SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Chattanooga’s Brayden Palmer has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3. The selection is made by the league office.
 
Palmer went 4-1 to finish second at 133 pounds at the Southern Scuffle inside McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Jan. 1-2. The sophomore won his first three matches of the Southern Scuffle on New Year’s Day as he defeated Maryland wrestler Conner Quinn via major decision with an 8-0 shutout. Palmer won his next two matches on decisions by winning 3-1 over McGwire Midkiff of North Dakota State and getting a 7-4 quarterfinal win over then 16th-ranked Ramazan Attasauov of Iowa State.
 
The next day, the native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, won his semifinal matchup with 21st-ranked Minnesota wrestler Aaron Nagao via pin 2:36 into the match. Palmer fell in the finals of the event by a score of 7-3 to Oklahoma State’s second-ranked Daton Fix, who is a three-time All-American and NCAA finalist. Palmer’s performance at the Southern Scuffle was the best showing a Mocs wrestler has had at the tournament since 2012, when Nick Soto made the finals at 133, as well.
 
Palmer is ranked No. 16 at 133 pounds, which is 11 spots higher than his ranking a week ago,
 
Chattanooga (3-7) will compete in its first conference meet of the season on Friday, Jan. 6, when the Mocs travel to VMI (5-0).
 
Also nominated: Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) and Job Chishko (VMI)
 
2022-23 SoCon Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 9              Sean Carter, Jr., 133, App State
Nov. 16             Gabriel Hixenbaugh, R-Jr., 133, Campbell
Nov. 23             Jon Jon Millner, R-Sr., 149, App State
Nov. 30             None
Dec. 7              RJ Mosley, R-Sr., 165, Gardner-Webb
Dec. 14             Rocky Jordan, Jr., 174, Chattanooga
Dec. 21             Will Miller, So., 174, App State
Dec. 28             Malcolm Wiley, So., 197, Presbyterian
Jan. 4               Brayden Palmer, So., 133, Chattanooga