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С����Ƶ sophomore BJ Clagon won his 149-pound weight class match in the 50th annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Sunday evening.

“I thought it was a very great performance by BJ,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor.

The annual Classic, televised on ESPNU with two of the top wrestlers in the country from each weight class in a dual meet format, was held on the campus of Georgia Tech in the McCamish Pavilion. “With that kind of coverage it is huge for BJ, for our program and for С����Ƶ,” Taylor said.

Clagon (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) defeated All-American Lenny Richardson of Old Dominion 9-6. “Both BJ and Richardson are very gifted athletes and BJ did what he needed to do to win and he was very impressive in doing it,” Taylor said.

Clagon beat Richardson 2-1 at the NCAA Championships last year. Richardson defeated Clagon 2-1 at the prestigious Midlands Championships last December. Fourth ranked Clagon led 5-1 over 5th ranked Richardson after the second period. The first period ended 0-0. “His concentration level was very high the entire match,” Taylor said. “He wrestled a smart, intense match.”

Clagon is the fifth Bronc to be selected to compete at the NWCA Classic. Other Broncs who took part in the All-Star Classic were All-American Tim Morrison ’83, All-American Adam Derengowski ’91, All-American Leo Giel ’99 and All-American Shawn Scannel ’01.

Clagon and Derengowski are the only Broncs to win at the event.

“BJ is the first underclassman from Rider to be selected for this prestigious event,” said associate head coach John Hangey. “The fact that he was selected as a sophomore speaks volumes to the success that BJ has had to this point in his young career.”

Clagon earned All-America honors last season, placing fifth at the NCAA Championships. Clagon was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the EWL Championships, leading Rider to a runner-up conference finish.

Last season in the EWL Championship match Clagon defeated the No. 1 ranked 149-pound wrestler in the nation, All-American Dave Habut of Edinboro. At the 2015 NCAA Championships, Clagon was the 15th seed and placed fifth. Clagon won six matches, defeating the fifth, eighth, 13th and 16th seeds. His only losses at Nationals were both to the defending national champion, Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern, by the scores of 2-0 and 2-1.

The EWL Rookie of the Year, Clagon was the EWL Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler and the Rider Athlete of the Year. Clagon is the 14th Rider wrestler to earn All-America honors and the first Rider athlete, in any sport, to earn All-America honors as a freshman.

“Having Rider represented amongst the nation’s best in college wrestling is very important to the University and the program’s success,” Hangey said. Prior to coming to Rider Clagon was a four-time NHSCA National Champion and a two-time NJSIAA State Champion.

Clagon and the Broncs take to the mats again Nov. 7 at the Michigan Duals.