Sunday, March 8
Boone, N.C.
All Day
Chattanooga
vs
Southern Conference Tournament
Senior Rodney Jones.
Photo by: Dale Rutemeyer
Mocs Travel to Appalachian State for Sunday’s SoCon Championships
3/6/2020 8:15:00 PM | Wrestling
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team is off to the 83rd annual Southern Conference Wrestling Tournament in Boone, N.C., this weekend. The Mocs have won 29 SoCon Tournament titles since joining the league in 1978, including five of the last nine and 10 of the last 15.
The SoCon was allocated 14 spots for the NCAA Championships, with two each at 149, 174, 184 and 285 pounds. Links for both live scoring and live video are available on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.
Campbell won last year's crown with 95 points, followed by Appalachian State (92.5) and Chattanooga (62). Chris Debien (141) won the lone individual title for the Mocs last season.
This year's tournament is another battle after a tight regular season race. No. 19 Campbell won the regular season with a 11-2 record and 7-0 mark in league duals. Appalachian State was second (8-3, 5-1 SoCon), while the Mocs were third (7-9, 4-2 SoCon).
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - SUNDAY - MARCH 8, 2020
Holmes Convocation Center - Boone, N.C.
9:00 a.m. – Doors open
10:00 a.m. – First-round matches
12:00 p.m. – Semifinals
2:00 p.m. – Consolation quarters (conso semis follow)
5:30 p.m. – Consolation finals
7:00 p.m. – Finals, true-place matches and award presentation
TICKETS
Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for youth ages 6-12. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets for $8 each, while students from Southern Conference schools, including wrestling associate member schools, get in free with school ID.
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 18 Fabian Gutierrez (Jr. – 16-8, 6-0 SoCon)
133: Wade Cummings (Jr. – 7-9, 2-1 SoCon)
141: Mason Wallace (So. – 8-8, 2-1 SoCon)
149: No. 23 Tanner Smith (So. – 23-7, 5-1 SoCon)
157: Tyler Shilson (So. – 9-13, 2-4 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (So. – 15-14, 3-3 SoCon)
174: Hunter Fortner (So. – 10-15, 3-3 SoCon)
184: No. 16 Matthew Waddell (So. – 20-8, 5-1 SoCon)
197: Rodney Jones (Sr. – 17-9, 6-0 SoCon)
285: Grayson Walthall (So. – 7-19, 2-4 SoCon)
Rankings are from FloWrestling - Feb. 24
MOCS AT THE SOCON TOURNAMENT
The SoCon Tournament has been held 82 times since 1930. The Mocs have won a league-leading 29 tournament titles, despite not joining the league until 1978. VMI is second with nine and Appalachian State is third with eight.
HEAD COACH KYLE RUSCHELL
Kyle Ruschell was named head coach of the Mocs on Aug. 10, 2018, and is in his second season guiding the UTC program. He has an 14-16 dual record overall that includes sharing the SoCon Regular Season Title last season with a 7-7 mark and a 5-1 league tally. He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. A former member of the U.S. National Team (2014-15), he was a two-time All-American for the Badgers (2007-10).
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
On first reference, it is acceptable to refer to us as the "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga". After that, we prefer to be called "Chattanooga" or "UTC". Our nickname is "Mocs". Please do not use Tennessee-Chattanooga or the Moccasins.
MOCS BATTLED A BRUTAL NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
UTC definitely scheduled up in non-conference action this season. The Mocs hosted Army (L, 18-12) and Illinois (L, 22-10) earlier in the season. UTC also traveled to No. 2 Iowa (L, 39-0), No. 19 North Carolina (L, 22-15), No. 11 Iowa State (L, 7-26), No. 5 Virginia Tech (L, 28-3), Virginia (L, 9-29). Chattanooga closed the season with a 26-10 win over Indiana, its third Big 10 dual of the season.
JONES, GUTIERREZ NAMED ALL-SOCON
UTC put two student-athletes on the All-Southern Conference Team. Senior Rodney Jones and junior Fabian Gutierrez represented the Mocs with postseason recognition from the league. Jones is 17-9 overall at 197 pounds, including a 6-0 mark in SoCon matches. He will be the No. 1 seed at Sunday's SoCon Championships in Boone, N.C. A 2019 NCAA Qualifier, Jones is looking to make his second trip to the NCAA Tournament. Gutierrez is 16-8 overall and also had a perfect 6-0 mark at 125 pounds. He will also carry the No. 1 seed into the SoCon Tournament on Sunday. He is currently No. 18 in the FloWrestling rankings and No. 24 in the latest NCAA Coaches Panel listings.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
125: Junior Fabian Gutierrez is currently No. 18 in the FloRankings at 125. He posted a 16-8 record in the regular season and a 6-0 mark in SoCon duals, earning a spot on the All-SoCon team and the No. 1 seed at 125.
