Lou DePrez to Return to Competition on Binghamton Wrestling Team
SOURCE: bubearcats.com
December 15, 2023

 



Graduate student to compete in seventh and final season of eligibility

VESTAL, N.Y. - Two-time All-American Lou DePrez is stepping down from his role as Assistant Coach of the Binghamton wrestling team to return to compete in his seventh and final season of eligibility at BU, the team announced Saturday.

"There isn't another team in the country I would want to compete for," said DePrez. "God has blessed me with another year to wrestle collegiately, and I get to do that with a great group of people."

DePrez has put together one of the most decorated careers in program history while competing at Binghamton from 2017-23. He qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships four consecutive times (2019-22), won three straight EIWA championships (2020-22), became the first two-time All-American in program history (2020-21), and won 131 matches. In 2021, he finished in eighth place at the NCAA Championships, followed by an appearance in the quarterfinals in 2022.

DePrez has also succeeded on the international stage. In 2018, the Hilton, N.Y., native finished ninth at the United World Wrestling Junior World Championships at 86 kg. He qualified for the event after winning both the Freestyle Junior National and the Junior World Team Trial championships earlier that year.

On Jan. 2, 2023, DePrez suffered a season-ending injury while competing at the Southern Scuffle. DePrez then joined the Binghamton coaching staff as an assistant coach.

"The impact of Lou's return to the team is a massive boost for our program," said Binghamton Head Coach Kyle Borshoff. "He lost an opportunity to compete for a national championship two different times in his career. He's beaten most of the top ranked wrestlers at 197 lbs., in the country, and his goal is to win a national championship. His presence in our lineup will add an air of confidence for the rest of our team and make us a much better team overall."


DePrez will compete on a wrestling mat for the first time since that injury on Saturday at the 2023 USA Wrestling Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. He is competing on behalf of the Bearcat Wrestling Club in the Men's Freestyle section at 97 kg. The competition continues through Sunday, when the championship matches take place. Those who finish in the top five in each weight category will earn a spot at the Olympic trials, which take place in April in State College, Pa.

The Bearcats will return to competition on Friday, Dec. 22, when they will have wrestlers competing at the Wilkes Open in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., at 9:30 a.m., and the Sheridan Tournament in Bethlehem, Pa., at 10 a.m.


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