January 26, 2006                                                   

SMC Wrestler Ranked No. 6

All-American Bugarin Adds to Achievements

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  Charles Bugarin continues to write the record book for a young Spartanburg Methodist College wrestling team.

The 149-pound sophomore from Charleston (Bishop England) made All-American last year. Now Bugarin has ranked 6^th in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national rankings.

"Charles has been the best kind of leader this season as team captain,” said Pioneers Head Wrestling Coach, Tony Caterisano, who adds that Bugarin leads by example. “He works hard in every drill, in every practice, and offers the type of guidance to the younger wrestlers that makes everyone around him better.” Caterisano commented that Bugarin’s ranking is” well deserved."

Bugarin is currently 9-4 this season and is the highest ranked wrestler in the history of Pioneers wrestling. In 2003, when the Wrestling program was first organized at SMC, it became one of just three intercollegiate wrestling teams in South Carolina.

SMC has 13 intercollegiate athletic teams and has had athletic representation at National Championships, Regional and divisional Championships and World Series Appearances. Now in its 95^th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment, SMC is the only private two-year residential college in South Carolina.