The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team is set for another Southern Conference tri-meet this weekend. This one is hosted by Appalachian State and includes UTC, the Mountaineers and Presbyterian. 
 
Action begins on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) against App State and is immediately followed by the Mocs vs. Presbyterian at approximately 3:30 p.m. Both matches stream on the Mountaineers' Rofkin site and both have live scoring through TrackWrestling. Look for links on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com. 
 
Chattanooga is trying to snap a five-match slide against the Mountaineers who are the preseason favorite to win the SoCon.  ASU was upset last weekend by Campbell (21-17) and sits at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in league duals.  Their only other loss was at No. 4 N.C. State (24-12) on Jan. 8.  Presbyterian is 0-2 overall with losses to The Citadel (32-10) and Bellarmine (32-18). 
 
UTC enters the weekend leading the SoCon with a 4-0 mark in league action, 6-2 overall.  Campbell is second at 3-0 in SoCon action and 4-1 overall.  UTC claimed a pair of wins over VMI (36-3) and Davidson (37-6) last weekend. 
 
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP FOR SUNDAY'S MATCHES
125: No. 21 Fabian Gutierrez (Sr. - 7-1, 4-0 SoCon)
133: Colton Landers (Jr. - 4-4, 2-2 SoCon)
141: Franco Valdes (Jr. - 5-0, 4-0 SoCon) or Matthew Williams (Fr. - 0-1, 0-0 SoCon)
149: Aidan Murphy (Jr. - 4-1, 2-1 SoCon) or George Coleman (So. - 0-4, 0-0 SoCon)
157: Weston Wichman (Fr. - 6-2, 2-1 SoCon) or Grant Lundy (Fr. - 1-2, 0-0 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (Jr.- 6-2, 2-1 SoCon)
174: Carial Tarter (So. - 4-2, 2-2 SoCon)
184: No. 23 Matthew Waddell (Jr. - 6-2, 2-1 SoCon)
197: Logan Andrew (Fr. - 4-4, 2-2 SoCon)
285: Grayson Walthall (Jr. - 4-4, 3-1 SoCon)
* Rankings are Flo (Jan. 26, 2021)
 
SCOUTING THE MOCS
The Mocs are 6-2, including a 4-0 mark in Southern Conference action.  UTC is coming off wins over VMI (36-3) and Davidson (37-6) last weekend. UTC returns six of 10 starters to the lineup from last year's team that went 7-9 and placed third at the Southern Conference Tournament. 
 
Senior Fabian Gutierrez and junior Matthew Waddell represented the Mocs on the preseason All-SoCon team.  Both qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Gutierrez, a senior from Commerce City, Colo., went 17-9 last season, including a 6-0 mark in SoCon dual action.  He was runner-up at the SoCon Tournament before earning an at-large bid to the NCAAs.  He is currently No. 21 in the nation in the Flo rankings with a 7-1 record.
 
Waddell, a junior from Gilmer, Ga., was 22-9 at 184 pounds last season.  He was ranked throughout the year and earned an automatic bid to the NCAAs with a second place showing at the SoCon Tournament.  He also won the Appalachian Open and placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle. Flo ranks him No. 23 in the country at 184 this week, with a 6-2 mark
 
Junior Tanner Smith is another returning NCAA Qualifier.  He went 25-9 last year, but only competed in one match at 149 pounds this season. 
 
Other returning starters include juniors Drew Nicholson (165), Hunter Fortner (174) and Grayson Walthall (285).  Nicholson was 16-16 last season, while Fortner posted a 12-17 record.  Walthall had six pins with an 8-12 record at heavyweight.
 
STARTERS OUT
Normal starters for the Mocs, juniors Tanner Smith and Hunter Fortner, are out for the season with injuries.  Smith was ranked No. 22 at 149 according to FloWrestling on Jan. 19.  His only action of the season was a major decision in the opener against Emmanuel.  Fortner was 3-2 at 174 before ending his 2020-21 campaign.   
 
PRESBYTERIAN PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Benny Gomez (Jr. - 2-0, 2-0 SoCon)
      or Dyllan Gorrin (So. - 0-1, 0-0 SoCon)
133: Khalid Brinkley (So. - 2-0, 2-0 SoCon)
      or Dominic Chavez (Fr. - 1-1, 0-0 SoCon)
141: Jacob Brasseur (So. - 1-1, 1-1 SoCon)
149: Reid Stewart (So. - 1-1, 1-1 SoCon)
157: Zachary Phillips (So. - 2-0, 1-0 SoCon)
165: Bryton Goering (So. - 0-2, 0-2 SoCon)
174: Victor Tello (Jr. - 0-2, 0-2 SoCon)
184: Open
197: Open
285: Will Pontoon (So. - 1-1, 1-1 SoCon)
 
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN
• Presbyterian is in its second year of dual match competition as a Division I program.
• Former Oklahoma head coach Mark Cody serves as the Director of Wrestling after being hired in December of 2017.
• Zachary Phillips made the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2020 and is 2-0 this season.
• The Blue Hose are 0-2 overall with losses to The Citadel (32-10) and Bellarmine (32-18). 
 
