The Mocs, 10-6-1 in dual matches this season, are coming off of a 22-9 victory at the Citadel Tuesday in the Southern Conference opener. In the convincing win over the Bulldogs, the Mocs claimed seven of 10 matches.
"We are very excited about wrestling at home," UTC Head Coach Joe Seay said. "Our coaching staff has heard about the supporters of UTC wrestling, and we are ready to see it firsthand for a regular-season match. It has been a long time for some of our guys to be back in Maclellan Gym. We are expecting a fun evening of wrestling."
UTC and Northern Iowa have met each of the last two years, with the Panthers recording 22-16 victories in both duals. In last year's match, the Mocs got a major decision from John Davis at 184 pounds and wins at 125 by Matt Pitts, 141 by Michael Keefe, 165 by Jon Sioredas and 285 by Wes Taylor.
UNI, ranked as high as No. 22 nationally this week, is 2-7 overall. However, each of its seven losses has come at the hands of teams ranked among the nation's top 12.
Junior Nick Baima highlights the Panthers' squad. The 165-pounder is currently ranked as high as No. 7 nationally with a 23-3 record and was named Outstanding Wrestler at this year's Midlands Championships in December.
The Mocs have a highly-ranked wrestler of their own. Junior Matt Keller is 27-7 overall with seven pins. The sixth-ranked wrestler has a 2005-06 resume which includes a 133-pound title at the Reno Tournament of Champions and an Outstanding Wrestler award at the Lone Star Duals. Keller, a native of McDonald, Tenn., who transferred from Nebraska prior to this season, has won 10 straight matches. He did not compete Tuesday at The Citadel because of a class conflict.
Cumberland is no stranger to the UTC campus. The Bulldogs, located in Lebanon, Tenn., suffered a 57-0 loss last year to the Mocs in Maclellan Gym. They faced Carson-Newman College Wednesday, dropping a 30-13 decision.
Seay will utilize two different lineups in the back-to-back duals. Javier Maldonado (125), Michael Keefe (141) and Aaron Martin (149) are expected to wrestle in each match. Seay said he may let Adam Rains wrestle at 133 versus Cumberland. Jake Yost and Wayne French will see action at 157, Justin Otis and Daniel Peterson will take the mat at 165, Davis and Kyle McKee at 184 and Israel Silva and Zach Tramel at heavyweight.
The Mocs will send either T.J. Sayers or Nick Davis to wrestle at 174 and either Lloyd Rogers or Nick Lorenzano at 197.
Tickets are $5.00 for both matches and can be purchased at the Maclellan Gym entrance.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now