BOONE, N.C. — App State junior
Thomas Flitz has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week following his win against VMI in a matchup of ranked upperclassmen.
He is the fourth App State team member to win a SoCon Wrestler of the Week award this season, joining
Jonathan Millner (twice at 149 pounds),
Sean Carter (125) and
Codi Russell (133).
Listed No. 33 at 174 pounds in the most recent NCAA Coaches Panel rankings , Flitz earned a victory Sunday by a 12-11 decision against Neal Richards, the reigning SoCon Wrestler of the Year who arrived in Boone with a ranking of No. 16 and a 35-6 record on the season.
Flitz used three first-period takedowns to establish a 6-3 lead and added another takedown in the second period to claim an 8-5 advantage. Starting the third period on bottom with a 1:49 advantage in riding time, Flitz pushed the lead to 9-5 with an escape.
A late flurry from Richards included a takedown in the closing seconds that tied the match on the scoreboard, but Flitz's bonus point for riding time gave him the narrow win.
At 28-10 overall this season with a final mark of 7-0 in SoCon duals, Flitz has won his last 12 matches, a streak that began with the seventh-place match at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 2. He has 17 victories in his last 19 matches dating back to mid-December.
Flitz's big win against VMI enabled the Mountaineers to finish the regular season with an NCAA-leading four shutout victories as a team.
App State will be back in action March 8, when App State hosts the SoCon Championships in the Holmes Center. The 2019-20 wrestling season is presented by Hungry Howies, and tickets to the conference championships can be purchased by
clicking HERE.
