GREENWOOD - Awards continue to find the Lander wrestling team as head coach R.C. LaHaye was recently named The Open Mat Div. II Coach of The Year.
Competing in just its fourth season as a program, LaHaye has established Lander as one of the premier wrestling programs in the country.
Ranked No. 2 this season and finishing as the National Runner-up, LaHaye produced six All-Americans this season. James Joplin, Elijah Lusk, Zeth Brower, David Hunsberger, Logan Hall and Juan Edmond-Holmes all finished in the top eight in the 2023 National Championships while Hall placed second at 184.
"I am extremely grateful for this honor," said coach LaHaye. "None of this could have been possible without the hard work of our assistant coaches, Chris Freije and Micheal Elliott, and most importantly our student-athletes here at Lander."
Most recently Hall was named a finalist for the NWCA Div. II Wrestler of The Year while David Hunsberger was named a finalist for the NWCA Div. II Rookie Wrestler of The Year while also being named The Open Mat Div. II Freshman of The Year.
LaHaye and his staff guided the Bearcats to a 20-2 overall record and a spotless 10-0 record in the SACC. The Bearcats won their first Super Region II team title with a record-breaking 164 points. The Blue and Gold also saw seven Super Region Champions among the nine National Qualifiers.
Lander claimed its second straight SACC Championship title after defeating No. 18 UNC Pembroke 30-7 at Horne Arena. The Bearcats finished fifth overall at the 2023 NWCA National Duals and finished third at the Midwest Classic.
LaHaye guided the Bearcats to an 8-2 record against ranked opponents during the 2022-23 season.
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