Gutierrez is No. 24 in the latest NCAA coaches rankings released on Feb. 24. The SoCon is deep at 125 with Appalachian State's Sean Carter ranked No. 22 in the coaches panel and Campbell's Korbin Meink No. 31.
Gutierrez had two close wins over Meink this season, inlcuding a 3-2 decision at the Southeast Open and a 7-5 overtime victory in the dual on Feb. 8. He also pulled out a tight 6-5 decision over Appalachian State's Sean Carter in the Feb. 2 dual after scoring a fall at the Appalachian Open the previous week.
Gutierrez vs. the SoCon Field (7-0 - 2019-20 • Career - 8-0)
2019-20
Korbin Meink (Campbell - SE Open 11/3)........ W-D, 3-2
Anthony Rautmann (Davidson - 11/22)..... W-Fall (1:45)
Michael Pappaconstantinou (GWU - 1/12)... W-TF, 15-0 (4:00)
John McGarry (VMI - 1/19)....................... W-Fall (2:23)
Sean Carter (App. St. - App Open 1/25).... W-Fall (2:53)
Sean Carter (App. St. - 2/2)........................... W-D, 6-5
Korbin Meink (Camp - 2-8).................. W-D, 7-5 (SV-1)
Jordie White (Citadel - 2/16)...................... W-MD, 10-2
2018-19
Korbin Meink (Campbell - SE Open 11/4)........ W-D, 6-4
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 125:
1. Gutierrez (UTC), 2. Carter (ASU), 3. Meink (Campbell), 4. Fischer (Davidson), 5. Brasseur (Presbyterian), 6. White (Citadel), 7. Edmiston (GWU), 8. McGarry (VMI).
133: Junior Wade Cummings earned the spot at 133 after spliting time with sophomore Colton Landers during the season. Cummings is 7-9 overall and 2-1 in SoCon dual action. He is the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Campbell's Noah Gonser is No. 7 in the most recent coaches panel rankings, while Appalachian State's Codi Russell, the preseason SoCon pick at 133, is 30th.
Cummings vs. the SoCon Field (2-2 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-3)
2019-20
Kyle Gorant (Davidson - 11/22)...................... W-D, 5-3
Codi Russell (App. St. - Scuffle 1/1)................. L-D, 2-7
No. 9 Noah Gonser (Campbell - 2/8).......... L-Fall (4:26)
Nathan Orosco (Citadel - 2/16)................. W-Fall (6:46)
2018-19
Codi Russell (App. St. - SE Open 11/4)............ L-D, 4-7
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 133:
1. Gosner (Campbell), 2. Majette (GWU), 3. Russell (ASU), 4. Cummings (UTC), 5. Gorant (Davidson), 6. Conway (VMI), 7. Nathan Orosco (Citadel), 8. Khalid Brinkley (Presbyterian).
141: Sophomore Mason Wallace gets the nod at 141 for the Mocs. He cut down from 149 prior to the end of the fall semester after defending SoCon Champion senior Chris Debien suffered a career-ending injury.
Wallace went 8-8 at 141, including a 2-1 mark in SoCon actoin. He is 3-2 against the field in 2019-20, and is the No. 3 seed.
Campbell's Noah Gonser is the only ranked competitor at 141. He is No. 10 in the most recent coaches panel listings.
Wallace vs. the SoCon Field (3-2 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Noah Roulo (VMI - Scuffle 1/1).................. W-MD, 11-1
Noah Roulo (VMI - 1/19)........................... W-MD, 15-5
Bradley Irwin (App. St. - 2/2)...................... L-Fall (4:21)
No. 10 Josh Heil (Camp - 2-8)......................... L-D, 4-5
Jacob Dado (Citadel - 2/16)....................... W-MD, 14-4
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 141:
1. Heil (Campbell), 2. Irwin (ASU), 3. Wallace (UTC), 4. Stewart (Presbyterian), 5. Dado (Citadel), 6. Bright (GWU), 7. Roulo (VMI), 8. Loniewski (Davidson).
149: Sophomore Tanner Smith was the preseason pick at 149 in the Southern Conference and is the two seed heading into the tournament.
Smith leads the team with a 23-7 overall record and a 5-1 mark in SoCon duals. He is currently No. 23 in the FloWrestling rankings and the coaches panel listings.
Both of Smith's losses against the field came against Appalachian State's top-seeded Jonathan Millner. He lost 6-2 at the Scuffle and 6-3 in the dual on Feb 2. Millner is currently No. 21 in the NCAA Coaches Panel rankings.
There are two allocations at 149, so the top two finishers earn an automatic spot in the NCAA Championships.
