The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team returns home to Maclellan Gym for the first time since early November this weekend.  The Mocs host VMI to open Southern Conference action on Sunday, Jan. 17.
 
Doors open at 1:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at Maclellan Gym with the match set to start at 2:00 p.m. Reminder to all fans attending that UTC's Clear Bag Policy is in effect for Maclellan Gym. 
 
Due to construction on Vine Street, only two doors are open for fan access to Maclellan.  These include the Douglas Street entrance across from the Boling Apartments and Terrell Owens Way entrance across from the UC. 
 
Live video for the match is available through MocsVision.  There is also live scoring via TrackWrestling and links for both are on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.  Live updates are posted on the UTC Twitter page @UTCWrestling.
 
UTC is currently 2-5 overall, after finishing sixth at the Virginia Duals last weekend.  The Mocs scored a win over Kent State (21-15) on Friday in the Hampton, Va., tournament.  UTC also has a 23-15 win at Edinboro on Dec. 18.  Three of the Mocs losses have come against ranked opponents, including No. 21 UNC (10-23) on Nov. 11 and No. 13 Virginia Tech (4-35) and No. 16 Arizona State (16-22) at the Virginia Duals.
 
VMI is 2-9 overall and 1-1 in SoCon matches.  They defeated Davidson (29-13) on Dec. 1 and lost to Appalachian State (43-6) on Jan. 13 in league play.  Their other win was against Sacred Heart (20-19) on Dec. 1.  The Keydets host Virginia on Friday before making the trip to Chattanooga to Sunday's match.
 
Chattanooga is 28-6 all-time against VMI.  The Mocs are on a current 15-match winning streak that dates back to the 2003 season.  Chattanooga won last year's meeting 37-7 on Nov. 4 in Lexington, Va.
 
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Alonzo Allen (Sr. – 18-6, 0-0 SoCon)
       or Fabian Gutierrez (So. – 15-4, 0-0 SoCon)
133: Jake Huffine (Jr. – 15-9, 0-0 SoCon)
141: Chris Debien (Jr. – 16-10, 0-0 SoCon)
149: Tanner Smith (Fr. – 5-4, 0-0 SoCon)
157: Ryan Resnick (Fr. – 6-10, 0-0 SoCon)
      or Mason Wallace (Fr. - 13-9, 0-0 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (Fr. – 5-7, 0-0 SoCon)
174: Hunter Fortner (Fr. – 7-11, 0-0 SoCon)
184: Ben Stacey (Jr. – 4-5, 0-0 SoCon)
197: Rodney Jones (Sr. – 13-13, 0-0 SoCon)
285: Connor Tolley (Sr. – 11-12, 0-0 SoCon)
 
VMI PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Derek Shockey (Sr. - 2-6, 0-1 SoCon)
       or Clifton Conway (So. - 3-14, 1-1 SoCon)
133: Hunter Starner (Sr. - 11-9, 1-0 SoCon)
141: Dominick Gallo (Jr. - 7-8, 1-1 SoCon)
149: Zach Schmitt (Fr. - 1-9, 0-1 SoCon)
157: Darren Ostrander (Sr. - 2-10, 0-2 SoCon)
165: Luke Nicksic (Fr. - 0-6, 0-1 SoCon)
174: Neal Richards (Jr. - 17-3, 2-0 SoCon)
184: Max Gallahan (Jr. - 0-13, 0-2 SoCon)
      or Benjamin Wagner (Sr. - 1-3, 0-0 SoCon)
197: Christopher Beck (Jr. - 8-9, 1-1 SoCon)
285: Tre Momon (Fr. - 1-13, 0-2 SoCon)
 
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
125: Senior Alonzo Allen is the returning starter and defending SoCon Champion at 125.  He is battling sophomore Fabian Gutierrez for the starting role.  Allen won SoCon Wrestler of the Week after placing fifth at the Scuffle.  He is 18-6 overall and has also placed at the Hokie Open (2nd), the Wolfpack Open (6th) and the Cougar Clash (3rd). 
 
Gutierrez beat Allen in the finals of the Hokie Open and is 15-4 overall.  He climbed into the Intermat Top-20 at 125 prior to the Scuffle, where he went 3-2.  He also has a SoCon Wrestler of the Week honor to his credit this season.
 
Allen beat Clifton Conway (20-8) at the Hokie Open in the fall.  That is the only previous collegiate match in the books between the probables at 125. 
 
133: Jake Huffine is having a strong junior season.  He is 15-9 overall with two SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week honors and another SoCon Wrestler of the Week recognition.  He has a runner-up showing at the Cougar Clash and a sixth place finish at the Wolfpack Open.
 
Huffine will have a strong test in VMI senior Hunter Starner.  Starner is 11-9 overall and posted one of two individual wins against the Mocs in last year's dual. 
 
