Lander University

Wrestling 2/13/2026 3:30:00 PM Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

Hunsberger and LaHaye Bring Home Conference Carolinas Major Awards; Seven Named All-Conference

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Senior David Hunsberger and head wrestling coach R.C. LaHaye were named Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, the league announced Friday with the release of the 2026 Wrestling All-Conference teams.

The Bearcats also placed seven wrestlers across the league's three All-Conference teams. Hunsberger was joined on the first team by James Joplin, Dylan Kohn, and Isaac Sheeren. Elijah Lusk and Maxwell Kiel earned second-team honors, while Marvelous Rutledge was named to the third team.

Hunsberger earns the league's top individual honor for the second straight season and third time in his career, adding to his 2023 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year award. It marks the fifth time in the last six years that a Lander wrestler has claimed the Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Year honor.

He also secured his fourth consecutive first-team all-conference selection, becoming just the second wrestler in conference history to accomplish that feat, joining Isiah Royal of Newberry (2018-22). The two-time defending national champion is 19-1 this season and leads Division II with 11 technical falls. He finished the regular season undefeated in duals at 14-0 and went 5-0 in Conference Carolinas action. Hunsberger currently holds the program record for career wins with 114 and owns a 26-3 mark in conference matches.

LaHaye collects his third Coach of the Year honor in the last four seasons. Under his leadership, Lander posted a perfect 10-0 record in Conference Carolinas duals as part of a 19-3 overall campaign. The Bearcats earned a top-15 ranking in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll and became the first program in league history to reach 50 conference wins. Lander enters postseason competition riding a 39-match conference winning streak.

As a team, Lander wrestlers compiled a 74-15 record in Conference Carolinas bouts and a 151-51 mark in dual matches this season.

Lusk and Kiel join Hunsberger as four-time All-Conference honorees, with Kiel's previous three honors coming at Belmont Abbey. Joplin earned the third all-conference selection of his career, while Rutledge and Sheeren collected their second career honors. Kohn earned all-conference recognition in his first season in the Blue and Gold.

Hunsberger, LaHaye, and the seven All-Conference selections will be recognized at the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship on Sunday, February 15, at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court in Pembroke, North Carolina. Lander opens postseason action at 11 a.m. against Belmont Abbey in the semifinal round. The Bearcats previously recorded the largest comeback in program history against the Crusaders, rallying from a 13-0 deficit to secure a 24-17 victory on November 19.

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