BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University wrestler Forrest Przybysz was named to the Spring 2016 Academic All-Southern Conference team, the league announced Monday.
“I'm really proud of the progress and the things that Forrest has done in his time here,” head coach JohnMark Bentley said. “Not only does he make a huge commitment to being a great wrestler but he also makes a commitment to being a great student-athlete as well. This just adds to the many accolades that he's received and he's very deserving as he puts in a ton of effort in the wrestling room and a ton of effort in the classroom.”
“And that's what we're trying to promote on our team is a total and complete student-athlete,” Bentley continued. “That's the philosophy and the mentality that we're trying to promote on our team so he's a great leader both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom.”
To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must now carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of the spring semester and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams' competitions. This is a change from the previous criteria that was based on the GPA entering the semester of competition.
The rising senior finished with a 3.78 GPA in his continued pursuit of a degree in economics, while also being a key member of the 2016 SoCon Championship team. The 165-pounder was a runner-up at the conference tournament, individually, and was also a runner-up in 2015.
As an at-large selection, Przybysz was selected to compete in the 2016 NCAA Championship alongside other Mountaineer selections: 141-pound Michael Longo, 74-pound Nick Kee and heavyweight Denzel Dejournette. In day two of nationals, he fell to No. 8 seed Chad Welch of Purdue in the consolation second round.
In addition to this academic award, Przybysz was also named to the 2016 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Top 30 All-Academic Teams list.
Appalachian went 12-4 overall with a 6-1 SoCon record en route to winning a share of the regular-season title for the first time since 2012. The momentum carried forward to the tournament where Longo, Kee and Dejournette all won their individual weight classes, helping the Mountaineers win the tournament for the first time since 2003.
