Campbell seeks to repeat as Southern Conference champions on Sunday
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Photo of Josh Heil of Campbell by Bennett Scarborough, courtesy of GoCamels.com
2019 Southern Conference champion Campbell won the 2020 SoCon regular season title, going undefeated in SoCon dual meets. Cary Kolat’s Camels are the favorite for the 2020 SoCon Wrestling Championships, set for Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. on Sunday, March 8.
Campbell enters with a No. 19 NWCA Coaches Poll ranking, which is based upon dual meets. Top rival Appalachian State received votes in the NWCA Poll. In the Trackwrestling NCAA Tournament rankings, Campbell sits at No. 32, with Appalachian State at No. 40.
The Camels won the dual meet against Appalachian State, 20-13 on February 13, winning six of the 10 matches.
Campbell boasts three returning conference champions in Korbin Meink (125), Joshua Heil (141) and Chris Kober (197). Last year, Heil won his conference title up at 149, while Kober won his conference title down at 184.
Appalachian State, coached by JohnMark Bentley, has two returning champions expected to compete, Codi Russell at 133 and Cary Miller at 285. Neither is expected to get the top seed, as they lost to Campbell wrestlers in the dual meet. Russell was beaten by Noah Gonser, 11-2, while Miller fell to Jere Heino, 3-2. Gonser and Heino both have higher national rankings than Russell and Miller.
Last year in the SoCon finals, Russell beat Gonser, 9-4.
Gonser and Heil are the highest ranked SoCon wrestlers nationally, with both having a No. 8 ranking in a major poll, meaning they are considered capable of earning All-American honors this year.
The other returning SoCon champion is Neil Richards of VMI at 174 pounds, who is the highest ranked SoCon wrestler at his weight class coming into the postseason.
There are 14 automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships provided to the conference, with two qualifiers at 149, 174, 184 and 285. The other six weight classes have only the champion earning an automatic spot in the NCAA Championships.
Event: Southern Conference Wrestling Championships
Location: Holmes Convocation Center, Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.
Date: Sunday, March 8
Live Stream: SoCon Digital Network
Southern Conference: 14 automatic qualifiers
125 (1), 133 (1), 141 (1), 149 (2), 157 (1), 165 (1), 174 (2), 184 (2), 197 (1), 285 (2)
NWCA Dual Meet Ranked Teams
No. 19 Campbell
Receiving votes: Appalachian State
Trackwrestling Tournament Ranked Teams
No. 32 Campbell
No. 40 Appalachian State
Individual ranked wrestlers (Track/WIN/Flo)
125 – No. 24/--/-- Sean Carter (Appalachian State), No. 26/--/18 Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga)
133 – No. 9/8/8 Noah Gonser (Campbell), No. 24/--/-- Codi Russell (Appalachian State)
141 – No. 9/14/11 Joshua Heil (Campbell),
149 – No. 25/16/22 Jonathan Milner (Appalachian State), No. 26/--/23 Tanner Smith (Chattanooga)
157 – No. 28/--/-- Matt Zovistoski (Appalachian State)
165 – No. 18/17/18 Quentin Perez (Campbell)
174 – No. 17/--/18 Neal Richards (VMI), No. 29/-- Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State)
184 – No. 11/14/8 Andrew Morgan (Campbell), No. 18/--/16 Matthew Waddell (Chatanooga)
197 – None
285 – No. 13/10/14 Jere Heino (Campbell), No. 20/--/-- Cary Miller (Appalachian State)
No 2019 All-Americans returning
2019 SoCon champions returning
125 – Korbin Meink (Campbell)
133 - Codi Russell (Appalachian State)
149 - Joshua Heil (Campbell), now competing at 141
174 - Neal Richards (VMI)
184 - Chris Kober (Campbell), now competing at 197
285 - Cary Miller (Appalachian State)
2019 Southern Conference Tournament standings: 1. Campbell, 95; 2. Appalachian State, 92.5; 3. Chattanooga, 62; 4. The Citadel, 42.5; 5. Gardner-Webb, 24.5; 6. Davidson, 22.5; 7. VMI, 17
Event Schedule (Eastern time)
Sunday, March 8
10:00 a.m. – Competition begins
7:00 p.m. – Championship finals
Tickets: Adults ($15), Youth ages 6-12 ($10), Groups of 10 or more ($8), SoCon students free with school ID. $3 off ticket price with donation of a food item at the door.