HEAD TO HEAD
125: Fabian Gutierrez scored an 8-3 decision against Benny Gomez at the 2019 Southern Scuffle.
 
ALL-TIME VS. PRESBYTERIAN
This is the first meeting between these two teams. Last year's scheduled SoCon dual was cancelled.
 
APPALACHIAN STATE PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 23 Codi Russell, R-Sr. (7-1, 4-0 SoCon)
133: Sean Carter, So. (5-4, 4-0 SoCon)
141: Anthony Brito, R-Jr. (8-2, 4-0 SoCon)
149: No. 21 Jonathan Millner, R-Jr. (7-1, 4-0 SoCon)
157: Cody Bond, R-Jr. (6-4, 3-1 SoCon)
165: No. 10 Will Formato, R-So. (9-1, 4-0 SoCon)
174: No. 19 Thomas Flitz, R-Sr. (8-2, 3-2 SoCon)
184: Julian Gorring, So. (6-4, 2-2 SoCon)
197: Mason Fiscella, R-So. (6-4, 3-1 SoCon)
285: Michael Burchell, R-So. (3-4, 2-2 SoCon)
* Rankings are Flo (Jan. 26, 2021)
 
SCOUTING APPALACHIAN STATE
• Head coach JohnMark Bentley is in his 12th season at Appalachian State.
• Mountaineers are 3-2 overall and 3-1 in SoCon action ... two losses were to No. 4 N.C. State (24-12) and Campbell (21-17) last season.
• App State was picked to win the SoCon in the preseason coaches poll.
• Sean Carter (133), Anthony Brito (141), Jonathan Millner (149) and Thomas Flitz (174) and Paul Carson (285) were all on the preseason All-SoCon team.
• In addition, Codi Russell (No. 23 at 125) and Will Formato (No. 10 at 165) are both currently ranked in their respective classes.
• Appalachian State stayed in the SoCon as an affiliate member in wrestling when the rest of the Mountaineer program moved to the Sun Belt in 2015.
 
HEAD TO HEAD
165: Drew Nicholson lost twice to Will Formato last season, including 5-2 at the Appalachian Open and 2-1 in the regular season dual.
184: Matthew Waddell pinned Julian Gorring (2:53) in last year's dual.
285: Grayson Walthall gave up a fall to Michael Burchell (3:53) at the 2020 Appalachian Open.
 
ALL-TIME VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
All-time: 29-18-1, Home: 16-7, Away: 11-11-1, Neutral 2-0
Chattanooga is 29-18-1 all time against ASU, but enters Sunday trying to snap a five-match slide in the series.  UTC lost the last one 27-12 in Chattanooga and dropped the 2019 meeting 21-14 in Boone.
 
LAST FIVE MATCHES VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
2-5-16 - Chattanooga - L - 15-22
2-5-17 - Boone, N.C. - L - 16-17^TB
2-4-18 - Chattanooga - L - 16-18
2-3-19 - Boone, N.C. - L - 14-21
2-2-20 - Chattanooga - L - 12-27
 
LAST TIME VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
Appalachian State 27 – Chattanooga 12
McKenzie Arena – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sunday – Feb. 2, 2020
125: No. 19 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) over Sean Carter (App. St.) (Dec 6-5)
133: Codi Russell (App. St.) over Colton Landers (UTC) (TF 21-6 6:22)
141: Bradley Irwin (App. St.) over Mason Wallace (UTC) (Fall 4:21)
149: No. 21 Jonathan Millner (App. St.) over No. 24 Tanner Smith (UTC) (Dec 6-3)
157: No. 18 Matt Zovistoski (App. St.) over Tyler Shilson (UTC) (Dec 8-4)
165: William Formato (App. St.) over Andrew Nicholson (UTC) (Dec 2-1)
174: Thomas Flitz (App. St.) over Hunter Fortner (UTC) (Dec 5-2)
184: No. 20 Matthew Waddell (UTC) over Julian Gorring (App. St.) (Fall 2:53)
197: Rodney Jones (UTC) over Paul Carson (App. St.) (Dec 4-2)
285: Cary Miller (App. St.) over Grayson Walthall (UTC) (TF 16-0 5:23)
(App. St. post match misconduct at 141 -1.0)