For the first time in 90 days, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's wrestling team will return to the friendly confines of Maclellan Gym. The Mocs will host The Citadel on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. and Southern Conference preseason favorite Appalachian State on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Friday's match will be the Mocs' Military Appreciation Night. All active and former military members will receive free admission with an ID. Sunday's match vs. Appalachian State is Alumni Day – all alumni can purchase discounted tickets using the code - wrestlingalumni.
 
Chattanooga enters the weekend at 4-9 overall and 2-1 in league action after going 1-1 last weekend at Gardner-Webb and Campbell.
 
The Citadel is currently 4-3 overall and 2-1 in league action this season. Last weekend, the Bulldogs won their second conference dual with a 23-15 win over Davidson at home. The squad also defeated Long Island, 28-17, to round out their nonconfernce competition.
 
Appalachian State is one of two unbeaten teams in the league and sits at 3-0 in conference duals. The Mountaineers began the season 0-2 after falling to No. 5 NC State and narrowly dropping a home dual to No. 20 North Carolina, 17-15. The preseason favorites have won their last five duals, all by 10 or more points. They have won four of those five by 25 or more.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Mocs are 41-3 all-time against The Citadel, which includes a 17-2 mark at home. UTC has not lost to the Bulldogs at home since Feb. 8, 2003, a streak of seven straight wins. In that span Chattanooga has beat The Citadel by an average of 23.7 points per dual.
 
Chattanooga holds a 35-24-1 record against Appalachian State in the series which dates back to 1965. The Mountaineers have won the last six contests, all by seven points or less.
 
UTC'S PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 22 Fabian Gutierrez
133: No. 21 Brayden Palmer
141: Franco Valdes
149: Noah Castillo / Grant Lundy
157: Weston Wichman/Lincoln Heck
165: Drew Nicholson
174: Carial Tarter
184: Thomas Sell
197: Matthew Waddell
285: Matthias Ervin/Grayson Walthall
 
*Rankings are Intermat - Jan. 31
 
SCOUTING THE MOCS
Entering its last month of the regular season, Chattanooga is 2-1 in SoCon action with four league duals remaining.
 
Last weekend, UTC defeated Gardner-Webb on the road, 37-4 with pins from Fabian Gutierrez at 125 and Thomas Sell at 184. The Mocs also picked up a major decision from Weston Wichman (157). Gutierrez's fall 80 seconds into the match was the fastest fall of his career. It's the third time this season he has pinned his opponent in the first period.
 
Matthew Waddell made his debut at 197 pounds over the weekend, moving up a weight class. He went 1-1 with a 4-1 decision over Gardner-Webb's Anthony Perrine before falling to Campbell's Levi Hopkins on Sunday. The Mocs dropped the match to the Fighting Camels 18-13 after Campbell won the final four matches, all by decision.
 
Gutierrez picked up a ranked win in the dual with a 5-2 decision over Campbell's No. 23 Korbin Meink.
Gutierrez and freshman Brayden Palmer have led the 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup for the Mocs. Both ranked in the top-25 of Intermat's rankings at 22 and 21 respectively, the duo holds a combined record of 29-10 this season and a 17-6 record in dual competition. The pair at 125 and 133 have outscored their opponents 78-21 in duals this year.
 
In the middle of the lineup, Weston Wichman and Drew Nicholson both went 2-0 last weekend with one major decision and one overtime victory apiece. Wichman, the reigning SoCon Freshman of the Year is 9-6 this season at 157 pounds and has three majors under his belt. Nicholson, 2021 SoCon Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler is 8-6 and has won five of his last six matches in dual competition.
 
GUTIERREZ NAMED SOCON WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Last weekend, Gutierrez continued his success early in Southern Conference action with two conference wins. He began the weekend with the fastest fall of his career, pinning Gardner-Webb's Aedyn Concepcion just 80 seconds into the match. Two days later, he picked up a ranked win over Campbell's No. 23 Korbin Meink by a 5-2 decision. His 2-0 record earned him SoCon Wrestler of the Week Accolades.
 
Gutierrez is the first Chattanooga wrestler to be named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week since he took home the honor on Dec. 24, 2019. It is the third time he has won the award. He becomes the fifth Moc in program history to win the award three or more times in a career.
 
SOCON PRESEASON POLL
Chattanooga was picked to finish third in the Southern Conference race with 50 points. The Mocs went 6-2 in the conference last year, finishing with an 8-4 record overall. Appalachian State received six first-place votes and 61 points to top the 2020-21 preseason poll. Campbell was second with 59 votes.  Gardner-Webb (39), The Citadel (38), VMI (27), Davidson (24), Bellarmine (13) and Presbyterian (12) rounded out the listings.
 
A LOOK AT THE CITADEL
The Citadel is 4-3 in seven duals this season. The Bulldogs host a 2-1 record in SoCon action with wins over Presbyterian and Davidson. Their lone loss in a conference match came at Campbell, 34-6.
 
