125, Appalachian State

2019-20 All-Southern Conference Team
125 Fabian Gutierrez, Jr., Chattanooga
133 Noah Gonser, R-Sr., Campbell
141 Josh Heil, R-Jr., Campbell
149 Jonathan Millner, So., Appalachian State
157 Matt Zovistoski, Sr., Appalachian State
165 Quentin Perez, R-Sr., Campbell
174 Thomas Flitz, Jr., Appalachian State
184 Andrew Morgan, R-Sr., Campbell
197 Rodney Jones, Sr., Chattanooga
285 Jere Heino, R-Sr., Campbell

2019-20 Freshman Team
Michael Burchell, HWT, Appalachian State
Sean Carter, 125, Appalachian State
Will Formato, 165, Appalachian State
Julian Gorring, 184, Appalachian State
Jason Kraisser, 149, Campbell
Jake Rotunda, 141, The Citadel
Cian Fischer, 125, Davidson
RJ Mosely, 165, Gardner-Webb
Zachary Phillips, 157, Presbyterian 
Job Chishko, 149, VMI