Smith vs. the SoCon Field (6-2 - 2019-20 • Career - 7-2)
2019-20
Will Baldwin (Davidson - 11/22)........ W-TF, 18-1 (6:45)
Jason Kraisser (Campbell - Scuffle 1/1).......... W-D, 7-0
Jonathan Millner (App. St. - Scuffle 1/1)........... L-D, 2-6
(GWU)............................................................. W-For.
Jobe Chishko (VMI - 1/19)............................. W-D, 5-4
No. 21 Jonathan Millner (App. St. - 2/2)............ L-D, 3-6
Jason Kraisser (Campbell - 2-8).................. W-MD, 9-1
Selwyn Porter (Citadel - 2/16).................. W-Fall (6:26)
2018-19
Selwyn Porter (Citadel - 2/8)............. W-TF, 18-3 (7:00)
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 149:
1. Millner (ASU), 2. Smith (UTC), 3. Kraisser (Campbell), 4. Porter (Citadel), 5. Chishko (VMI), 6. Baldwin (Davidson), 7. Goering (Presbyterian), 8. Schiess (GWU).
157: Sophomore Tyler Shilson represents the Mocs with a 9-13 overall record and 2-4 tally in SoCon dual at 157 pounds. He is the No. 7 seed in the tournament.
Appalachian State's Matt Zovistoski is the only ranked competitor at 157 in the SoCon, checking in at No. 25 in the Coaches Panel.
Shilson vs. the SoCon Field (2-4 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Hunter Costa (Davidson - 11/22)............... W-MD, 15-3
Taylor Parks (GWU - 1/12)........................... W-D, 10-4
Will Lawrence (VMI - 1/19)..................... L-D, 5-7 (SV1)
No. 18 Matt Zovistoski (App. St. - 2/2).............. L-D, 4-8
Matthew Dallara (Campbell - 2-8)................... L-D, 7-14
Douglas Gudenburr (Citadel - 2/16)........... L-Fall (3:37)
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 157:
1. Zovistoski (ASU), 2. Dallara (Campbell), 3. Phillips (Presbyterian), 4. Lawrence (VMI), 5. Gudenburr (Citadel), 6. Costa (Davidson), 7. Shilson (UTC), 8. Trimble (GWU).
165: Sophomore Drew Nicholson enters the SoCon Championships with a 15-14 record, including a 3-3 mark in league duals.
Two of his three losses in SoCon action were very close, including a 4-2 decision against Gardner-Webb's Rodrick Mosley and a 2-1 loss to Appalachian State's Will Formato.
Campbell's Quentin Perez is No. 15 in the NCAA Coaches Panel, followed by The Citadel's Dazjon Casto who is No. 33.
Nicholson posted a 6-5 win over Casto in the dual with the Bulldogs on Feb. 16. Casto beat Nicholson 9-3 in last year's SoCon Tournament.
Nicholson vs. the SoCon Field (3-4 - 2019-20 • Career - 4-5)
2019-20
Noah Satterfield (Davidson - 11/22)......... W-MD, 24-10
Rodrick Mosley (GWU - 1/12).......................... L-D, 2-4
Jon Hoover (VMI - 1/19)................................ W-D, 7-4
Will Formato (App. St. - App. Open 1/25)......... L-D, 2-5
Will Formato (App. St. - 2/2)............................ L-D, 1-2
No. 17 Quentin Perez (Camp - 2-8).................. L-D, 3-9
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - 2/16)......................... W-D, 6-5
2018-19
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - SoCon 3/10)............... L-D, 3-9
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - 2/8)........................... W-D, 8-6
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 165:
1. Perez (Campbell), 2. Mosely (GWU), 3. Formato (ASU), 4. Casto (Citadel), 5. Nicholson (UTC), 6. Satterfield (Davidson), 7. Hoover (VMI), 8. Corwin (Presbyterian).
174: Sophomore Hunter Fortner is the starter for the Mocs at 174 and is vying for one of two allocations at this weight. He is 10-15 overall, 3-3 in SoCon duals and the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Seven of his 15 losses came against ranked individuals and he is 1-4 against the field. His opponents in the duals against The Citadel and Gardner-Webb are not in the SoCon Tournament bracket.
He is 0-6 against the top two seeds in the tournament in his career, including a 3-1 loss to Appalachian State's Thomas Flitz in last year's championships.
Flitz is No. 28 in the NCAA Coaches rankings, while VMI's Neal Richards is the No. 2 seed and No. 16 in the rankings.
