CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL |
STATS |
MATCH NOTES
KANSAS CITY---The Chattanooga Mocs got their 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships started Thursday in T-Mobile Center. Southern Conference Champions
Brayden Palmer and
Isaiah Powe earned spots in the field at 125 and 141, respectively.
The duo split matches today but in different ways. Powe claimed an opening round win before heading into the wrestlebacks after round two. Palmer dropped a tight one to start but came back strong in the evening as both eye consolation round two Friday.
"We're on to day two," Coach
Kyle Ruschell began. "That's the big day, and we need to be ready. The guys don't need to worry about anything other than the match in front of us. Take it one period at a time and look to score points.
"We saw some good stuff today. We need to chain wrestle and take advantage of opportunities."
125 – Brayden Palmer
Rd1: #11 Cooper Flynn (Va. Tech), Dec., L, 1-2
Conso Rd1: #27 Max Gallagher (Penn), Dec., W, 8-4
Palmer, the 22 seed, opened with No. 11 Cooper Flynn of Virginia Tech. There was little action in the scoreless first. Flynn deferred in the second with Palmer choosing down to start the second. He escaped quickly to take a 1-0 lead.
Flynn scored a controversial takedown with about 30 seconds left in the period. Ruschell challenge was successful keeping it 1-0 through two.
Less than 10 seconds into the final frame, Palmer was called for an illegal cutback penalty. A second Ruschell challenge did not get this call overturned. With the match now even at 1-1, Flynn escaped with 1:36 left to move ahead 2-1 and avoided Palmer's offensive efforts the rest of the way.
It was a battle in the consolation round one matchup with No. 27 Max Gallagher of Penn. The duo clutch, grabbed, parried and did everything but score through four minutes before Palmer earned the first takedown. He followed with an escape for a 4-0 lead to start the third.
Gallagher looked like he had Palmer in peril, but as he's done throughout his Chattanooga career, the senior from Hendersonville went to work on the mat and scored another takedown late in the period. Gallagher got an escape and takedown of his own in the final seconds, but the die had been cast. Add on the riding time bonus and Palmer grabbed the 8-4 final.
141 – Isaiah Powe
Rd1: #16 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell), Dec., W, 9-4
Rd2: #1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio St.), Fall, L, 4:36
The 17th-seeded Powe had a quiet bout going with Chappell in the opener. It was 1-1 in the early third period when Chappell got a takedown for a 4-1 lead. He ran Powe out of bounds with 51 seconds left setting up quite a sequence.
Powe escaped & got Chappell to his back scoring eight points in about 10 seconds before riding out the rest of the period.
His reward was a second-round matchup with top seed Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. The two jostled and danced before Mendez caught Powe's ankle and got a takedown 46 seconds into the match. He got Powe to his back for a short two count and rode out the period for a 5-0 advantage.
Powe won the toss and deferred choice, with Mendez opting for bottom. A quick escape was followed by quick battles before Mendez won a mat matchup for a takedown. In that fight, Powe was put into a predicament that resulted in pin late in the frame.
The duo return to the T-Mobile Center Friday at Noon. ESPNU carries the afternoon again with ESPN picking up the evening with all matches streaming on ESPN+ as well. The docket starts at Noon. Live scoring is on track. All links are available on the GoMocs.com wrestling schedule page.
Friday
125 – ConsoRd2: Palmer vs. (28) Diego Sotelo, Harvard
141 – ConsoRd2: Powe vs. (18) Cole Matthews, Pitt
NOTES
- Two Mocs moving to day 2 for second straight year. Palmer (133) and Rocky Jordan (174) advanced a year ago, Palmer win-lose & Jordan lose-win. Palmer won his first match on Friday before falling in the next.
- Palmer is 3-5 in his career at the NCAA Championships, Powe is 1-1.
- 1st career ranked win for Powe topping No. 17 (FloWrestling) Dylan Chappell of Bucknell in opening round. It was also his first ranked matchup.
- Palmer's matchup with Flynn was a battle of two of just three native Tennesseans in the entire field.
- Powe's opening round win was his 25th of the season. First Moc with 25 victories since Palmer (25-9) in 2021-22.
- Powe needs a win Friday for 26 on the season. That would be the most by a Moc since 2017-18: Bryce Carr (29-7) & Scottie Boykin (26-8). Boykin is in Kansas City as an assistant coach at Air Force.
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
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
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)
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. Go here to learn about NIL Marketplace opportunities with our student-athletes.
