After cruising through three duals at the Chippewa Challenge at Central Michigan University, the Mocs lost for the first time in 12 matches this season, dropping a 21-13 dual to the host Chippewas, ranked seventh nationally.
UTC, now 11-1, gave up only six team points in its first three duals of the day. Two of which came on forfeits at the end of the dual.
The Mocs, ranked as high as No. 17 nationally, crushed Gardner-Webb, 46-6, defeated Cal Poly, 34-6, and beat Eastern Illinois, 48-6 to win their school-record 11th straight match on the year. The streak breaks the mark set by the 1987-88 squad which won its first 10 matches.
Against the highly-regarded Chippewas in the day's final session, UTC won four of the first five matches but lost the last five. Matt Keller at 133 pounds, Michael Keefe (141), Aaron Martin (149) and Jake Yost (157) each won their fourth match of the day in the dual with CMU. Yost's 8-4 decision over Andy Keller gave the Mocs a 13-3 lead.
The Chippewas stormed back in the bottom half of the dual, using four decisions and a pin for the come-from-behind victory. The big blow came at 197 where Wynn Michalak pinned Kyle McKee in the first period to give CMU the lead for good.
With UTC trailing 18-13 in the final match at heavyweight, Matt Koz put up a valiant challenge to nationally-ranked Bubba Gritter, falling in overtime, 3-1.
In the win over Gardner-Webb, UTC received pins from Keller, Martin, Yost and T.J. Sayers (165), a technical fall from Javier Maldonado (125) and major decisions from Keefe and Lloyd Rogers (174).
In the victory over Cal Poly, the Mocs used a tech fall by Keller and major decisions by Sayers and Josh Edmondson (184). It was more of the same against Eastern Illinois as Martin, Yost, Rogers and Kyle McKee (197) each recorded pins. Keller and Sayers were credited with tech falls, and Maldonado added a major decision.
In the CMU-UTC match, Maldonado and Rogers lost their first dual matches of the season.
The Mocs return to Southern Conference action this coming weekend, visiting UNC Greensboro Saturday and Appalachian State Sunday.
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