141:  Junior Chris Debien posted a sixth place finish at the Southern Scuffle earlier this month.  He also was runner-up at the Cougar Clash and two wins in dual action.  He is 16-10 overall, including a fourth place finish at the Wolfpack Open.  The 2016 SoCon Champion has won nine of his last 14 matches, including 2-2 at the Virginia Duals.
 
149:  Freshman Tanner Smith went 2-1 at the Virginia Duals, his first action since the Wolfpack Open.  He is 5-4 overall and in the starting spot a 149 this week. 
 
157:  Freshman Ryan Resnick went 3-4 with a third place showing at 157 in the Hokie Open Fr/So bracket.  He is 6-10 overall with a 9-4 decision at Edinboro and a 2-2 mark at the Scuffle.  
 
Freshman Mason Wallace is 13-9 overall after placing fifth at the Wolfpack Open.  He was starting at 149, but moved up to 157 at the Virginia Duals where he was 1-1. 
 
165:  Freshman Drew Nicholson is 5-7 overall.  He was back in the lineup at the Virginia Duals for the first time since withdrawing from the Cougar Clash. 
 
174:  Freshman Hunter Fortner is 7-11 overall.  He had to move up to 184 for two matches at the Virginia Duals due to injuries and went 1-1.
 
Fortner is matches against the reigning SoCon Wrestler of the Week, junior Neal Richards.  Richards has won 10 matches in a row and is 17-3 overall.  He was the preseason All-SoCon nod at 165 pounds before moving up to 174. 
 
184:  Junior Ben Stacey has dropped down to 184 for the first time in his career.  He was 4-3 at 197 prior to going 0-2 at the Scuffle at 184.
 
Stacey defeated Max Gallahan (5-4), one of VMI's probable starters, at the 2017 Hokie Open.
 
197:  Senior Rodney Jones has a third place finish at the Cougar Clash and a pair of sixth place showings at the Wolfpack Open and the Hokie Open.  He is 13-13 overall. 
 
285: Senior Connor Tolley was runner-up in the Wolfpack Open, falling to former NAIA All-American Ceron Francisco in the finals.  He also has a third place at the Cougar Clash and a sixth place finish at the Hokie Open with an 11-12 overall mark.
 
ALL-TIME VS. VMI (28-6)
Home: 13-3, Away: 14-3, Neutral 1-0
Last Loss in the Series - Won 15 in a Row
2-22-03 - Chattanooga - L - 12-26
 
Last 10 Meetings
2-23-09 - Chattanooga - W - 43-3
2-18-10 - Lexington, Va. - W - 33-9
2-20-11 - Chattanooga - W - 31-6
2-20-12 - Lexington, Va. - W - 41-0
2-23-13 - Chattanooga - W - 36-3
2-23-14 - Lexington, Va. - W - 37-3
1-25-15 - Chattanooga - W - 35-3
12-10-15 - Lexington, Va. - W - 31-6
11-10-16 - Chattanooga - W - 41-5
11-4-17 - Lexington, Va. - W - 41-5
 
LAST TIME: CHATTANOOGA 37 at VMI 7 -  NOV. 4, 2017
125: Alonzo Allen (CHAT) over Clifton Conway (VMI) (MD 20-8)                
133: Hunter Starner (VMI) over Wade Cummings (CHAT) (MD 14-5)         
141: Mike Pongracz (CHAT) over _________ (VMI) (For.)            
149: Jake Adcock (CHAT) over Dolan Walsh (VMI) (MD 13-4)
157: Robert DuPont (VMI) over Chase Stephens (CHAT) (Dec 10-8)
165: Chad Pyke (CHAT) over Blake Hohman (VMI) (Dec 8-2)                   
174: Justin Lampe (CHAT) over Cade Kiely (VMI) (MD 16-5)
184: Bryce Carr (CHAT) over Gage Levine (VMI) (Fall 0:39)
197: Scottie Boykin (CHAT) over Taylor Thomas (VMI) (MD 17-6)
285: Connor Tolley (CHAT) over Jake Koch (VMI) (Fall 6:29)
 
Huffine NAMED DAYLE MAY AWARD WINNER
Junior Jake Huffine earned the prestigious Dayle May Award for the 2018-19 academic year.  He will be recognized at halftime of the Mocs' basketball game vs. Mercer on Thursday, Jan. 17.  The Dayle May Award goes to the graduating male and female student-athlete with the top overall grade-point-average.  Huffine carries a 4.0 cumulative GPA and is set to graduate with an Accounting degree in May.  He is the fourth wrestler to earn the honor, joining Pat Murphy (1983), Kevin Baltz (2000) and John Lampe (2016).