The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team competes in the 91st NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 18-20, 2021.  Action takes place in the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo., and is covered live by the ESPN family of networks.
 
UTC posted an 8-4 dual match record under third-year head coach Kyle Ruschell. The Mocs were third in the Southern Conference regular season, with both losses going down to the final match.  UTC also finished third at the SoCon Tournament in Boone, N.C., on Feb. 28. 
 
Historically, UTC has won 17 SoCon regular season titles since the league began recognizing a season champ in 1992.  The Mocs have also won 29 SoCon Tournament titles since joining the league in 1978.  Chattanooga has had nine individuals earn 12 All-America honors since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1978.  The last to do so was Cody Cleveland, who placed eighth at 141 pounds in 2008.  UTC's highest placer at the Division I Tournament was Charlie Heard, who was runner-up at 118 pounds in 1983.
 
Four Mocs are representing Chattanooga at the NCAA Championships this year, including senior Fabian Gutierrez (125), juniors Drew Nicholson (165) and Matthew Waddell (184) and freshman Logan Andrew (197).  Nicholson and Waddell both earned automatic bids, with Nicholson win the SoCon title at 165.  Gutierrez and Andrew were at-large additions to the field.
 
CHATTANOOGA LINEUP
125: No. 24 Fabian Gutierrez (Sr. – 12-3)
165: No. 26 Drew Nicholson (Jr. – 12-3)
184: No. 25 Matthew Waddell (Jr. – 11-4)
197: No. 32 Logan Andrew (Fr. - 9-6)
(No. = NCAA Tournament Seed)
Head Coach:  Kyle Ruschell (22-20 - 3rd Year)
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 18
Session 1A - 1st Round (125-157) - ESPNU/ESPN+ - 11:00 a.m. (E.D.T.)
Session 1B - 1st Round (165-285) - ESPNU/ESPN+ - 2:00 p.m. (E.D.T.)
Session 2A - 2nd Round and Consolations (125-157) - ESPN2/ESPN+ - 6:00 p.m.
Session 2B - 2nd Round and Consolations (165-285) - ESPN2/ESPN+ - 9:00 p.m.
 
Friday, March 19
Session 3 - Quarters and Consolations (125-157) - ESPNU/ESPN+ - 11:00 a.m.
Session 4 - Quarters and Consolations (165-285) - ESPNU/ESPN+ - 3:00 p.m.
Session 4 - Semifinals and Consolations - ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+ - 8:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 20
Session 5 - Medal Rounds - ESPN2/ESPN+ - 11:00 a.m.
Session 6 - Finals - ESPN/ESPN+ - 7:00 p.m.
 
ALL PRIME TIME SESSIONS ON ESPN
ESPN's prime-time coverage begins with the second round Thursday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) on ESPN2. As in years past, the semifinals and finals will air on ESPN or ESPN2 on Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20, respectively, beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Friday and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. 
 
ESPNU will carry all the championships' earlier sessions each day, beginning with the first round on March 18 (Noon), continuing with the quarterfinals on March 19 (Noon).  The  medal round airs on ESPN2 on March 20 (Noon)
 
Throughout the entire three days, during all sessions, ESPN+ streams every single mat and match, allowing fans to follow any wrestler and/or school. During the finals ESPN+ will once again offer Off the Mat -- a combination of live matches, highlights and interviews with newly crowned champions.
 
Tim Johnson, ESPN's "Voice of College Wrestling" is UTC head coach Kyle Ruschell's father-in-law.
 
HEAD COACH KYLE RUSCHELL
Kyle Ruschell was named head coach of the Mocs on Aug. 10, 2018, and is in his third season guiding the UTC program. A member of the NCAA wrestling committee, he has a 22-20 dual record overall that includes sharing the SoCon Regular Season Title in 2019. Prior to UTC, he spent 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.
 
