The Colonial Athletic Association honored two Binghamton University wrestlers on Tuesday for their efforts in their rookie campaigns.
Redshirt freshmen John Paris (184 pounds) and Cody Reed (197) both earned spots on the 2010-11 CAA All-Rookie Team. Additionally, Paris was named CAA Rookie of the Year.
Paris finished with a 19-12 record in his first year of eligibility, including two wins by pin fall, two by major decision and one by technical fall. He tallied an 8-2 record in dual meets and was the runner-up at the 197-pound weight class at the CAA Championship.
Reed finished the season with an overall record of 22-17, including two wins by pin fall. Reed bumped up to the 285-pound weight class for the CAA Championship and lost 8-6 to Jack Callender of Drexel University, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals.
“I think it’s a very good indicator of the work and time that those guys put into the sport of wrestling and the program here,” BU head coach Pat Popolizio said. “To get recognized for that is a great accomplishment for their first year. Both Paris and Reed getting voted by the other coaches is a sign that they’re doing a lot of things right and that they had good, solid seasons.”
Popolizio feels the accolades will benefit Paris and Reed as they go through offseason training and prepare for next season.
“It’s a confidence builder for those guys for what we do in the offseason and going into next year,” Popolizio said. “Also, I think it’s motivation for other guys in our program. To show that those guys put in the time and work and they keep getting better and better, the end result is going to be positive for those guys.”
The All-Rookie team also included three wrestlers from Old Dominion University, two from Rider University, two from Boston University and one from Hofstra University.