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Matt Snyder Named ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of Year
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Seven student-athletes from the Virginia wrestling team have been named to the 2012 All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team, announced Thursday by the conference. Highlighting the seven honorees is Matt Snyder (R-Jr., Lewistown, Pa.), who was named the ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Virginia’s seven honorees marked the most of any ACC program and accounted for more than a third of the 19-man all-academic team. Snyder was joined on the team by Jon Fausey (R-So., Dalmatia, Pa.), Shawn Harris (R-Sr., Cleveland, Ohio), Ethan Hayes (Fr., New Lebanon, Ohio), Ryan Malo (R-Sr., Georgetown, Mass.), Matt Nelson (R-Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Nick Nelson (R-Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.).
Snyder and Nick Nelson were honored on the team for the third time each, while Fausey and Harris each earned the distinction for the second time.
The 2012 ACC Champion at 125 pounds, Snyder plans to enter the medical field upon graduation. A kinesiology major who will earn his undergraduate degree next week, Snyder was assigned a room on The Lawn at the University of Virginia, one of the most prestigious honors at the University. In addition to his classroom achievements, Snyder earned the Cavaliers’ Mike Krafchick Academic Achievement Award last season and was a Capital One Academic All-District Second Team honoree.
Snyder finished the year with a 24-5 record, including a team-high eight falls. Snyder went 8-0 in duals, including a 5-0 mark in ACC duals. He was the No. 11 national seed at the NCAA Championships and went 2-2 at NCAAs, with both losses coming in narrow decisions to fellow seeded wrestlers.
A kinesiology major, Fausey claimed the ACC championship at 184 pounds. He was seeded 12th at the 2012 NCAA Championships and reached the round of 12, falling one win shy of All-America status. He posted a 24-5 record, including a 10-0 mark in dual matches and a perfect 5-0 mark in ACC duals. Over half of his wins resulted in bonus points.
Harris went 9-6 during his fifth year at Virginia. He earned his bachelor’s degree last year and currently is working on his master’s degree in education and leadership. A 2010 NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds, he earned 69 wins during his Virginia career. He also has been named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll three times in his career.
Hayes was 17-12 during his freshman season. He finished third at heavyweight at the ACC Championships and also took fourth place at the Body Bar Invitational. He has not yet declared a major.
Malo completed his college career with a 19-13 record in 2011-12, his first season at Virginia after transferring from Williams College where he was a three-time Division III All-American. He earned his undergraduate degree last year from Williams and currently is finishing up his master’s degree in education at UVa. Malo took third place at the ACC Championships at 197 pounds and finished his college career with a 143-29 record.
Matt Nelson had a remarkable season as he competed for the first time in nearly five years after sitting out because of concussion problems. An economics major, Nelson went 19-7 on the season, including a 7-2 mark in duals and a 4-1 record in ACC duals. He placed third at the ACC Championships in March to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Championships, where he posted a 2-2 record.
Nick Nelson earned the ACC crown at 141 pounds with a double-overtime win over All-American Darrius Little of NC State. The No. 7 seed at 141 at the 2012 NCAA Championships, Nelson (27-4) went 2-2 at the event. Nelson finished his UVa career with 91 wins, which is tied for 10th-most in program history. After earning his undergraduate degree in economics in 2011, Nelson is currently completing his master’s degree in commerce.
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their career as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.
To be eligible for All-ACC Academic Team consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a minimum 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a minimum 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.