This season, The Citadel's head coach Ryan LeBlanc has stayed consistent with wrestlers at 133, 149, 165, 174, 184, 197 and 285. He has changed things up throughout the season at 141 and 157, while Jordie White began the season at 125 and after going 1-3, Malik Hardy took over. Hardy is 2-8 overall and 1-2 in duals this season. His lone victory in dual action came via forfeit at Davidson.
 
The Bulldogs have two wrestlers ranked No. 30 in the latest Intermat Wrestling Rankings… Dazjon Casto (157) and Michael McAleavey (285). Casto is 12-6 overall this season and 3-1 in dual action. McLeavey is 18-9 overall and 6-1 in duals.
 
THE CITADEL'S PROBABLES
125: Malik Hardy
133: Jake Rotunda
141: Joe Clement
149: Ethan Willis
157: No. 30 Dazjon Casto or Grant Speer
165: Selwyn Porter
174: Cole Burke
184: Ben Haubert
197: Ben stemmet
HWT: #30 Michael McAleavey
 
LAST TIME VS. THE CITADEL - Jan. 17, 2021
UTC 17, CIT 15
157: Weston Wichman (UTC) over Grant Speer (CIT) (MD 11-3)
165: Andrew Nicholson (UTC) over Dazjon Casto (CIT) (Dec 5-3)
174: Cole Burke (CIT) over Carial Tarter (UTC) (Dec 8-4)
184: Kyle Kretzer (CIT) over No. 12 Matthew Waddell (UTC) (Dec 6-1)
197: Logan Andrew (UTC) over Ben Stemmet (CIT) (Dec 10-3)
285: Michael McAleavey (CIT) over Grayson Walthall (UTC) (Dec 3-1)
125: No. 19 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) over Jordie White (CIT) (MD 11-2)
133: Jake Rotunda (CIT) over Colton Landers (UTC) (Dec 8-4)
141: Franco Valdes (UTC) over Ethan Willis (CIT) (Dec 10-4)
149: Selwyn Porter (CIT) over Aidan Murphy (UTC) (Dec 5-2)
 
HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
174: Tarter is 1-1 vs. Burke. Last met on 2/28/21, Tarter W, 10-4
HWT: Walthall is 0-3 vs. McAleavey. Last met 1/17/21, McLeavey W 3-1
 
A LOOK AT APP STATE
App State is 5-2 this season and 3-0 in league duals. The Mountaineers have two wrestlers with a perfect 7-0 record in dual competition, No. 4 Jonathan Millner (149) and No. 20 Will Formato (165). Overall, Millner is 12-1 this season, while Formato is 16-4. The duo is a combined 135-40 in their careers at App State.
 
At 125, No. 24 Caleb Smith holds a 6-1 dual record and is 17-4 overall in 2021-22. The Mountaineers have two other wrestlers ranked in the latest Intermat rankings... Codi Russell (No. 28 - 133) and Cody Bond (No. 31 - 157).
 
In their last three duals, the Mountaineers have outscored opponents 112-6. The bout on Sunday in Maclellan will be the first road dual for the SoCon preseason favorites.
 
LAST TIME VS. APP - Jan. 31, 2021 - APP 20, UTC 13
125: No. 23 Codi Russell (App. St.) over No. 21 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) (Dec 4-3)
133: Colton Landers (UTC) over Sean Carter (App. St.) (Dec 4-2)
141: Franco Valdes (UTC) over Anthony Brito (App. St.) (SV-2 5-3)
149: No. 21 Jonathan Millner (App. St.) over Aidan Murphy (UTC) (MD 15-5)
157: Cody Bond (App. St.) over Weston Wichman (UTC) (TB-1 7-6)
165: No. 10 William Formato (App. St.) over Andrew Nicholson (UTC) (Dec 6-1)
174: No. 19 Thomas Flitz (App. St.) over Carial Tarter (UTC) (MD 17-4)
184: No. 23 Matthew Waddell (UTC) over Julian Gorring (App. St.) (MD 11-2)
197: Logan Andrew (UTC) over Mason Fiscella (App. St.) (Dec 12-5)
285: Michael Burchell (App. St.) over Grayson Walthall (UTC) (Dec 4-1)
 
APP STATE'S PROBABLES
125: No. 24 Caleb Smith
133: No. 28 Codi Russell or Sean Carter
141: Anthony Brito or Heath Gonyer
149: No. 4 Jonathan Millner
157: No. 31 Cody Bond
165: No. 20 Will Formato
174: Thomas Flitz
184: Barrett Blakely
197: Wyatt Miller
HWT: Michael Bruchell
 
HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
125: Gutierrez is 1-0 vs. Caleb Smith. Met on 1/1/22, Gutierrez W, 8-6
133: Palmer is 1-0 vs. Russell. Met on 1/1/22. Palmer W, 9-4
157: Bond is 1-0 vs. Wichman. Met on 1/31/21. Bond W 7-6, TB-1
165: Nicholson is 0-3 vs. Formato. Last met on 1/31/21. Formato W 6-1
174: Tarter is 0-1 vs. Flitz. Last met on 1/31/21. Flitz W 17-4
285: Walthall is 0-3 vs. Burchell. Last met on 2/28/21. Burchell W 7-5
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