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CHATTANOOGA – As the Chattanooga Mocs' wrestling team continues preparation for its season opener in 19 days, GoMocs.com begins its season preview introducing the wrestling program by class. This edition will feature the 125 and 133 weight classes.

125
Alex Cottey – Fr., Indianapolis, Ind.
Prior to UTC, Cottey was a two-time state champion and two-time runner up at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis. Cottey held a 128-6 record in his first three years in high school, including a 42-1 mark in his sophomore and junior seasons. Cottey was named the HoosierMat 2021 Wrestler of the Year.

Head Coach Kyle Ruschell on Cottey: "Alex is a great talent from Indiana and is a two-time state champ that has shown he can win tournaments. I'm excited to see him train with Fabian [Gutierrez] and develop to what we know he can be – an all-American, national champion type athlete."

Fabian Gutierrez – Sr., Commerce City, Colo.
Gutierrez enters his sixth season as a Moc. Last season, he posted a 13-5 mark at 125 pounds, going 9-2 in dual action and 7-1 in SoCon matches. He placed third at the SoCon Tournament and was ranked No. 24 in the final Flo Rankings. Gutierrez made his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after also qualifying in 2020. He went 1-2 at 125 pounds as the No. 24 seed. In his previous four years wrestling at UTC, Gutierrez holds a 25-8 record in dual matches and a 28-18 record in tournaments. 

Ruschell on Gutierrez: "He's a sixth year. He has been around the sport and our program. He knows what the expectation is. Fabian is coming back for his sixth year for a reason, not to just do the same thing but to push forward and get on that podium in March. He's a good leader and we need to see him take that next step."

Eli Knight – Fr., Calhoun, Ga.
Knight was undefeated in his junior and senior season at Sonoraville High School. He won back-to-back GHSA State Championships to conclude his high school career. Knight went 26-0 in his senior season.

Ruschell on Knight: "He's a really scrappy, long and mean wrestler on the mat. I'm excited to see Eli wrestle in his first few tournaments and see his fight and development throughout the preseason."       

133
Blake Boarman – Fr., Evansville, Ind.
Went 146-9 at Mater Dei High School in Evansville. The Evansville, Ind. native posted a top-three finish all four years at the IHSAA State Championships. He was crowned state champion after posting a 39-3 record during his senior season. Boarman also played football and ran track in high school.

Ruschell on Boarman: "He's another big recruit for us… a state champion from Indiana. Blake is a top recruit in his class and he works his tail off in the wrestling room. He's a kid that sometimes we have to pull back a little bit because he works so hard."

Brice Barton – Fr., Marion County, Tenn.
Barton qualified for the state tournament all four years of high school and placed in states three times. Barton began his senior season 12-0 with 10 pins at 132 pounds. He was the region runner up in his junior year and the region champion during his senior season. He placed third at state and eighth at nationals in his final year.

Ruschell on Barton: "Brice is a good local kid and has been a great team player in his first few months at Chattanooga. We are excited to see him get stronger throughout this season. He has some room for improvement and we're looking forward to seeing him grow throughout his career in Chattanooga."

Jake Insko – Fr., Morganfield, Ky.
Insko enters his second season at UTC after sitting out last year as a redshirt. He was the 2020 Kentucky State Champion at 138 pounds at Union County High School. He joined Micah and Matthias Ervin on the high school team which captured its fifth team title in a row. He battled the during flu multiple postseasons in high school and still picked up a fourth-place finish his sophomore season and placed third his junior year.

Ruschell on Insko: "Jake was a freshman last year and it was a year you didn't see him compete. He is going down a weight class from last year because he has high goals and his expectation is to not only start, but to win. He's a guy that is doing what it takes to go down a weight, still maintain his strength and has had a lot of improvement over the summer."

Brayden Palmer – So., Hendersonville, Tenn.
Prior to coming to UTC, Palmer wrestled at Clarion University for one season and went 2-6 with both wins coming by decision. In high school, Palmer was a two-time state champion and two-time runner up at Beech High School in Hendersonville, Tenn. He concluded his high school career with a 197-4 record. After his junior season, Palmer was named a Flo and Virginia Beach All-American. He was crowned the Virginia Beach National Champion his senior year.

Ruschell on Palmer: "He's a transfer from Clarion but a Tennessee kid. Palmer's an NHSCA National Champ and we are excited for him to be back in the state. Since he came to Chattanooga, he's had a lot of focus, he's had his weights under control and has high goals and expectations for himself. Brayden is doing all of the little things that translate to getting on the podium in March and we're excited to see him scrap."

The 2021-22 Chattanooga Wrestling season gets underway with the Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 30 prior to the homecoming football game vs. Furman. The scrimmage is slated to begin at 10:30 in the First Horizon Pavilion.

The squad will kick off the regular season with a dual at home on Nov. 6 vs. Cumberland. To purchase season tickets, click here.