SPARTANBURG, S.C. – App State’s Jonathan Millner (149) and Chattanooga’s Noah Castillo (149) 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 a 10-member all-freshman team.
 
Millner posted a 16-1 record in his successful redshirt senior campaign, going undefeated in both SoCon duals (7-0) and overall duals (11-0) this season. The 149-pounder earned SoCon Wrestler of the Week honors twice this season after defeating then-No. 8 Josh Finesilver of Duke by an 8-3 decision on Jan. 13 and after securing a 3-2 decision over then-No. 6 Josh Heil on Feb. 12. Millner was also named to the All-SoCon squad in his weight class and enters this weekend’s SoCon Wrestling Championship ranked No. 4 nationally by InterMat.
 
Joining Millner on the All-SoCon team is teammate Thomas Flitz (174). Flitz also earned wrestler of the week honors this season, two weeks before Millner’s first honor on Jan. 19. Flitz earned a 6-5 decision in a top-10 matchup against then-No. 9 Clay Lautt of No. 20 North Carolina on Dec. 17 before notching a 9-1 major decision over Bellarmine’s Eric Beck in the Mountaineers’ first SoCon dual of the season, on Dec. 19. The graduate went 13-6 this season and won each of his conference matches, concluding the campaign with a 7-0 SoCon record. Will Miller (165) and Wyatt Miller (197) represent the Mountaineers on the all-freshman team.
 
Chattanooga 149-pounder Noah Castillo (16-7) was named the 2021-22 freshman of the year by the league’s nine head coaches. The Orlando, Florida, native holds a 5-2 record in conference duals and a 13-4 overall dual record this season. Castillo, who is also a member of the all-freshman team, concluded the campaign with four straight wins, securing three conference victories over Luke Fegley of VMI, Reid Stewart of Presbyterian, and Micah Collica of Bellarmine and one nonconference win over Indiana’s Graham Rooks.
 
The Mocs have five wrestlers between the two teams, with Fabian Gutierrez (125), Brayden Palmer (133) and Drew Nicholson represented on the all-conference team and Lincoln Heck joining Castillo on the all-freshman team. Gutierrez was named the SoCon wrestler of the week for all competition from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 after earning the fastest fall of his career, pinning Gardner-Webb’s Aedyn Concepcion just 80 seconds into the match on Jan. 28 before downing Campbell’s No. 23 Korbin Meink on Jan. 30. The Commerce City, Colorado, closed the regular season with a 17-6 record, seven pins, and undefeated in conference action. Palmer posted a 22-6 overall record and 7-1 SoCon dual record in his triumphant sophomore season, earning two ranked wins in January over No. 21 Codi Russell of App State on Jan. 2 and No. 14 Brian Courtney of Virginia on Feb. 14. Nicholson was named SoCon Wrestler of the Week for all competition from Feb. 2-8 after earning a 9-1 major decision over The Citadel’s Selwyn Porter on Feb. 4 before securing a 4-2 decision over App State’s No. 20 Will Formato on Feb. 6. The Memphis, Tennessee, native went undefeated in conference action and concluded the campaign with a 15-6 overall record.
 
Campbell has five wrestlers represented between the two teams, with four on the all-conference team and one on the all-freshman team. Shannon Hanna (141), Caleb Hopkins (184), Chris Kober (197) and Taye Ghadiali (285) were voted to the All-SoCon team, while Cole Rees (184) represents the Camels on the all-freshman squad. Hanna closed the regular season with a 14-5 record, two pins and undefeated in conference action. Hopkins concluded the campaign with a 14-4 overall record and four pins and Kober finished with a 12-6 overall record and two wins, with both Campbell wrestlers going undefeated in conference action. Ghadiali was named the SoCon wrestler of the week for all competition from Jan. 19-25 after registering two wins over The Citadel's No. 30 Michael McAleavey, the 2021 SoCon champion, and NC State’s No. 23 Tyrie Houghton on Jan. 23. The Warren, Michigan, native went undefeated in SoCon action on the season (16-2, 5-0 SoCon) with three pins. Rees represents the Camels on the all-freshman team after concluding the season with a 4-2 record overall.
 
The Citadel’s Dazjon Casto (157) was voted to the All-SoCon squad to represent the Bulldogs, while Ben Haubert (184) represents The Citadel on the all-freshman team. Casto posted a 17-6 record, three pins and went undefeated in conference action this season, while Haubert concluded the campaign with a 4-3 record and one pin and went 4-2 in conference action.
 
Davidson is represented on the all-freshman team by Nick Cambria (141). Gardner-Webb’s Peyton McComas (285) and Presbyterian’s Daniel Bertrand (184) round out the 10-member team.
 
The SoCon Wrestling Championship is set to take place Sunday, March 5, 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 2022 SoCon Wrestling Championship, click here.
 
2021-22 Wrestler of the Year
Jonathan Millner, 149, R-Sr., App State
 
2021-22 Freshman of the Year
Noah Castillo, 149, Chattanooga
 
2021-22 All-Southern Conference Team
125 Fabian Gutierrez, Sr., Chattanooga
133 Brayden Palmer, So., Chattanooga
141 Shannon Hanna, Jr., Campbell
149 Jonathan Millner, R-Sr., App State
157 Dazjon Casto, Sr., The Citadel
165 Drew Nicholson, Jr., Chattanooga
174 Thomas Flitz, Gr., App State
184 Caleb Hopkins, R-Jr., Campbell 
197 Chris Kober, Gr., Campbell
285 Taye Ghadiali, R-So., Campbell
 
2021-22 All-Freshman Team
Will Miller, 165, App State
Wyatt Miller, 197, App State
Jack Parker, 125, Bellarmine
Cole Rees, 184, Campbell
Ben Haubert, 184, The Citadel
Nick Cambria, 141, Davidson
Peyton McComas, HWT, Gardner-Webb
David Bertrand, 184, Presbyterian
Noah Castillo, 149, Chattanooga
Lincoln Heck, 157, Chattanooga