SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After winning its sixth-consecutive Southern Conference regular season championship, Chattanooga wrestling was honored by the league's head coaches with five of the 10 spots on the 2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference team.
Appalachian State's Austin Trotman, wrestling at 184 pounds, was chosen as the league's Wrestler of the Year. The sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., was 13-1 on the season at 184 pounds and 5-0 in the SoCon after moving up from the 174-pound class.
Chattanooga's Demetrius Johnson, who was undefeated at 125 pounds in league matches, was named to the all-conference team as were teammates Josh Statum (133), Josh Condon (157), Brandon Wright (165) and Niko Brown (197). Two of the Mocs' all-conference members, Condon and Brown, are freshman while a third freshman, Jake Young, was tabbed as the league's Freshman of the Year. The talented group helped UTC to run its conference match win streak to 30, covering six straight undefeated seasons.
Joining Trotman on the all-conference team from Appalachian State was Savva Kostis, who had nine pins on the season, at 149 pounds.
UNC Greensboro, which finished second in the regular season standings, placed redshirt-freshman Ivan Lopouchanski on the all-conference team at 141 pounds and Byron Sigmon at 174 pounds.
VMI's Josh Wine, who boasts a sterling 20-1 overall mark this season, earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season at the heavyweight position.
The league's head coaches also selected a 10-wrestler all-freshman team. Chattanooga placed four wrestlers on that squad, with Dean Pavlou joining Brown, Condon and Freshman of the Year Young.
Appalachian State's Jacob Earp was joined on the All-Freshman team by Nick LaFevre and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj of The Citadel and Lopouchanski, Eric Chandler and Travis Sheehy of UNC Greensboro.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own wrestlers.
The 2010 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships, the 73rd annual gathering of the league's wrestling teams, will take place on Saturday, March 6 at Davidson's Baker Sports Complex. First round matches will begin at 11 a.m., with the finals to start at 7 p.m.
2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team
125 Demetrius Johnson, So., Chattanooga
133 Josh Statum, Sr., Chattanooga
141 Ivan Lopouchanski, R-Fr., UNC Greensboro
149 Savva Kostis, So., Appalachian State
157 Josh Condon, Fr., Chattanooga
165 Brandon Wright, So., Chattanooga
174 Byron Sigmon, Jr., UNC Greensboro
184 Austin Trotman, So., Appalachian State
197 Niko Brown, Fr., Chattanooga
HWT Josh Wine, Jr., VMI
Wrestler of the Year
Austin Trotman, So., 184, Appalachian State
2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team
Jacob Earp, Appalachian State
Niko Brown, Chattanooga
Josh Condon, Chattanooga
Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga
Jake Young, Chattanooga
Nick LaFevre, The Citadel
Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel
Eric Chandler, UNC Greensboro
Ivan Lopouchanski, UNC Greensboro
Travis Sheehy, UNC Greensboro
Freshman of the Year
Jake Young, 174, Chattanooga