BLACKSBURG, Va. --- The wrestling team has won five consecutive dual matches for the second time this season, winning its fifth straight Saturday with a 26-10 victory at Virginia Tech.
The 19th-ranked Mocs, who improved to 10-5 on the season, won their first five duals this year before five straight setbacks. Saturday, Chattanooga used the heavier portion of its lineup to pull away from the Hokies (6-7).
Leading 16-7 after six matches, the senior trio of Lloyd Rogers, Josh Edmondson and Matt Koz strung three wins together to push the margin to an insurmountable 26-7 lead.
The Mocs won at all but three positions. Senior Javier Maldonado, ranked 15th nationally at 125 pounds, worked a pin 42 seconds into the second period to defeat Justin Staylor and hand Chattanooga a 6-0 lead.
Virginia Tech's Jared Jones doubled up senior Steve Hromada, 8-4 at 133 pounds to slice the score in half, 6-3.
The Mocs began to distance themselves after 13th-ranked Cody Cleveland dispatched Chris Diaz, 8-3 at 141, and No. 17 Joey Knox shut out Matt Rosen at 149, 6-0.
Senior Seth Garvin extended the margin to 16-3 with a 10-1 major decision over Hokies' 157-pounder, Andre Johnson.
Rogers, ranked 14th, defeated Eric Decker, 5-1 at 174, Edmondson edged Tommy Spellman, 5-4 at 184, and 18th-ranked Koz scored a 12-3 major over D.J. Bruce.
The Hokies picked up their additional team points with victories at 165 and 295. Matt Epperly registered a 14-4 major decision over junior Nick Davis at 165 pounds, and heavyweight David Marone defeated freshman Matt Lettner, 4-2.
The win was the second in two days for the Mocs as they defeated Southern Conference foe VMI Friday, 41-3.
Chattanooga returns home for its final two duals of the season. The Mocs host Central Michigan Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. and UNC Greensboro Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. Both matches will take place in Maclellan Gym on the UTC campus.
Chattanooga will also host the Southern Conference Championships, March 8 in the McKenzie Arena at UTC.
No. 19 CHATTANOOGA 26, VIRGINIA TECH 10
125 ? No. 15 Javier Maldonado (UTC) fall Justin Staylor, 3:42 6-0 UTC
133 ? Jared Jones (VT) dec. Steve Hromada, 8-4 6-3
141 ? No. 13 Cody Cleveland (UTC) dec. Chris Diaz, 8-3 9-3
149 ? No. 17 Joey Knox (UTC) dec. Matt Rosen, 6-0 12-3
157 ? Seth Garvin (UTC) maj. dec. Andre Johnson, 10-1 16-3
165 ? Matt Epperly (VT) maj. dec. Nick Davis, 14-4 16-7
174 ? No. 14 Lloyd Rogers (UTC) dec. Eric Decker, 5-1 19-7
184 ? Josh Edmondson (UTC) dec. Tommy Spellman (VT), 5-4 22-7
197 ? No. 18 Matt Koz (UTC) maj. dec. D.J. Bruce, 12-3 26-7
285 ? David Marone (VT) dec. Matt Lettner, 4-2 26-10