2019 Southern Conference champion Campbell won the 2020 SoCon regular season title, going undefeated in SoCon dual meets. Cary Kolat’s Camels are the favorite for the 2020 SoCon Wrestling Championships, set for Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. on Sunday, March 8.
Campbell enters with a No. 19 NWCA Coaches Poll ranking, which is based upon dual meets. Top rival Appalachian State received votes in the NWCA Poll. In the Trackwrestling NCAA Tournament rankings, Campbell sits at No. 32, with Appalachian State at No. 40.
The Camels won the dual meet against Appalachian State, 20-13 on February 13, winning six of the 10 matches.
Campbell boasts three returning conference champions in Korbin Meink (125), Joshua Heil (141) and Chris Kober (197). Last year, Heil won his conference title up at 149, while Kober won his conference title down at 184.
Appalachian State, coached by JohnMark Bentley, has two returning champions expected to compete, Codi Russell at 133 and Cary Miller at 285. Neither is expected to get the top seed, as they lost to Campbell wrestlers in the dual meet. Russell was beaten by Noah Gonser, 11-2, while Miller fell to Jere Heino, 3-2. Gonser and Heino both have higher national rankings than Russell and Miller.
Last year in the SoCon finals, Russell beat Gonser, 9-4.
Gonser and Heil are the highest ranked SoCon wrestlers nationally, with both having a No. 8 ranking in a major poll, meaning they are considered capable of earning All-American honors this year.
The other returning SoCon champion is Neil Richards of VMI at 174 pounds, who is the highest ranked SoCon wrestler at his weight class coming into the postseason.
There are 14 automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships provided to the conference, with two qualifiers at 149, 174, 184 and 285. The other six weight classes have only the champion earning an automatic spot in the NCAA Championships.
Event: Southern Conference Wrestling Championships
Location: Holmes Convocation Center, Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.
Date: Sunday, March 8
Live Stream: SoCon Digital Network
Southern Conference: 14 automatic qualifiers
125 (1), 133 (1), 141 (1), 149 (2), 157 (1), 165 (1), 174 (2), 184 (2), 197 (1), 285 (2)
NWCA Dual Meet Ranked Teams
No. 19 Campbell
Receiving votes: Appalachian State
Trackwrestling Tournament Ranked Teams
No. 32 Campbell
No. 40 Appalachian State
Individual ranked wrestlers (Track/WIN/Flo)
125 – No. 24/--/-- Sean Carter (Appalachian State), No. 26/--/18 Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga)
133 – No. 9/8/8 Noah Gonser (Campbell), No. 24/--/-- Codi Russell (Appalachian State)
141 – No. 9/14/11 Joshua Heil (Campbell),
149 – No. 25/16/22 Jonathan Milner (Appalachian State), No. 26/--/23 Tanner Smith (Chattanooga)
157 – No. 28/--/-- Matt Zovistoski (Appalachian State)
165 – No. 18/17/18 Quentin Perez (Campbell)
174 – No. 17/--/18 Neal Richards (VMI), No. 29/-- Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State)
184 – No. 11/14/8 Andrew Morgan (Campbell), No. 18/--/16 Matthew Waddell (Chatanooga)
197 – None
285 – No. 13/10/14 Jere Heino (Campbell), No. 20/--/-- Cary Miller (Appalachian State)
No 2019 All-Americans returning
2019 SoCon champions returning
125 – Korbin Meink (Campbell)
133 - Codi Russell (Appalachian State)
149 - Joshua Heil (Campbell), now competing at 141
174 - Neal Richards (VMI)
184 - Chris Kober (Campbell), now competing at 197
285 - Cary Miller (Appalachian State)
2019 Southern Conference Tournament standings: 1. Campbell, 95; 2. Appalachian State, 92.5; 3. Chattanooga, 62; 4. The Citadel, 42.5; 5. Gardner-Webb, 24.5; 6. Davidson, 22.5; 7. VMI, 17
Event Schedule (Eastern time)
Sunday, March 8
10:00 a.m. – Competition begins
7:00 p.m. – Championship finals
Tickets: Adults ($15), Youth ages 6-12 ($10), Groups of 10 or more ($8), SoCon students free with school ID. $3 off ticket price with donation of a food item at the door.
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