University at Buffalo
NCAA Championships
Smith and Cannon Earn Academic All-MAC Honors
3/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
BUFFALO, NY – Sophomores John-Martin Cannon and Kevin Smith have been named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team as announced by the conference offices on Thursday morning. Cannon and Smith join eight additional MAC wrestlers who were selected by the conference's faculty athletic representatives for their outstanding performances on and off the mat.
An exercise science major, Smith receives his second consecutive selection with a GPA of 3.625, the highest among the honorees for the second time. In the 133-pound weight class, the tri-captain has posted a 28-11 overall record including a 12-5 dual meet record. In his first competition of the year, Smith finished in second place at the UB Open, defeating then 14th-ranked Jimmy Conroy of Pittsburgh. At the Body Bar Invitational, Smith defeated then sixth-ranked Mike Grey of host Cornell en route to finishing in second place. In his final tournament of the regular season, Smith placed second at the New York State Intercollegiate Championships.
At the MAC Championships, 17th nationally-ranked Smith finished in second place with a 4-1 record to earn his first trip to the NCAA National Tournament.
With a GPA of 3.313, Cannon has been selected for the first time in his career. The elementary education major has compiled a 22-14 overall record while rattling off a career-best seven straight victories. Competing in the 165-pound weight class, Cannon posted an impressive 4-1 record against MAC opponents. Early in the season, Cannon finished in seventh place at the Las Vegas Invitational among a field of 15 of the top-30 wrestlers in the nation. At the New York State Intercollegiate Championships, Cannon captured the individual title, posting a 4-0 record including an upset over 16th nationally-ranked Justin Kerber of Cornell in the championship bout. For his first-place performance, Cannon received the honor of being named MAC Wrestler of the Week.
At the MAC Championships, Cannon finished in third place due to an injury default in the bout for true second. For the first time in his career, Cannon joins three of his teammates at the NCAA National Tournament, earning a spot as a National Qualifier.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments for the current season only are considered.
