UNC Greensboro Lineup

[Earl]

There have been a few changes made to the Spartans lineup. The 125 and 133 lbers Johnson and Hedges have been flipflopped. Also Darren Burns (Sr), probably UNC Greensboro's best wrestler will wrestle at 197, not heavyweight as previously thought. That opens up the heavyweight spot for Joe Sheffield, also a senior.

d1collegewrestling.net/Teams_UNCG.html

[stovepipe]

Earl, Excellent info/post. Thanks, Stove Pipe

[cncmachine]

Here is what I think will be the line up for UNCG.

125lbs
With the moving up to 133lbs of senior Jeff Hedges (a former Junior College all-american) this leaves the door open for sophomore Mitchell Johnson to fill this spot. Johnson (a former North Carolina state champion) started at 133lb for the Spartans last season. He will have stiff competition from sophomore Casey Boyle a four-time Massachusetts state champion.

133lbs
Jeff Hedges will start here and be backed up by either Johnson or Boyle.

141lbs
Senior Chris Bencivenga (a two-time Florida state runner-up) started here last season and had several wins over top competition like Brandon Raider, Darion Caldwell, etc... He could start here again or could red shirt. If senior Andrew Creiger makes 141lbs Bencivenga will red shirt this year and Creiger will start at this weight. Creiger should make weight at 141lbs.
Senior Ben Willmore will provide back up and depth at 141lbs.

149lbs
If Creiger does not make weight at 141lbs he will start at 149lbs. The senior is a former New York state runner-up and has sarted for two years for the Spartans. Last season Creiger was injured during the Christmas break and out for the rest of the season. In his absence junior Marcus Hannah ( a former North Carolina state champion) filled in. If Creiger goes to 141lbs, Hannah will likely start. Other competition for this weight will come from Willmore and two true freshmen, Andrew Saunders and Keith Dillard.

157lbs
At this weight UNCG had two former Fargo national runners-up vying for this spot, but now both have other plans. Red shirt freshman Byron Sigmon ( a three-time North Carolina state champion) has grown and will now compete at 165lbs. True freshman Chris Bullins (a four-time North Carolina state champion) will red shirt this season. Look for senior Mark Ring to move to this spot. Ring was a New Jersey 3rd state placer in high school and a SoCon two-time runner-up at 165lbs.

165lbs
Byron Sigmon should start here. Last season as a red shirt he placed fouth at the West Virginia Open, was champion at the Davidson Open, placed second at the Pembroke Classic and the Cumberland Open. Sophomore Victor Hojilla (a former North Carolina state champion and UNC Pembroke transfer) and true freshman Mikel McKee (three time North Carolina state placer, runner-up in 2007) will challenge for this weight class.

174lbs
Junior Craig McIntosh should emerge to take this spot. McIntosh is a former North Carolina state champion (2003) and state runner-up (2005). Sophomore Jeremy Cannon and McKee should challenge.

184lbs
Two former New York state champions will compete for the starting spot here. Junior Kane Smith has started at this weight the last two seasons. This year he could be challenged by sophomore Nick Clark. Last year Clark was the starter at 197lbs, but with Daren Burns moving back into the line up Clark will challenge at 184lbs. In 2005 Smith was a New York state champion. In the state finals he defeated Clark. In 2006 Clark won a New York state championship.

197lbs
Daren Burns was a two-time North Carolina state champion. He was the SoCon conference champion in 2004, 2005 and 2006. As a sophomore in 2005 Burns was one match from placing in the NCAA tournament he was beaten by Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan on a last second take down. In 2006 Burns wrestled through the season with injured shoulders and had corrective surgery for them that spring and summer of 2006. Last year he red shirted. Burns was the University Nationals freestyle runner-up last April. In the semi-finals of that tournament he defeated Wynn Michalak to advance to the finals.

Burns will be backed up by either Clark or Smith.

275lbs
Joe Sheffield (a Texas state runner-up) has started at this weight the past two seasons. Last year he was the SoCon runner-up and University Nationals greco runner-up. He will be backed up by sophomore Ryan Hsu

[Earl]

Good stuff CNC....Thanks