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
Fabian Gutierrez - Senior - 125
• Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after earning an at-large bid for the second year in a row.
• No. 24 seed at 125 pounds and opens against No. 9 Devin
Schroder of Purdue.
• 12-3 overall record • 52-24 career mark.
• 1-3 against the field in 2020-21 ... 3-12 against the field in his career.
• Recipient of the Joyce Litchford Memorial Scholarship ... second time he has qualified
• Went 9-2 in dual action and 7-1 in SoCon matches.
• Placed third at the SoCon Tournament.
• Lone win against the field this season was a 5-3 decision over Campbell's Zurich Storm in the dual on Feb. 5.
• One of three from the SoCon in the field ... lost to Storm in overtime at the SoCon Tournament in overtime (8-6) ... lost to Appalachian State's Codi Russell (4-3) in the dual on Jan. 31.
• Also lost to Oklahoma State's Trevor Mastrogiovanni (8-2) in the dual on Jan. 10.
• Wins against the field from previous years include a pin over Arizona State's Brandon Courtney (6:57) at the 2018  Cougar Clash and an overtime win over Rider's Jonathon Torpea (9-8) at the 2018 Southeast Open. 
• No. 24 at 125 in the final regular season Flo rankings.
 
Drew Nicholson - Junior - 165
• Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after earning an automatic bid at the SoCon Tournament.
• SoCon Tournament Champion at 165 pounds.
• SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestlers after winning the event as the No. 3 seed. 
• No. 26 seed at 125 pounds and opens against No. 7 Ethan Smith of Ohio State.
• 12-3 overall record • 38-31 career mark.
• 1-4 against the field in 2020-21 ... 1-16 against the field in his career.
• Went 9-3 in dual action and 6-2 in SoCon matches.
• Lone win against the field this season was a 3-2 decision over Gardner-Webb's RJ Mosely in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament.
• One of three from the SoCon in the field, including Mosely and Appalachian State's Will Formato ... lost to Mosely (12-4) in the dual on Jan. 17 and lost to Formato (6-1) in the dual on Jan. 31.
• Also lost to Oklahoma State's Travis Wittlake (7-3) in the dual on Jan. 10.
• Two-time Academic All-SoCon.
 
Matthew Waddell - Junior - 184
• Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after earning an automatic bid for the second year in a row.
• Earned the automatic bid by finishing second at the SoCon Tournament at 184 pounds.
• No. 25 seed at 184 and opens against Nebraska's No. 8 seed Taylor Venz.
• 11-4 overall record • 33-13 career mark.
• 2-3 against the field in 2020-21 ... 4-8 against the field in his career.
• Went 9-3 in dual action and 6-2 in SoCon matches.
• Wins against the field in 2021 include a 4-0 decision over Oregon State's Ryan Reyes on Jan. 10 and a 5-2 win over Gardner-Webb's Jha'quan Anderson in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament.
• One of three from the SoCon in the field, including Anderson and Campbell's Caleb Hopkins ... lost to Hopkins (5-2) in both the dual and the SoCon finals.
• Also lost to Oklahoma State's Dakota Geer (12-3) in the dual on Jan. 10.
• Other wins against the field in his career include an 8-6 decision over Illinois' Zach Braunagel in the dual on Nov. 10, 2019, and an overtime win over Iowa State's Samuel Colbray (3-1) in the dual on Dec. 14, 2019.
 
Logan Andrew - Freshman - 197
• Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after earning an at-large bid at 197 pounds.
• No. 32 seed and opens in the pigtail match against No. 33 seed Billy Janzer of Rutgers.
• 9-6 overall record in 2021.
• 0-4 against the field in 2020-21 ... 0-5 against the field in his career.
• Went 7-2 in dual action and 5-3 in SoCon matches.
• Runner-up at the SoCon Tournament.
• Joins Campbell's Chris Kober as the two SoCon representatives in the tournament ... lost to Kober (4-3) in the dual on Feb. 5 and (3-1) in the finals of the SoCon Tournament. 
• Also lost to Oklahoma State's A.J. Ferrari (16-5) and Oregon State's J.J.Dixson (6-2) in the duals on Jan. 10.