ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The Southern Conference announced the 2025-26 wrestling postseason awards Thursday afternoon, recognizing The Citadel redshirt freshman Kyrel Leavell and redshirt junior Thomas Snipes as the representatives at 157 lbs and 165 lbs, respectively, on the All-SoCon squad while further distinguishing the former as a member of the league's All-Freshman team. Notably, the Bulldogs earned a pair of All-Conference selections for the first time since the 2021-22 season when Michael McAleavy (285 lbs) and current assistant coach Dazjon Casto (157 lbs) accomplished the same feat.

The league's nine head coaches served as the voting corps for the end-of-season awards.

"Thomas Snipes and Kyrel Leavell becoming All-conference is pretty exciting," interim head coach Luke Welch said. "I believe the last time there were two all-conference it was a couple of years ago. Thomas and Kyrel like to compete, they like the stage, and they go out there and representing who they are and where they come from. I'm excited to see them compete this weekend up in Asheville."
 
Leavell, a product of Indianapolis, Ind., closed out the regular season with a 17-9 overall record along with a notable 9-3 mark in dual competition, notching three pins plus four tech falls during the year. The redshirt freshman served as a reliable competitor in the midweights throughout the league campaign, racking up a 6-2 record en route to the top overall seed within the 157 lbs division at the SoCon Championship.

"I'm grateful for my coaches and teammates because this is really a reflection of the work we've all put in," Leavell added. "With that being said, the job's not finished. The goal was never just to get recognition, it's to win when it matters most. This gives me confidence, sure, but the work I have put in day-in and day-out gives me even more confidence to finish what we started at the conference championship this weekend."

Hailing from Simpsonville, S.C., Snipes orchestrated a 22-5 overall mark along with a 13-3 performance within a dual setting, a team-best on the season. The redshirt junior registered multiple tight victories on the season with zero pins or tech falls, posting a decisive 7-1 record against SoCon competition to solidify the No. 1 seed at 165 lbs for the upcoming conference tournament.

"It's awesome that we can be seen as the top guys for the regular season, but the real deciding factor is this Friday and Saturday," Snipes echoed. "At the end of the day, I want my hand raised for another SoCon title. It's what we've trained for, it's what we've visualized and all that's left to do is to go prove why it should be ours."

The 2026 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship launches Friday, March 6, and concludes on Saturday, March 7, at Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville in Asheville, N.C.

2026 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship
Friday, March 6 - Saturday, March 7
Kimmel Arena | Asheville, N.C.
LIVE STATS
FRIDAY: WATCH (FRIDAY - Prelims) | WATCH (FRIDAY -- Quarterfinals & Semis) 
SATURDAY: WATCH (SATURDAY - Consolation Semis) | WATCH (SATURDAY - Consolation Finals) | WATCH (SATURDAY - Finals)


2025-26 End-of-Season Southern Conference Wrestling Awards

SoCon Wrestler of the Year
T.K. Davis, 133 lbs, R-So., Gardner-Webb

All-SoCon Team
125 lbs: Cooper Flynn, r-Sr., Chattanooga
133 lbs: T.K. Davis, r-So., Gardner-Webb
141 lbs: Hunter Mason, r-So., Chattanooga
149 lbs: Anderson Heap, So., Davidson
157 lbs: Kyrel Leavell, r-Fr., The Citadel
165 lbs: Thomas Snipes, r-Jr., The Citadel
174 lbs: Kamdyn Munro, r-Jr., Chattanooga
184 lbs: Tomas Brooker, r-So., App State
197 lbs: Kade Rule, Fr., Chattanooga
285 lbs: Stephan Monchery, So., App State

SoCon All-Freshman Team
Kade Rule, 197 lbs, Chattanooga
Kyrel Leavell, 157 lbs, The Citadel
CJ Liddie, 157 lbs, Chattanooga
Ethan Uhorchuk, 133 lbs, Chattanooga
Jarvis Little, 133 lbs, App State
Landon Jones, 184 lbs, Chattanooga
Colt Campbell, 174 lbs, App State
Noah Hall, 165 lbs, Bellarmine
Cooper Foster, 125 lbs, App State
Tucker Cell, 165 lbs, Gardner-Webb