The evening begins at 5 p.m. as the Mocs will wrestle the College of the Cumberlands. Appalachian State squares off against the Patriots at 9 p.m.
The Mocs, 11-7-1 overall, won their SoCon opener Jan. 24 at The Citadel, 22-9. UTC and Appalachian are actually meeting for the second time this season. The two squads faced each other in a non-conference match Nov. 12 at the Mat Jam Duals in Boone, N.C. Each team claimed five matches, and the score remained tied, 21-21.
"Our earlier match with Appalachian State was very tight and competitive," UTC Head Coach Joe Seay said. "We expect much of the same Saturday. Our wrestlers understand the importance of leaving everything on the mat in our conference matches."
UTC is led by junior Matt Keller, who wrestles at 133 pounds. The McDonald, Tenn., native leads the team with a 28-7 overall record and is currently ranked as high as No. 7 nationally. He enters the dual with an 11-match win streak.
Also projected to wrestle against the Mountaineers are Javier Maldonado at 125, Michael Keefe (141), Aaron Martin (149) and Jake Yost (157). UTC will send either Daniel Peterson or Justin Otis to the mat at 165. T.J. Sayers is scheduled to compete at 174, John Davis at 184, Lloyd Rogers at 197 and Israel Silva at heavyweight.
The Mountaineers are 7-6-1 overall and 1-2 in the SoCon. ASU defeated VMI 24-10 but has lost to UNC Greensboro, 19-18, and to Davidson, 23-17. ASU has also scored victories this season over Duke, James Madison, East Stroudsburg and Gardner-Webb.
Mountaineer sophomore Scott Ervin, a 157-pounder, has yet to be defeated this season in 17 matches. Marcus Cox, a 141-pound junior, is 17-10 overall and was the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 25. Neal Martin, a sophomore, leads the team in wins with a 23-11 mark at 174.
The College of the Cumberlands is an NAIA program from Williamsburg, Ky. The Patriots are 6-1 overall including a victory over Carson-Newman. Formerly Cumberland College, the squad placed second at the recent NAIA Duals, dropping a 22-14 match to Dana College in the finals.
Tickets to the event are $5.00 and can be purchased at the entrances to the Gym.
CHATTANOOGA MOCS Probable lineup (11-7-1, 1-0 SoCon)
125 Javier Maldonado (Soph., Kissimmee, Fla., 19-8)
133 No. 6 Matt Keller (Jr., McDonald, Tenn., 28-7)
141 Michael Keefe (Jr., Ringgold, Ga., 28-8)
149 Aaron Martin (Jr., Pataskala, Ohio, 5-5)
157 Jake Yost (Jr., Soddy Daisy, Tenn., 18-16)
165 Daniel Peterson (Sr., Pittsburg, Kansas, 13-9)
Or Justin Otis (Soph., Martinez, Ga., 2-6)
174 T.J. Sayers (Jr., Hueytown, Ala., 10-14)
184 John Davis (Sr., Gainesville, Fla., 14-8)
197 Lloyd Rogers (Soph., Palm City, Fla., 4-16)
285 Israel Silva (Sr., Marysville, Wash., 5-10)
UTC's probable lineup for the Cumberland College match will remain the same with these exceptions:
133 Keller or Adam Rains (Sr., Cleveland, Tenn., 8-6)
174 Sayers or Nick Davis (Fr., Gainesville, Fla., 0-0)
184 J. Davis or Kyle McKee (Fr., Lilburn, Ga., 3-3)
285 Silva or Zach Tramel (Fr., Fort Worth, Texas, 11-9)
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