LANCASTER, Pa. – The Centennial Conference announced its 2022 all-conference wrestling team on Friday and Washington and Lee claimed several honors, including the Coach of the Year Award.
Four Generals garnered First Team All-Centennial Conference honors, while
Nathan Shearer was selected as the Centennial Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in his 11 seasons. Additionally, first-year
David Rubin (Matawan, N.J. / Matawan Regional) was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Seniors
Clay Chadwick (Arlington, Va. / Yorktown) and
Charlie Cunningham (Pequannock, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep), and juniors
Ryan Luth (Milford, Conn. / Joseph A. Foran) and
Riley Parker (Virginia Beach, Va. / First Colonial) were all named to the first team. W&L had just three first teamers over the program's first 23 seasons as a member of the conference.
Chadwick earned all-conference laurels for the first time in his career after having claimed the Centennial Conference Championship at 285 pounds last weekend. He pinned each of his first two opponents and was dominating his opponent in the title bout when the other competitor forfeited due to injury. He has posted a 23-7 record this season with 11 wins by fall.
An NWCA Scholar All-American, Chadwick placed third at the CC Championship as a sophomore and fourth as a first-year. He carries a 63-47 career record into the regional championships.
Cunningham garnered his second all-conference honor but his first selection to the first team. He posted honorable mention laurels as a sophomore when he finished second in the 133-pound weight class. This season, he won the 141-pound weight class by going 2-0 at the CC Championship. He is 15-4 on the season with three wins by fall.
Over his career, Cunningham has logged a 62-17 overall record. He is a two-time NWCA Scholar All-America honoree.
Luth became the first W&L wrestler to earn multiple selections to the first team, having done the same during his sophomore season when he also garnered First Team All-America accolades. He is ranked sixth nationally at 157 pounds, winning both of his matches at the 2022 league championship by major decision. He is 24-1 this season with six wins by fall.
A 2020 NWCA Scholar All-American, Luth has compiled a 70-6 career record.
Parker seized his first league championship and first all-conference honor after knocking off the top two seeds at the CC Championship. He has compiled a 26-6 overall record with eight wins by fall.
A two-time NWCA Scholar All-American, Parker carries a 52-19 career record into the NCAA regionals.
Rubin was one of seven athletes named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. He placed fourth at the conference championship at 133 pounds and he is 11-16 on the season.
Shearer was named the Centennial Conference Coach of the Year after he guided the Generals to an 11-5 overall record and a 5-1 league mark. W&L improved its finish at the Centennial Conference Championship for four consecutive seasons before winning its first CC title in 2020. Shearer then mentored the Generals to a repeat performance this season.
After winning just 15 matches over his first five seasons, Shearer has led W&L to a 57-27 (.679) overall record across the last six years, one of the most successful stretches in program history.
Washington and Lee will compete in the NCAA Southeast Regional on February 25-26 on the campus of Lycoming College. The Generals will attempt to qualify wrestlers for the NCAA National Championship which will be held on March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
