FOREST, Va. --- ODAC wrestling caps off a successful return to the collegiate landscape following a 40-plus year hiatus with the announcement of the 2022-23 All-ODAC Wrestling Awards. Greensboro College junior and now three-time All-American Josh Wilson headlines the list as the ODAC Wrestler of the Year following a vote of the league's head coaches.

Washington and Lee University mentor Nathan Shearer garnered ODAC Coach of the Year laurels from his peers, while fellow General Riley Parker was tabbed the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete by the conference's athletic communications personnel. Roanoke College first-year Mark Samuel collected ODAC Rookie of the Year distinction.

In addtion to this season's special awards, the conference formally announces the All-ODAC Wrestling Teams. All-ODAC status was achieved by competition at the conference championships at Shenandoah University in February. Any wrestler that won a weight class earned All-ODAC First Team recognition. Second and third place finishers garnered All-ODAC Second and Third Team honors, respectively.

RELATED: 2023 ODAC Wrestling Championship Results

Wilson, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., put together a banner season that included the ODAC title at 141 pounds and eighth place showing at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships to secure his third All-American honor. Wilson posted a 42-6 overall record including a 6-0 mark in ODAC dual matches. He was the first wrestler in Greensboro history to earn Most Outstanding Wrestler (MOW) honors at the NCAA Division III Southeast Regional. Wilson was also the MOW at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational and earned weight champion laurels at the Jim Crytzer Open and Appalachian State Mountaineer Open. In the final rankings posted by the NWCA on February 15, Wilson was slotted fifth in Division III.

Shearer completed his 11th season guiding the Generals program, leading them to an 11-2 overall record in dual matches including a share of the ODAC regular season championship with a 5-1 mark in league duals. Washington and Lee wrestlers earned nine All-ODAC honors with three weight class champions, four runners-up, and a pair of bronze medalists at the conference championships. That powered W&L to a 135.5 points to top the team standings. Under Shearer, Washington and Lee has topped three straight conference standings with the 2020 and 2022 Centennial Conference crowns joining this year's ODAC trophy (2021 missed due to COVID).

Samuel, a first-year from Wilmington, N.C., put together a strong first season in Salem despite battling injury for a portion of the year. Samuel went 11-3 in all matches, splitting time between 133 and 141 pound weight classes. He finished sixth at the regional championships at 141, going 3-2. Early in the schedule, Samuel earned a silver medal at 133 pounds at the Southeast Open, posting a 4-1 record with his lone loss coming to a Division I opponent from the University of Virginia in a first place match.

Parker, a senior from Virginia Beach, Va., shined on and off the mat for the Generals. In the classroom, Parker maintains a 3.818 grade point average as a strategic communications major with minor concentrations in digital culture and information. He is a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American and previously earned placement on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. The four-time President's List and seven-time W&L Scholar Athlete Award winner has been accepted in into the graduate program for communications and journalism at Johns Hopkins University beginning in Fall 2023, where he will also continue his collegiate wrestling career (COVID year). On the mat, Parker won the ODAC title at 125 pounds and just missed qualifying for the NCAA championships in placing fourth at the regional championships. He finished the season with a 22-2 indivudual record including a 5-0 mark against conference foes. He was ranked 11th in the February 15 final ranking by the NWCA. Last season, Parker set the W&L record for wins in a season with 35. He has won 73 matches in his W&L career.

Listed below is the full layout of this season's All-ODAC Wrestling Awards. For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.