SPARTANBURG, S.C. – App State’s Will Formato (165) and Chattanooga’s Weston Wichman (157) have been named the Southern Conference Wrestler and Freshman of the Year, respectively, by the league’s nine head coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.
 
Coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes, also selected a 10-member all-conference squad and an 11-member all-freshman team. There are 11 wrestlers on this year’s all-freshman team due to ties in voting. 
 
Formato has posted a 13-1 record in his successful redshirt sophomore campaign, going undefeated in both SoCon duals (8-0) and overall duals (9-0) this season. The 165-pounder earned SoCon Wrestler of the Week honors for all competition from Jan. 6-12 after defeating then-No.7 Thomas Bullard of NC State by a 4-0 decision. Formato was also named to the All-SoCon squad in his weight class and enters this weekend’s SoCon Wrestling Championship ranked No. 19 by WrestleStat.
 
Joining Formato on the All-SoCon team are teammates No. 16 Codi Russell (125) and No. 12 Jonathan Millner (149). Russell also earned wrestler of the week honors this season, three weeks after Formato. Russell earned a 4-3 decision in a top-25 matchup against then-No.21 Fabian Gutierrez of Chattanooga. The redshirt senior went 11-1 this season and won each of his conference matches, including a 1:11 fall over Presbyterian’s Bernardino Gomez. Millner (149), the 2020 149-pound SoCon tournament champion and three-time All-SoCon selection, is also undefeated in conference action this season. The junior from Greensboro, North Carolina, went 11-1 on the season with a pair of falls included in those victories. Representing the Mountaineers on the all-freshman team is Tristian Pugh (149), who earned two pins and a 6-2 overall record in his first collegiate season.
 
Chattanooga’s 157-pounder Wichman (9-3) was named the 2020-21 freshman of the year by the league’s nine head coaches. The Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, native pinned two opponents this season and holds a 5-2 record in conference duals. Wichman, who is also a member of the all-freshman team, sat out last season as a redshirt and was named to the SoCon Honor Roll for his outstanding academic performance last year. Junior Franco Valdes (141) was selected to this season’s All-SoCon team after finishing the regular season undefeated, at 9-0, winning by major decision four times. Freshman Logan Andrew rounds out the all-freshman squad for the Mocs at 197 pounds. 
 
Campbell has a conference-high eight wrestlers represented between the two teams, with four each. Benjamin Barton (157), No. 19 Austin Murphy (174), No. 23 Caleb Hopkins (184) and No. 29 Chris Kober (197) were voted to the All-SoCon team, while Bilal Bailey (165), Gabriel Hixenbaugh (133), Levi Hopkins (197) and Justin Rivera (141) represent the Camels on the all-freshman squad. Caleb Hopkins was named SoCon Wrestler of the Week twice this season. He closed the regular season with a 9-1 record, five pins and undefeated in conference action. Barton earned the season’s first wrestler of the week honor, finishing his redshirt senior year 9-1 (6-1 SoCon). Barton defeated then-No. 25 Connor Brady in a 7-4 decision to open the 2021 season. Murphy is the last Camel in the pack to have earned the weekly honor this season, after he picked up a 5-4 decision over App State’s then-No. 17 Thomas Flitz at 174 pounds during the week of Jan. 20-26. The junior went undefeated on the season (10-0, 7-0 SoCon) with two pins. 
 
The Citadel’s Jake Rotunda (133) and Michael McAleavey (HWT) were voted to the All-SoCon squad to represent the Bulldogs. McAleavey (13-1, 8-0) highlights the heavyweight class and leads the conference with seven pins on the season. The senior also went 10-0 overall in duals. 
 
Davidson, which has paused team activities due to positive COVID-19 test results among Tier 1 personnel, is represented on the all-freshman team by Bryce Sanderlin (157). Gardner-Webb’s Jha’Quan Anderson (184) and  
VMI’s Tyler Mousaw (197) and Blake Showers (157) round out the 11-member team. 
 
The championship is set to take place Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina. The first round of matches will begin at 10 a.m., with finals scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Awards will follow at the conclusion of the final match. 
 
For more information on the 2021 SoCon Wrestling Championship, click here.
 
2020-21 Wrestler of the Year?
Will Formato, 165, R-So., App State??
 
2020-21 Freshman of the Year?
Weston Wichman, 157, Chattanooga??
 
2020-21 All-Southern Conference Team?
125 Codi Russell, R-Sr., App State?
133 Jake Rotunda, Jr., The Citadel?
141 Franco Valdes, Jr., Chattanooga?
149 Jonathan Millner, R-Jr., App State?
157 Benjamin Barton, R-Sr., Campbell?
165 Will Formato, R-So., App State?
174 Austin Murphy, Jr., Campbell ?
184 Caleb Hopkins, R-So., Campbell ?
197 Chris Kober, Sr., Campbell?
285 Michael McAleavey, Sr., The Citadel??
 
2020-21 All-Freshman Team?
Tristian Pugh, 149, App State
Bilal Bailey, 165, Campbell
Gabriel Hixenbaugh, 133, Campbell
Levi Hopkins, 197, Campbell
Justin Rivera, 141, Campbell
Bryce Sanderlin, 157, Davidson
Jha’Quan Anderson, 184, Gardner-Webb
Logan Andrew, 197, Chattanooga
Weston Wichman, 157, Chattanooga
Tyler Mousaw, 197, VMI
Blake Showers, 157, VMI