GWU Wrestling Picked Fifth in SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll; Guthrie Named to Preseason All-Conference Team
October 24, 2012 | Wrestling
Spartanburg, S.C. - The Southern Conference's eight wrestling coaches picked Gardner-Webb to finish in fifth in this year's Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, it was announced today.
Gardner-Webb, which competed in the SoCon for the first time last season, was selected fifth with 25 points and placed redshirt-senior Justin Guthrie on the preseason team at 165 pounds.
Guthrie posted a 19-17 overall record last season with 10 of those victories coming in dual match action, including three in Southern Conference competition. The redshirt-senior led the Runnin' Bulldog grapplers with six pin fall wins last season.
The defending tournament champion Chattanooga was voted to win the league title in 2012-13, while the coaches also selected an 11-member preseason all-conference team.
Chattanooga picked up four-first place votes and 46 total points to edge second-place The Citadel by two points. The Mocs, who saw their streak of seven straight regular-season titles come to an end last season, won the tournament for the second straight year and seventh time in the last eight seasons.
The Citadel was second in the poll with 44 points and picked up the remaining four first-place votes.
Campbell finished fourth in the regular season and tournament in it its inaugural season in the SoCon last year and is picked to finish third this season with 35 points.
Appalachian State was picked fourth with 33 points, while VMI was sixth with 20 points and was followed by league newcomer SIUE (14) and Davidson (seven). SIUE completed its reclassification to Division I last season and is now eligible for the SoCon Wrestling Championship.
The 2012-13 wrestling season gets under way on Nov. 3, with Campbell, The Citadel, Chattanooga and VMI in action. Appalachian State, Davidson and Gardner-Webb open the following day, while SIUE kicks off its season on Nov. 11.
2012-13 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches Poll
School (First-place votes) Points
1. Chattanooga (4) 46
2. The Citadel (4) 44
3. Campbell 35
4. Appalachian State 33
5. Gardner-Webb 25
6. VMI 20
7. SIUE 14
8. Davidson 7
2012-13 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team
125 Nick Soto, Chattanooga@
133 Brett Boston, Appalachian State
(tie) Joey Rizzolino, Campbell
141 Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga^
149 Jordan Dix, The Citadel
157 Nick Rex, Campbell
165 Justin Guthrie, Gardner-Webb
174 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel*
184 James Cook, Campbell
197 Niko Brown, Chattanooga
HWT Odie Delaney, The Citadel #
@ 2012 SoCon champion at 133
^ - 2010, 2012 SoCon champion at 149
* - 2012 SoCon champion at 174, 2010 SoCon champion at 157
# - 2010, 2012 SoCon champion
