The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team returns home this weekend to host Gardner-Webb in Southern Conference action.  Both teams are unbeaten in SoCon competition, and match time is set for 6:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) on Friday, Jan. 15, in Maclellan Gym. 
 
Tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).  Links for live scoring and the SoCon Digital Network Broadcast are available on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com. 
 
Chattanooga enters the match at No. 25 in this week's Intermat Dual Meet rankings.  It is the third year in a row the Mocs have earned a national ranking. 
 
UTC is 8-3 overall and 3-0 in SoCon matches.  The Mocs are coming off a third place finish in last week's Virginia Duals that included wins over Grand Canyon, Rider and Arizona State. 
 
Gardner-Webb is 3-4 overall but 2-0 in league matches.  The Runnin' Bulldogs' SoCon wins include victories over VMI (34-9) and last week against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (35-6). 
 
GWU was picked to finish fourth in the league race in the preseason.  They also had two first-place votes from the league's coaches.   
 
Chattanooga is 10-0 all-time against GWU.  UTC scored a 26-12 win on the road last season and a 35-3 victory the last time the Bulldogs visited Maclellan Gym in 2014. 
 
Chattanooga Mocs (8-3, 3-0 SoCon) Probable Lineup
125: Alonzo Allen (Fr. - 10-8)
133: Cody Hill (So. - 4-10) or Cody Minnick (Fr. 0-1)
141: Michael Pongracz (Jr. - 16-2)
149: Chase Zemenak (So. - 2-1)
157: Kamaal Shakur (Fr. - 18-5)
165: Dominic Lampe (Fr. - 13-8)
174: Sean Mappes (Jr. - 12-7)
184: John Lampe (Sr. - 14-4)
197: Scottie Boykin (Jr. - 13-6)
285: No. 11 Jared Johnson (Jr. - 17-3)
 
UTC saw a few changes to its lineup at the Virginia Duals last week.  The Mocs welcomed sophomore transfer Chase Zemenak from Bloomsburg to the lineup at 149.  He went 2-1 in his first action of the season. 
 
Freshman Cody Minnick had his redshirt pulled and he competed at 125.  He has moved up to 133 where he will push sophomore Cody Hill for time on the mat. 
 
Junior Jared Johnson leads the team with his 17-3 overall record and No. 11 national ranking at heavyweight.  Junior Michael Pongracz is coming off a 4-0 weekend and is 16-2 overall at 141. 
 
Chattanooga was picked to win the Southern Conference race for the 30th time since joining the league in 1978.  UTC returns six starters and four NCAA qualifiers from last year's team that went 13-6 overall and 7-0 in league action. 
 
Head Coach Heath Eslinger is in his seventh season at UTC.  A two-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year, he owns a 82-44 (.651) career dual record.
 
Chattanooga has won 24 consecutive SoCon matches.  The last loss was a 21-17 home defeat against Appalachian State on Feb. 5, 2012. 
 
GARDNER-WEBB BULLDOGS (3-4, 2-0 SOCON) PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Cortez Starkes (Sr., 11-8)
133: Tyler Ziegler (Sr., 10-5)
141: Ryan Hull (R-So, 4-7)
149: Ryan Mosley (R-Jr., 13-4)
157: Chris Vassar (R-So., 5-1)
165: Austin Trott (R-Jr., 7-2)
174: Brett Stein (Jr., 12-6)
184: Hunter Gamble (R-Jr., 10-5)
197: Gray Jones (R-Jr., 8-9)
285: Boyce Cornwell (R-Jr., 14-3)
 
The Bulldogs' lineup has a ton of experience with two seniors at the top and six juniors the rest of the way. 
 
There are some interesting matchups up and down the lineup, beginning with 125.  UTC freshman Alonzo Allen is coming off a strong weekend at the Virginia Duals where he scored a tech fall and a 10-3 decision.  He is pitted against senior Cortez Starkes who is 11-8 overall and 2-0 in SoCon action.
 
GWU senior Tyler Ziegler is in at 133 with a 10-5 mark, 2-0 in SoCon matches and 6-1 in duals overall.  Look for another good match at 149 between Zemenak and GWU junior Ryan Mosley.  Mosley is 13-4 overall, 2-0 in SoCon action and 5-1 in duals.
 
Another big match could come at heavyweight between Johnson and GWU junior Boyce Cornwell.  Cornwell moved up from 197 and is 14-3 overall.  He is 2-0 in league action and 7-0 in duals. 
 
MOCS SET RECORDS IN THE CLASSROOM
The wrestling team had an outstanding semester in the classroom for the Fall 2015 term.  UTC topped the 3.0 mark (3.04) for the first time as a team.  The Mocs also set program records with 22 on the A.D. Honor Roll, 16 on the Dean's List and five 4.0s.