Fortner vs. the SoCon Field (1-4 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
No. 17 Neal Richards (VMI - SE Open 11/3).. L-Fall (1:22)
Steven Newell (Davidson - 11/22)............ W-Fall (3:33)
No. 19 Neal Richards (VMI - 1/19)................... L-D, 2-7
Thomas Flitz (App. St. - 2/2)............................ L-D, 2-5
Austin Kraisser (Camp - 2/8)........................... L-D, 0-4
2018-19
Thomas Flitz (App. St. - SoCon 3/10)............... L-D, 1-3
Thomas Flitz (App. St. 2/3)......................... L-MD, 4-15
Kyle Kretzer (Citadel 2/8)......................... W-Fall (6:30)
Neal Richards (VMI - 1/20)................. L-TF, 6-21 (4:53)
2017-18
Evan Schenk (VMI - 1/27 - App. Open 1/25).... W-D, 5-3
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 174:
1. Flitz (ASU), 2. Richards (VMI), 3. Kraisser (Campbell), 4. Fortner (UTC), 5. Schenk (GWU), 6. Newell (Davidson), 7. Kretzer (Citadel).
184: Sophomore Matthew Waddell is the Mocs highest ranked competitor, checking in at No. 16 in the FloWrestling rankings and No. 22 in the NCAA Coaches Panel. As the No. 2 seed, he is going for one of two allocations at 184.
Waddell is 20-8 overall and 5-1 in SoCon duals. His five league wins were all pins, with three in the first period. His opponents in the Davidson, Gardner-Webb and Citadel duals are not in the lineup for the SoCon Tournament.
His lone loss was a 5-0 decision against Campbell's Andrew Morgan in the dual on Feb. 8. He also lost to Morgan (MD, 14-5) at the Southeast Open on Nov. 3.
Morgan joins Waddell as the other ranked wrestler in this class. He is No. 8 in the latest NCAA Coaches Rankings.
Waddell vs. the SoCon Field (2-2 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Andrew Morgan (Campbell - SE Open 11/3).. L-MD, 5-14
Max Gallahan (VMI - 1/19)....................... W-Fall (4:17)
Julian Gorring (App. St. - 2/2)................... W-Fall (2:53)
No. 6 Andrew Morgan (Camp - 2-8)................. L-D, 0-5
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 184:
1. Morgan (Campbell), 2. Waddell (UTC), 3. Gorring (ASU), 4. Stith (Presbyterian), 5. Mora (Presbyterian), 6. Henry (Davidson), 7. Gallahan (VMI), 8. Youngblood (Citadel).
197: Senior Rodney Jones in the No. 1 seed at 197 and a member of the All-SoCon team. He is 17-9 overall and 6-0 in league duals.
197 is the only weight in the SoCon that doesn't have an individual ranked in the NCAA Coaches Panel. There are also only six individuals in the bracket, so he has a first round bye into the semifinals.
Jones is actually 5-1 against the field. He lost to Appalachian State's Demazio Samuel at the Appalachian Open on Jan. 25, but beat the Mountaineer's Paul Carson in the dual on Feb. 2. Jones does have a win over Samuel, 4-1 in the 2018 Hokie Open. The Citadel forfeited at 197 in the dual on Feb. 16, so he did not face Martin Duane.
Jones is looking to make a return to the NCAAs after grabbing one of two bids at last year's SoCon Tournament. He beat The Citadel's Sawyer Root on a last second reversal in overtime of the third place match to punch his ticket to the NCAAs in 2019.
Jones vs. the SoCon Field (5-1 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
Conor Fenn (Davidson - 11/22)................. W-MD, 11-3
Roderick Davis (GWU - 1/12)......................... W-D, 8-4
Zach Brown (VMI - 1/19)........................... W-MD, 11-3
Demazio Samuel (App. St. - App. Open 1/25)... L-D, 1-5
Chris Kober (Camp - 2-8)............................ W-MD, 9-1
(Citadel - 2/16)................................................. W-For.
2018-19
Demazio Samuel (App. St. -Hokie Open 1/25). W-D, 4-1
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 197:
1. Jones (UTC), 2. Kober (Campbell), 3. Samuel (ASU), 4. Brown (VMI), 5. Duane (Citadel), 6. Davis (GWU).
285: Sophomore Grayson Walthall is the Mocs entrant at 285. He is 7-19 overall and went 2-4 in league matches. There are two bids up for grabs in this bracket.
Campbell's Jere Heino leads the way at heavyweight with a No. 13 national ranking. Appalachian State's Cary Miller is No. 24 in the coaches listing.
Walthall vs. the SoCon Field (2-7 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
Mitchell Trigg (Davidson - 11/22).............. W-Fall (4:37)
Gabriel Picket (GWU - 1/12)............. W-TF, 15-0 (5:27)
Chris Beck (VMI - 1/19)................................... L-D, 2-3
No. 19 Cary Miller (App. St.)............. L-TF, 1-16 (3:19)
Cary Miller (App. St. - 2/2).................. L-TF, 0-16 (5:23)
No. 14 Jere Heino (Camp - 2-8)..................... L-TF, 0-1
Michael McAleavey (Citadel - 2/16).................. L-D, 3-5
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 285:
1. Heino (Campbell), 2. Miller (ASU), 3. McAleavey (Citadel), 3. Beck (VMI), 5. Walthall (UTC), 6. Trigg (Davidson), 7. Heslop (Presbyterian), 8. Pickett (GWU).
