CHARLESTON, S.C. — Returning to Charleston's McAlister Field House next month for the Southern Conference tournament, Appalachian State's wrestling team secured an outright championship at the same site Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers wrapped up their third straight SoCon title and a second straight unbeaten run through the league with a 45-6 victory at The Citadel.
Wins by
Randall Diabe,
Angel Najar,
Cary Miller,
Gavin Londoff,
Laken Cook,
Alan Clothier,
Codi Russell,
De'Andre Swinson-Barr and
Joe Accousti were part of a coastal coronation for coach
JohnMark Bentley's team, which ended the regular season at 7-0 in the conference and 9-4 overall.
"I'm just really proud of this team," Bentley said. "Finishing the season for the second year in a row undefeated in the Southern Conference, I'm really proud of these guys for that, and we're going to keep building. Our training has been good the last couple weeks, and we're just continuing to build for the postseason. "
Eight of App State's nine wins against the Bulldogs (1-12, 0-7) involved bonus points, as Swinson-Barr (125 pounds) and Cook (165) recorded pins. Russell (133) won by forfeit, and Najar's match at 157 ended with a medical forfeit, while Accousti (174) and Clothier (184) had back-to-back technical falls. Londoff (149) and Miller (heavyweight) won with major decisions. Diabe (197) pulled out a 3-2 decision against Sawyer Root.
With three freshmen and three sophomores in its customary lineup, App State posted its 10th regular-season SoCon championship (dating back to 1994) and three-peated for the second time. The Mountaineers also won three consecutive titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
Diabe (7-0 at 197 pounds), senior
Forrest Przybysz (5-0 at 174) and Najar (5-0 at 157) went unbeaten in SoCon dual meets. Clothier (184), Miller (heavyweight), Londoff (149) and Russell (133) finished with 6-1 records.
"I thought our guys, for the most part, showed up today and wrestled really hard," Bentley said. "We had some good individual bouts and some guys that really stepped up and got some wins. We had a great win at 197, a good controlled match, and I thought at heavyweight we looked really good."
Diabe and
Irvin Enriquez (141 pounds) were the only returning starters who wrestled at the same weight during the 7-0 run to a SoCon title last year. Przybysz and Londoff were also back in the lineup, but at different weights, and the Mountaineers' 3-3 start to a new-look season included losses to three teams that have been ranked: fifth-ranked ACC champion NC State, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
App State capped the regular season with six wins in its last seven dual meets, including the close road victories in lively atmospheres at Campbell and Chattanooga. The Mountaineers were ahead 15-12 in Buies Creek before Londoff claimed a 5-4 decision in the final match, and they trailed 16-12 in Chattanooga before Diabe upset highly ranked Scottie Boykin by a 3-2 score and Miller clinched the victory with a 7-5 decision. That comeback set the stage for a championship-crowning win at The Citadel.
The Mountaineers return to action at the SoCon tournament on March 3 at McAlister Field House.
App State 45, The Citadel 6
125:
De'Andre Swinson-Barr (APP) def. Will Jacobs (CIT), fall, 2:13 (6-0)
133:
Codi Russell (APP) won by forfeit (12-0)
141: Doug Gudenburr (CIT) def.
Irvin Enriquez (APP), fall, 3:31 (12-6)
149:
Gavin Londoff (APP) def. Ethan Phillips (CIT), 15-4 maj. dec. (16-6)
157:
Angel Najar (APP) won by medical forfeit (22-6)
165:
Laken Cook (APP) def. Houston Curtis (CIT), fall, 3:00 (28-6)
174:
Joe Accousti (APP) def. Michael Mewhorter (CIT), 20-5 tech. fall (33-6)
184:
Alan Clothier (APP) def. Michael Lopouchanski (CIT), 17-1 tech fall (38-6)
197:
Randall Diabe (APP) def. Sawyer Root (CIT), 3-2 dec. (41-6)
HWT:
Cary Miller (APP) vs. Michael McAleavey (CIT), 10-2 maj. dec. (45-6)
