Gardner-Webb Picked Fourth In 2015-2016 Preseason SoCon Wrestling Coaches Poll
October 22, 2015 | Wrestling
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gardner-Webb wrestling picked up two first-place votes and was picked to finish fourth in the 2015 Southern Conference Coaches Poll released by the league office Thursday.
Coach Daniel Elliott's squad received 34 total points in the poll, finishing just one shy of third-place Citadel and just 11 points behind projected champion Chattanooga in a tightly-knit vote.
Gardner-Webb finished with a 4-3 record against SoCon foes last season – its best finish to date – and welcomes back a talented and seasoned roster for the 2015-2016 campaign. Seven men who return posted winning ledgers last season individually.
Appalachian State was tabbed second in the preseason poll. Campbell, SIU Edwardsville, VMI and Davidson rounded out the voting.
Highly-decorated redshirt juniors and previous NCAA qualifiers Hunter Gamble (184 pounds / McDonough, Ga. / Union Grove HS), Ryan Mosley (149 pounds / Stone Mountain, Ga. / Shiloh) and Austin Trott (165 pounds / Kingsland, Ga. / Camden County HS) lead the way and will be bolstered by a strong group that includes Cortez Starkes (125 pounds / Greenville, S.C. / Greenville HS), Tyler Ziegler (133 pounds / Cincinnati, Ohio / Moeller HS), Chris Vassar (141 pounds / New Cumberland, Pa. / Cedar Cliff HS), Kyle Ash (157 pounds, Tulsa, Okla. / Union HS), Christian Maroni (174 pounds, Spartanburg, S.C. / Dorman HS), Brett Stein (174 pounds, Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park HS), Gray Jones (197 pounds, Kingsland, Ga. / Camden County HS) and Boyce Cornwell (285 pounds, Conyers, Ga. / Heritage HS).
Gardner-Webb opens the 2015-2016 season on the road in Boone, N.C., on November 7 – battling Cal State Bakersfield at 10:00 am and following with Anderson (S.C.) University at 2:00 pm.
GWU will begin its SoCon slate in December at VMI (7:30 pm) and will host SIU Edwardsville (February 8), Campbell (February 23), Appalachian State (February 26), The Citadel (February 5) and Davidson (February 10). GWU wrestles on the road at preseason favorite Chattanooga on January 15.
2015-16 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches Poll
School (First-place votes) - Points
1. Chattanooga (5) - 45
2. Appalachian State (1) - 40
3. The Citadel - 35
4. Gardner-Webb (2) - 34
5. Campbell - 28
6. SIUE - 22
7. VMI - 13
8. Davidson - 7
2015-16 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team
125 Vito Pasone, Appalachian State
133 Nathan Kraisser, Campbell
141 Mike Longo, Appalachian State*
149 Matt Frisch, The Citadel*^
157 Aaron Walker, The Citadel*+
165 Connor McMahon, SIUE*
174 Sean Mappes, Chattanooga*
184 Ville Heino, Campbell
197 Jake Tindle, SIUE*
HWT Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State*
* - 2015 SoCon champion at that weight class
^ - 2013 SoCon champion at 157
+ - 2014 SoCon champion at 157