The SoCon was allocated 14 spots for the NCAA Championships, with two each at 149, 174, 184 and 285 pounds. Links for both live scoring and live video are available on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.
Campbell won last year's crown with 95 points, followed by Appalachian State (92.5) and Chattanooga (62). Chris Debien (141) won the lone individual title for the Mocs last season.
This year's tournament is another battle after a tight regular season race. No. 19 Campbell won the regular season with a 11-2 record and 7-0 mark in league duals. Appalachian State was second (8-3, 5-1 SoCon), while the Mocs were third (7-9, 4-2 SoCon).
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - SUNDAY - MARCH 8, 2020
Holmes Convocation Center - Boone, N.C.
9:00 a.m. – Doors open
10:00 a.m. – First-round matches
12:00 p.m. – Semifinals
2:00 p.m. – Consolation quarters (conso semis follow)
5:30 p.m. – Consolation finals
7:00 p.m. – Finals, true-place matches and award presentation
TICKETS
Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for youth ages 6-12. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets for $8 each, while students from Southern Conference schools, including wrestling associate member schools, get in free with school ID.
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 18 Fabian Gutierrez (Jr. – 16-8, 6-0 SoCon)
133: Wade Cummings (Jr. – 7-9, 2-1 SoCon)
141: Mason Wallace (So. – 8-8, 2-1 SoCon)
149: No. 23 Tanner Smith (So. – 23-7, 5-1 SoCon)
157: Tyler Shilson (So. – 9-13, 2-4 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (So. – 15-14, 3-3 SoCon)
174: Hunter Fortner (So. – 10-15, 3-3 SoCon)
184: No. 16 Matthew Waddell (So. – 20-8, 5-1 SoCon)
197: Rodney Jones (Sr. – 17-9, 6-0 SoCon)
285: Grayson Walthall (So. – 7-19, 2-4 SoCon)
Rankings are from FloWrestling - Feb. 24
MOCS AT THE SOCON TOURNAMENT
The SoCon Tournament has been held 82 times since 1930. The Mocs have won a league-leading 29 tournament titles, despite not joining the league until 1978. VMI is second with nine and Appalachian State is third with eight.
HEAD COACH KYLE RUSCHELL
Kyle Ruschell was named head coach of the Mocs on Aug. 10, 2018, and is in his second season guiding the UTC program. He has an 14-16 dual record overall that includes sharing the SoCon Regular Season Title last season with a 7-7 mark and a 5-1 league tally. He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. A former member of the U.S. National Team (2014-15), he was a two-time All-American for the Badgers (2007-10).
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
On first reference, it is acceptable to refer to us as the "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga". After that, we prefer to be called "Chattanooga" or "UTC". Our nickname is "Mocs". Please do not use Tennessee-Chattanooga or the Moccasins.
MOCS BATTLED A BRUTAL NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
UTC definitely scheduled up in non-conference action this season. The Mocs hosted Army (L, 18-12) and Illinois (L, 22-10) earlier in the season. UTC also traveled to No. 2 Iowa (L, 39-0), No. 19 North Carolina (L, 22-15), No. 11 Iowa State (L, 7-26), No. 5 Virginia Tech (L, 28-3), Virginia (L, 9-29). Chattanooga closed the season with a 26-10 win over Indiana, its third Big 10 dual of the season.
JONES, GUTIERREZ NAMED ALL-SOCON
UTC put two student-athletes on the All-Southern Conference Team. Senior Rodney Jones and junior Fabian Gutierrez represented the Mocs with postseason recognition from the league. Jones is 17-9 overall at 197 pounds, including a 6-0 mark in SoCon matches. He will be the No. 1 seed at Sunday's SoCon Championships in Boone, N.C. A 2019 NCAA Qualifier, Jones is looking to make his second trip to the NCAA Tournament. Gutierrez is 16-8 overall and also had a perfect 6-0 mark at 125 pounds. He will also carry the No. 1 seed into the SoCon Tournament on Sunday. He is currently No. 18 in the FloWrestling rankings and No. 24 in the latest NCAA Coaches Panel listings.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
125: Junior Fabian Gutierrez is currently No. 18 in the FloRankings at 125. He posted a 16-8 record in the regular season and a 6-0 mark in SoCon duals, earning a spot on the All-SoCon team and the No. 1 seed at 125.
Gutierrez is No. 24 in the latest NCAA coaches rankings released on Feb. 24. The SoCon is deep at 125 with Appalachian State's Sean Carter ranked No. 22 in the coaches panel and Campbell's Korbin Meink No. 31.
