March 31, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - After leading Maryland to its first Atlantic Coast Conference team title since 1973, the Terrapins' Hudson Taylor and Pat Santoro have been named the league's Wrestler and Coach of the Year, respectively, by a vote of the ACC head coaches. Virginia's Chris Henrich, who earned a berth in the 2008 NCAA Championships as a rookie this year, was voted the ACC's Freshman of the Year.

Taylor, a sophomore native of Pennington, N.J., led the Terps with 37 wins during the 2007-08 season. Competing in the 197 pound weight class this year, he went undefeated in the ACC, recording two pins and two major decisions in five regular season league bouts, before seizing the individual title at the 2008 ACC Championships earlier this month. At the NCAA Championships, Taylor went 6-1 with wins over three seeded wrestlers and the defending national champion to finish third nationally in his weight class. An All-ACC performer in each of his first two years, Taylor is the first Maryland wrestler to be named an All-American since 1997.

For Santoro, the Coach of the Year honor is the first of his five-year career with the Terps. His 2008 squad went a perfect 5-0 in ACC competition for the second year in a row and earned the school's first league title since 1973. Under Santoro, five Maryland wrestlers earned ACC individual titles in 2008, and six wrestlers earned berths in the 2008 NCAA Championships. The Terps' 21st place finish at this year's NCAA meet is the highest finish for any league school since 2004. In five years at Maryland, Santoro holds an overall record of 48-41-1 and is 14-10 in conference competition.

Virginia's Henrich finished second in the 174 pound division at this year's ACC Championships, and completed the season with a 26-10 overall record. In his first year at Virginia, the Lansdale, Pa., native went 4-1 in ACC dual meet action in helping the Cavaliers to a 3-2 league finish. A wild-card selection for the 2008 NCAA Championships, Henrich went 1-2 in the NCAA meet, leading the Wahoos to their best team finish since 2004.


2008 ACC Wrestling

Wrestler of the Year
Hudson Taylor (Maryland), So., 197 pounds

Freshman of the Year
Chris Henrich (Virginia), Fr., 174 pounds

Coach of the Year
Pat Santoro (Maryland)