CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | STATS | MATCH NOTES
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs are back at the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the 47th time in 47 years as a Division I program. Just like 45 previous times, there's more than one Moc taking the mats in Kansas City.
 
"It's never enough," Coach Kyle Ruschell noted as the interviewer pondered if that would be the same answer for any number between 1-9 for the uber-competitive mat boss. "We gotta get more than two, but I'm super excited about these guys. I think they're in a good spot on the bracket with good first round matchups. Obviously, we have to wrestle our best the whole weekend, but both of them have done a good job leading to this point and I think we're peaking at the right time."
 
Senior Brayden Palmer and true freshman Isaiah Powe take on their respective brackets in the T-Mobile Center beginning Thursday at Noon with the opening round. The 3-day event features day and night sessions with broadcasts on ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN+.
 
Palmer is making his third appearance, but first at the 125 weight class. He made the second day last year and just missed advancing in a hotly contested final bout. He has two tournament wins this season capturing crowns at the Clarion Open and Southern Conference Championships.
 
He was a quarterfinalist at the Southern Scuffle before an injury derailed his efforts for a title there. Palmer is the 22 seed at 125 facing Cooper Flynn from Virginia Tech. In an odd twist, they are two of three native Tennesseans in the entire championships field.
 
"With Brayden, it's just another opportunity, you've been here before," Ruschell added. "You know what the sound is going to be like, what the mats are going to feel like...you've been there. You felt it. Just a matter of going out there, wrestling and getting your hand raised."
 
Powe has been a sensation in his debut collegiate campaign. He leads the Mocs with a 24-2 record and has earned bonus-point wins in all but five of those wins. He has made the podium in all three tournament efforts to date winning the SoCon title at 141 and finishing third at the Southern Scuffle and SE Open (Fr./So).
 
Powe comes in as the 17 seed facing off with Bucknell's Dylan Chappell. The winner likely gets a date with top-seeded Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. He awaits the pigtail round bout matchup of Kal Miller (Maryland) and fellow SoCon competitor Todd Carter from Gardner-Webb.
 
"Isaiah is a little bit different, right?" Ruschell continued, "He's a true freshman, never done this before, but also being naive in those situations can bring about brilliance. So, it'll be a fun experience for him.
 
"He wrestles so hard. Both of these guys can find their way and make a deep run in the tournament. It's just a matter of doing your job and wrestling the guy right in front of you. Don't worry about the whole tournament, just focus on the one guy in front of you."
 
MEDIA
TV: ESPN, ESPNU & ESPN+: Video Hub | Track Scoring
Day Session (ESPNU & ESPN+): Shawn Kenney, Rock Harrison, Tim Johnson, Quint Kessenich
Night Session (ESPN & ESPN+): Mike Couzens, Daniel Cormier, Jordan Burroughs, Rock Harrison, Quint Kessenich
MatCast: Shane Sparks, Anthony Robles
 
2024 NCAA QUALIFIERS        
Wt: Chattanooga (Record) | NCAAs | vs. Bracket
125: #22 Brayden Palmer (16-2) | 2-4 |0-0
141: #17 Isaiah Powe (24-2) | 0-0 | 3-1
 
Last Year's Finishes (March 16-18, 2023)
133: Brayden Palmer - Conso 3rd Rd (2-2)
174: Rocky Jordan - Conso 2nd Rd (1-2)
184: Matthew Waddell – Conso (0-2)
 
HISTORY         
Appearances: 47 | Last: 2023 | Qualifiers: 204
Year-by-Year Results on P. 5 of the notes package linked here
1st DI Season: 1978
Best Team Finish: 1983, T14 (20.25)
Most Team Points: 2007, 29.5 (21st)
Best Finish: 2nd, Charlie Heard, 118, 1983
All-Americans: 12 (Last: Cody Cleveland, 141, 2008)
Multiple All-Americans: 1992, 2005
 
DII Champions: 6 | All-Americans: 12 | MOW: 1
 
ALL-AMERICA 
1980: 126 - Byron McGlathery, 5th
1982: 118 - Charlie Heard, 8th
1983: 118 - Charlie Heard, 2nd
1984: 118 - Charlie Heard, 7th
1991: 177 - Bret Gustafson, 5th
1992: 142 - Guy Harris, 8th
1992: 158 - Howard Langford, 8th
2005: 141 - Michael Keefe, 5th
2005: 165 - Jon Sioredas, 5th
2006: 133 - Matt Keller, 8th
2007: 133 - Matt Keller, 4th
2008: 141 - Cody Cleveland, 8th
 
NOTES

• Palmer has six placings in nine career tournaments at UTC. He won the 2023 & 2024 SoCon Championships & 2023 Clarion Open, finished second at the 2023 Southern Scuffle, third in the 2022 Southern Scuffle & second in the 2022 SoCon Championships. His lone non-place was last two NCAAs and finishing as an injury default in Southern Scuffle after reaching quarterfinals this year.
• Powe is looking to become the program's 3rd All-American at 141 (2005-Michael Keefe/2008-Cody Cleveland).
• Palmer would be first at 125 although Charlie Heard was a 3-time All-America from 1982-84 at the lightest weight class (118).
• Palmer leads the squad in major decisions (10), reversals (8) and tied for riding time bonus (13-tied w/Powe).
• Palmer's win at Clarion Open was in a field that included then-No. 1 Matt Ramos (Purdue), now the four seed.
• Powe went undefeated in duals (13-0).
• Powe is the team leader in wins (24), tech falls (7), takedowns (59), bonus points (21-tied w/Boarman), riding time bonus (13-tied w/Palmer) & near falls (27) with 17 of the 4-point variety.
• Last Moc to earn All-America honors in his first year qualifying? 141 Cody Cleveland in 2008.
• Last Moc to earn All-America honors for the first time in his third try? 177 Bret Gustafson in 1991.
• Best team finish is tied for 14th in 1983. Also finished top 25 in 2005 (T21) & 2007 (21).
• Double-digit points (8x): 1983 (20.25), 1988 (11.5), 1991 (10.5), 1992 (11.0), 2004 (15.5), 2005 (29.0), 2006 (15.0) & 2007 (29.5).
• Coach Kyle Ruschell is in his sixth season and has coached eight individual SoCon Champs & 20 NCAA Qualifiers at Chattanooga.

 
FINAL WORD
"It's just what this university, this athletic department and our alumni need. They deserve it. There's a lot of support. There's a lot of things that have gone into these guys, and it's been too long. It would mean so much to everyone. It's nice for me, but it's more important for Chattanooga wrestling to get somebody on that podium and let people know, hey, the support system's here, and it's an exciting time." – Ruschell on what a podium run would mean for the program
 
RANKINGS
125: Brayden Palmer | High: 14 (WrestleStat)
133: Blake Boarman | High: 27 (NWCA Coaches Poll)
141: Isaiah Powe | High: 19 (NCAA RPI)
149: Noah Castillo | High: 33 (NCAA RPI)
174: Sergio Desiante | High: 33 (NWCA Coaches Poll)
 
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