Gutierrez had two close wins over Meink this season, inlcuding a 3-2 decision at the Southeast Open and a 7-5 overtime victory in the dual on Feb. 8. He also pulled out a tight 6-5 decision over Appalachian State's Sean Carter in the Feb. 2 dual after scoring a fall at the Appalachian Open the previous week.
Gutierrez vs. the SoCon Field (7-0 - 2019-20 • Career - 8-0)
2019-20
Korbin Meink (Campbell - SE Open 11/3)........ W-D, 3-2
Anthony Rautmann (Davidson - 11/22)..... W-Fall (1:45)
Michael Pappaconstantinou (GWU - 1/12)... W-TF, 15-0 (4:00)
John McGarry (VMI - 1/19)....................... W-Fall (2:23)
Sean Carter (App. St. - App Open 1/25).... W-Fall (2:53)
Sean Carter (App. St. - 2/2)........................... W-D, 6-5
Korbin Meink (Camp - 2-8).................. W-D, 7-5 (SV-1)
Jordie White (Citadel - 2/16)...................... W-MD, 10-2
2018-19
Korbin Meink (Campbell - SE Open 11/4)........ W-D, 6-4
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 125:
1. Gutierrez (UTC), 2. Carter (ASU), 3. Meink (Campbell), 4. Fischer (Davidson), 5. Brasseur (Presbyterian), 6. White (Citadel), 7. Edmiston (GWU), 8. McGarry (VMI).
133: Junior Wade Cummings earned the spot at 133 after spliting time with sophomore Colton Landers during the season. Cummings is 7-9 overall and 2-1 in SoCon dual action. He is the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Campbell's Noah Gonser is No. 7 in the most recent coaches panel rankings, while Appalachian State's Codi Russell, the preseason SoCon pick at 133, is 30th.
Cummings vs. the SoCon Field (2-2 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-3)
2019-20
Kyle Gorant (Davidson - 11/22)...................... W-D, 5-3
Codi Russell (App. St. - Scuffle 1/1)................. L-D, 2-7
No. 9 Noah Gonser (Campbell - 2/8).......... L-Fall (4:26)
Nathan Orosco (Citadel - 2/16)................. W-Fall (6:46)
2018-19
Codi Russell (App. St. - SE Open 11/4)............ L-D, 4-7
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 133:
1. Gosner (Campbell), 2. Majette (GWU), 3. Russell (ASU), 4. Cummings (UTC), 5. Gorant (Davidson), 6. Conway (VMI), 7. Nathan Orosco (Citadel), 8. Khalid Brinkley (Presbyterian).
141: Sophomore Mason Wallace gets the nod at 141 for the Mocs. He cut down from 149 prior to the end of the fall semester after defending SoCon Champion senior Chris Debien suffered a career-ending injury.
Wallace went 8-8 at 141, including a 2-1 mark in SoCon actoin. He is 3-2 against the field in 2019-20, and is the No. 3 seed.
Campbell's Noah Gonser is the only ranked competitor at 141. He is No. 10 in the most recent coaches panel listings.
Wallace vs. the SoCon Field (3-2 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Noah Roulo (VMI - Scuffle 1/1).................. W-MD, 11-1
Noah Roulo (VMI - 1/19)........................... W-MD, 15-5
Bradley Irwin (App. St. - 2/2)...................... L-Fall (4:21)
No. 10 Josh Heil (Camp - 2-8)......................... L-D, 4-5
Jacob Dado (Citadel - 2/16)....................... W-MD, 14-4
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 141:
1. Heil (Campbell), 2. Irwin (ASU), 3. Wallace (UTC), 4. Stewart (Presbyterian), 5. Dado (Citadel), 6. Bright (GWU), 7. Roulo (VMI), 8. Loniewski (Davidson).
149: Sophomore Tanner Smith was the preseason pick at 149 in the Southern Conference and is the two seed heading into the tournament.
Smith leads the team with a 23-7 overall record and a 5-1 mark in SoCon duals. He is currently No. 23 in the FloWrestling rankings and the coaches panel listings.
Both of Smith's losses against the field came against Appalachian State's top-seeded Jonathan Millner. He lost 6-2 at the Scuffle and 6-3 in the dual on Feb 2. Millner is currently No. 21 in the NCAA Coaches Panel rankings.
There are two allocations at 149, so the top two finishers earn an automatic spot in the NCAA Championships.
Smith vs. the SoCon Field (6-2 - 2019-20 • Career - 7-2)
2019-20
Will Baldwin (Davidson - 11/22)........ W-TF, 18-1 (6:45)
Jason Kraisser (Campbell - Scuffle 1/1).......... W-D, 7-0
Jonathan Millner (App. St. - Scuffle 1/1)........... L-D, 2-6
(GWU)............................................................. W-For.
