New York college coaches present year-end awards

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Coach Howard (NY Coaches Assoc.)
04/22/2004


The following individuals have been voted this year's recipients of the  New York State Collegiate Wrestling Coaches Association Wrestler of the  Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year.  Congratulations go  out to these fine performances during the 2003-2004 wrestling season.    2004 NYS Wrestler of the Year: Artie Weidler (SUNY Brockport)    Artie Weidler of the State University of New York at Brockport has been  voted the 2004 New York State Collegiate Wrestler of the Year.  Weidler  capped his senior season by winning the 165-pound weight class at the  NCAA Division III Championships held last month.  The Long Island native completed the year with a 27 - 5 overall record.  He also claimed  tournament victories at the New York State Collegiate Championships and the Empire Conference Championships as well as the Baldwin Wallace Invitational.  The Physical Education major also placed second at the Brockport / Oklahoma Gold tournament and fourth at the East Stoudsburg Open.    2004 Freshman of the Year: Mark McKnight (University of Buffalo)    2004 Mid-American Conference Champion, Mark McKnight, of the University of Buffalo has been voted this year's New York State Collegiate Freshman of the Year. The first year student - athlete advanced into the top 12 in the 125-pound weight class at the NCAA Division I Championships held in St. Louis last month.   In his first season of competition McKnight compiled an overall record of 34-8 that included third place finishes at the Brockport / Oklahoma Gold Tournament as well as the Beast of the East Collegiate Classic.    2004 Coach of the Year: Jim Beichner (University of Buffalo)    Jim Beichner, the head wrestling coach at the University of Buffalo has  been voted the recipient of the 2004 New York State Collegiate Coach of  the Year Award. Beichner, guided the Bulls to a second place finish at  the 2004 New York State Collegiate Championships earlier this year.  Buffalo finished fourth in the MAC and fifth at the Beast of the East  Collegiate Classic and Brockport / Oklahoma Gold Classic as well as  seventh at the Mat Town USA Invitational.  The Bulls finished the season  with a 12 - 5 overall dual meet record this past year.  This is the  second time Beichner has been named NYS Coach of the Year as he was honored in 1996.