SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel's Aaron Walker was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month for January, the league announced on Monday.
 
Walker finished 11-2 over the course of the month, posting a perfect 4-0 SoCon mark and a 6-0 dual record. He finished with bonus points in seven of his 11 wins.
 
Walker opened his month with a fifth-place finish in the 157-pound bracket at the Defense Soaps & Flips Wrestling Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2, topping a pair of ranked wrestlers at the event.
 
The sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, opened the Southern Scuffle with a pin and a major decision before topping 2014 All-American Mitch Minotti of Lehigh by an 8-1 score. Walker then pinned No. 8 Dylan Alton of Penn State in 6:24 before dropping a close 4-2 decision to No. 2 James Green of Nebraska.
 
Another close loss dropped him to the fifth-place match where Walker dominated No. 12 Russell Parsons of Army to the tune of a 20-5 technical fall. That win was the first of seven straight to finish the month, as Walker collected two wins at the Virginia Duals, including a major decision over Division II No. 4 Chase White of Nebraska-Kearney, before picking up four SoCon wins.
 
Walker earned bonus points in two of them, posting majors in wins over Gardner-Webb's Kyle Ash and SIUE's Sam Zimmerman. He also topped Appalachian State's Zack Strickland and Chattanooga's Austin Sams.
 
The Citadel makes its final home appearance of the 2014-15 season on Feb. 18 when it hosts Southern Conference rival Davidson at 7 p.m.