Jobe Chishko (VMI - 1/19)............................. W-D, 5-4
No. 21 Jonathan Millner (App. St. - 2/2)............ L-D, 3-6
Jason Kraisser (Campbell - 2-8).................. W-MD, 9-1
Selwyn Porter (Citadel - 2/16).................. W-Fall (6:26)
2018-19
Selwyn Porter (Citadel - 2/8)............. W-TF, 18-3 (7:00)
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 149:
1. Millner (ASU), 2. Smith (UTC), 3. Kraisser (Campbell), 4. Porter (Citadel), 5. Chishko (VMI), 6. Baldwin (Davidson), 7. Goering (Presbyterian), 8. Schiess (GWU).
157: Sophomore Tyler Shilson represents the Mocs with a 9-13 overall record and 2-4 tally in SoCon dual at 157 pounds. He is the No. 7 seed in the tournament.
Appalachian State's Matt Zovistoski is the only ranked competitor at 157 in the SoCon, checking in at No. 25 in the Coaches Panel.
Shilson vs. the SoCon Field (2-4 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Hunter Costa (Davidson - 11/22)............... W-MD, 15-3
Taylor Parks (GWU - 1/12)........................... W-D, 10-4
Will Lawrence (VMI - 1/19)..................... L-D, 5-7 (SV1)
No. 18 Matt Zovistoski (App. St. - 2/2).............. L-D, 4-8
Matthew Dallara (Campbell - 2-8)................... L-D, 7-14
Douglas Gudenburr (Citadel - 2/16)........... L-Fall (3:37)
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 157:
1. Zovistoski (ASU), 2. Dallara (Campbell), 3. Phillips (Presbyterian), 4. Lawrence (VMI), 5. Gudenburr (Citadel), 6. Costa (Davidson), 7. Shilson (UTC), 8. Trimble (GWU).
165: Sophomore Drew Nicholson enters the SoCon Championships with a 15-14 record, including a 3-3 mark in league duals.
Two of his three losses in SoCon action were very close, including a 4-2 decision against Gardner-Webb's Rodrick Mosley and a 2-1 loss to Appalachian State's Will Formato.
Campbell's Quentin Perez is No. 15 in the NCAA Coaches Panel, followed by The Citadel's Dazjon Casto who is No. 33.
Nicholson posted a 6-5 win over Casto in the dual with the Bulldogs on Feb. 16. Casto beat Nicholson 9-3 in last year's SoCon Tournament.
Nicholson vs. the SoCon Field (3-4 - 2019-20 • Career - 4-5)
2019-20
Noah Satterfield (Davidson - 11/22)......... W-MD, 24-10
Rodrick Mosley (GWU - 1/12).......................... L-D, 2-4
Jon Hoover (VMI - 1/19)................................ W-D, 7-4
Will Formato (App. St. - App. Open 1/25)......... L-D, 2-5
Will Formato (App. St. - 2/2)............................ L-D, 1-2
No. 17 Quentin Perez (Camp - 2-8).................. L-D, 3-9
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - 2/16)......................... W-D, 6-5
2018-19
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - SoCon 3/10)............... L-D, 3-9
Dazjon Casto (Citadel - 2/8)........................... W-D, 8-6
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 165:
1. Perez (Campbell), 2. Mosely (GWU), 3. Formato (ASU), 4. Casto (Citadel), 5. Nicholson (UTC), 6. Satterfield (Davidson), 7. Hoover (VMI), 8. Corwin (Presbyterian).
174: Sophomore Hunter Fortner is the starter for the Mocs at 174 and is vying for one of two allocations at this weight. He is 10-15 overall, 3-3 in SoCon duals and the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Seven of his 15 losses came against ranked individuals and he is 1-4 against the field. His opponents in the duals against The Citadel and Gardner-Webb are not in the SoCon Tournament bracket.
He is 0-6 against the top two seeds in the tournament in his career, including a 3-1 loss to Appalachian State's Thomas Flitz in last year's championships.
Flitz is No. 28 in the NCAA Coaches rankings, while VMI's Neal Richards is the No. 2 seed and No. 16 in the rankings.
Fortner vs. the SoCon Field (1-4 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
No. 17 Neal Richards (VMI - SE Open 11/3).. L-Fall (1:22)
Steven Newell (Davidson - 11/22)............ W-Fall (3:33)
No. 19 Neal Richards (VMI - 1/19)................... L-D, 2-7
Thomas Flitz (App. St. - 2/2)............................ L-D, 2-5
Austin Kraisser (Camp - 2/8)........................... L-D, 0-4
2018-19
Thomas Flitz (App. St. - SoCon 3/10)............... L-D, 1-3
Thomas Flitz (App. St. 2/3)......................... L-MD, 4-15
Kyle Kretzer (Citadel 2/8)......................... W-Fall (6:30)
Neal Richards (VMI - 1/20)................. L-TF, 6-21 (4:53)
2017-18
Evan Schenk (VMI - 1/27 - App. Open 1/25).... W-D, 5-3
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 174:
1. Flitz (ASU), 2. Richards (VMI), 3. Kraisser (Campbell), 4. Fortner (UTC), 5. Schenk (GWU), 6. Newell (Davidson), 7. Kretzer (Citadel).
