Keller, a 133-pound wrestler from McDonald, Tenn., went undefeated in four matches at the Duals, including a 9-5 victory over No. 1-rated Tom Clum of Wisconsin. Keller, ranked as high as No. 8 nationally, helped the Mocs to a 19-18 victory over the 18th-ranked Badgers.
Keller, a junior, also had wins over wrestlers from Army, Harvard and Navy. He pinned Army's Whit Dunning at 4:27 in UTC's 25-9 victory over the Black Knights, scored a 12-4 major decision over Navy's Sean Knapp in the Mocs' 26-14 loss to the Midshipmen and won by injury default in UTC's 27-15 win over Harvard.
Keller has made an immediately positive impact on the Mocs' wrestling program this season after transferring from the University of Nebraska.
He placed in three different national tournaments during the month of December, taking first at the prestigious Brute Reno Tournament of Champions, fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and fifth at the 2005 Southern Scuffle. He is a two-time Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week this season and was named the SoCon Wrestler of the Month for December.
"Matt has been everything we have expected," UTC Head Coach Joe Seay said. "He is a talented young man who is extremely skilled at this sport. He has been a tough opponent since this season started, and he will continue to work hard toward earning an NCAA berth."
The Mocs compete Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va.
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