184: Sophomore Matthew Waddell is the Mocs highest ranked competitor, checking in at No. 16 in the FloWrestling rankings and No. 22 in the NCAA Coaches Panel. As the No. 2 seed, he is going for one of two allocations at 184.
Waddell is 20-8 overall and 5-1 in SoCon duals. His five league wins were all pins, with three in the first period. His opponents in the Davidson, Gardner-Webb and Citadel duals are not in the lineup for the SoCon Tournament.
His lone loss was a 5-0 decision against Campbell's Andrew Morgan in the dual on Feb. 8. He also lost to Morgan (MD, 14-5) at the Southeast Open on Nov. 3.
Morgan joins Waddell as the other ranked wrestler in this class. He is No. 8 in the latest NCAA Coaches Rankings.
Waddell vs. the SoCon Field (2-2 - 2019-20)
2019-20
Andrew Morgan (Campbell - SE Open 11/3).. L-MD, 5-14
Max Gallahan (VMI - 1/19)....................... W-Fall (4:17)
Julian Gorring (App. St. - 2/2)................... W-Fall (2:53)
No. 6 Andrew Morgan (Camp - 2-8)................. L-D, 0-5
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 184:
1. Morgan (Campbell), 2. Waddell (UTC), 3. Gorring (ASU), 4. Stith (Presbyterian), 5. Mora (Presbyterian), 6. Henry (Davidson), 7. Gallahan (VMI), 8. Youngblood (Citadel).
197: Senior Rodney Jones in the No. 1 seed at 197 and a member of the All-SoCon team. He is 17-9 overall and 6-0 in league duals.
197 is the only weight in the SoCon that doesn't have an individual ranked in the NCAA Coaches Panel. There are also only six individuals in the bracket, so he has a first round bye into the semifinals.
Jones is actually 5-1 against the field. He lost to Appalachian State's Demazio Samuel at the Appalachian Open on Jan. 25, but beat the Mountaineer's Paul Carson in the dual on Feb. 2. Jones does have a win over Samuel, 4-1 in the 2018 Hokie Open. The Citadel forfeited at 197 in the dual on Feb. 16, so he did not face Martin Duane.
Jones is looking to make a return to the NCAAs after grabbing one of two bids at last year's SoCon Tournament. He beat The Citadel's Sawyer Root on a last second reversal in overtime of the third place match to punch his ticket to the NCAAs in 2019.
Jones vs. the SoCon Field (5-1 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
Conor Fenn (Davidson - 11/22)................. W-MD, 11-3
Roderick Davis (GWU - 1/12)......................... W-D, 8-4
Zach Brown (VMI - 1/19)........................... W-MD, 11-3
Demazio Samuel (App. St. - App. Open 1/25)... L-D, 1-5
Chris Kober (Camp - 2-8)............................ W-MD, 9-1
(Citadel - 2/16)................................................. W-For.
2018-19
Demazio Samuel (App. St. -Hokie Open 1/25). W-D, 4-1
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 197:
1. Jones (UTC), 2. Kober (Campbell), 3. Samuel (ASU), 4. Brown (VMI), 5. Duane (Citadel), 6. Davis (GWU).
285: Sophomore Grayson Walthall is the Mocs entrant at 285. He is 7-19 overall and went 2-4 in league matches. There are two bids up for grabs in this bracket.
Campbell's Jere Heino leads the way at heavyweight with a No. 13 national ranking. Appalachian State's Cary Miller is No. 24 in the coaches listing.
Walthall vs. the SoCon Field (2-7 - 2019-20 • Career - 2-7)
2019-20
Mitchell Trigg (Davidson - 11/22).............. W-Fall (4:37)
Gabriel Picket (GWU - 1/12)............. W-TF, 15-0 (5:27)
Chris Beck (VMI - 1/19)................................... L-D, 2-3
No. 19 Cary Miller (App. St.)............. L-TF, 1-16 (3:19)
Cary Miller (App. St. - 2/2).................. L-TF, 0-16 (5:23)
No. 14 Jere Heino (Camp - 2-8)..................... L-TF, 0-1
Michael McAleavey (Citadel - 2/16).................. L-D, 3-5
SoCon Tournament Seeds at 285:
1. Heino (Campbell), 2. Miller (ASU), 3. McAleavey (Citadel), 3. Beck (VMI), 5. Walthall (UTC), 6. Trigg (Davidson), 7. Heslop (Presbyterian), 8. Pickett (GWU).
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