Wrestling Travels to Boone for SoCon Championships

BOONE, N.C. - The University of Chattanooga at Tennessee's wrestling team heads to the Southern Conference Championship in Boone, N.C. on Saturday, March 5. The first round begins at 10 a.m. with the finals and true place matches occurring at 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on ESPN+.

The seeds were released earlier this week with the Blue and Gold logging three one seeds and two two seeds.

ATTENDANCE
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UTC'S PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 24 Fabian Gutierrez (17-6, 8-0 SoCon)
133: No. 18 Brayden Palmer (21-6, 7-1 SoCon)
141: Franco Valdes (11-9, 5-2 SoCon)
149: Noah Castillo (16-7, 5-2 SoCon)
157: Lincoln Heck (9-4, 3-1 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (15-6, 7-0 SoCon)
174: Carial Tarter (11-13, 6-2 SoCon)
184: Thomas Sell (7-2, 6-1 SoCon)
197: Matthew Waddell (7-1, 6-1 SoCon)
285: Matthias Ervin (4-10, 3-3 SoCon)

*Rankings are Intermat – March. 4

CASTILLO NAMED SOCON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
The Orlando, Fla. native went 16-7 at 149 pounds this season and 5-2 in league competition. He concluded the regular season with four straight wins including two major decisions and a tech fall. His only two losses in SoCon duals were to No. 4 Jonathan Millner and No.6 Josh Heil, by a combined total of three points.

THREE MOCS NAMED TO ALL-SOCON TEAM
Fabian Gutierrez (125), Brayden Palmer (133) and Drew Nicholson (165) were named All-Southern Conference wrestlers after going 8-0, 7-1 and 7-0 respectfully in league action. It was Gutierrez's second All-SoCon honor and the first for Palmer and Nicholson.

HECK AND CASTILLO TABBED ALL-SOCON FRESHMAN
Lincoln Heck earned the starting stop at 157 pounds midway through the season. After going 3-1 with three bonus point victories in league action, he earned a spot on the All-SoCon Freshman team.

RECAPING CONFERENCE ACTION
Chattanooga finished third in the Southern Conference Regular Season with a 6-2 record in the league. The Mocs' two setbacks were to Campbell (18-13) and Appalachian State (18-16). Both contests were close till the end, coming down to a decision at 285. Fabian Gutierrez (125) and Drew Nicholson (165) were both undefeated in SoCon action this season with eight and seven wins, respectively. Brayden Palmer (133 - 7-1), Thomas Sell (184 - 6-1) and Matthew Waddell (197 - 6-1) all had just one loss in their respective weight classes in conference duals. In the team's eight league duals, the Mocs have outscored opponents 253-62 and ended the season with three straight shutouts.

WEIGHT BY WEIGHT NOTES

125: Senior Fabian Gutierrez is currently No. 24 in the latest InterMat rankings after posting a 17-6 record in the regular season with six pins. He was 8-0 in SoCon action with half of those wins coming by fall.
Gutierrez lost his last match of the regular season to Indiana's Jacob Moran. After placing at the 2022 Southern Scuffle, Gutierrez is 9-2 with his only losses coming by 6-5 decision. For the second time in his career, he earned a spot on the All-SoCon team.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 125:
1. Gutierrez (UTC), 2. Smith (APP), 3. Meink (CAMP), 4. Concepcion (GWU), 5. Hardy (CIT), 6. Gomez (PRES), 7. Chicella (VMI), 8. Robinson (DAV)

All-Time / Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 125 pounds 10 times. The last to do it was Alonzo Allen in 2018.

133: Sophomore Brayden Palmer ended the SoCon regular season winning his last seven league duals, including a narrow win over the 125-pound preseason favorite, App State's Codi Russell 2-1 earlier this season. He concluded the regular season 21-6 and 7-1 in league action with three pins and four major decisions. Following his 7-1 performance, he was selected to the All-SoCon team at 133 pounds.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 133:
1. Palmer (UTC), 2. Russell (APP), 3. Carter (GWU), 4. Gorant (DAV), 5. Zaccone (CAMP), 6. Rotunda (CIT), 7. Chavez (PRES), 8. Maglathlin (VMI)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 133 pounds 10 times. The last to do it was Chris Debien in 2017.

141: Junior Franco Valdes is 11-9 this season with a 5-2 league mark. He ended the season winning four straight matches and six of his last eight. The two losses in that span were both by decision and two points.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 141:
1. Hanna (CAMP), 2. Gonyer (APP), 3. Majette (GWU), 4. Valdes (UTC), 5. Cambria (DAV), 6. Junko (VMI), 7. Bradford (CIT), 8. Brinkley (PRES)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 141 pounds nine times. The last to do it was Chris Debien in 2019.

149: Freshman Noah Castillo was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year after putting together a 5-2 record in league action and a 16-7 overall record at 149 pounds. He concluded the year with four straight wins, including a tech fall and two majors.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 149:
1. Milner (APP), 2. Heil (CAMP), 3. Castillo (UTC), 4. Demasco (DAV), 5. Bright (GWU), 6. Stewart (PRES), 7. Willis (CIT), 8. Fegley (VMI).

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 149 pounds six times. The last to do it was Alex Hudson in 2013.

157: Lincoln Heck has had a strong showing towards the end of the 2021-22 regular season. He concluded the year 9-4 with all 13 matches coming in the new year. Of his nine wins, he has one pin, two tech falls, two majors and four decisions. He earned a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 157:
1. Casto (CIT), 2. Bond (APP), 3. Aragona (CAMP), 4. Heck (UTC), 5. Sanderlin (DAV), 6. Fillers (VMI), 7. Phillips (PRES), 8. Parks (GWU)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 157 pounds eight times. The last to do it was Kamaal Shakur in 2016.

165: The reigning SoCon Champion at 165, Drew Nicholson, went 7-0 this year in SoCon competition and 15-6 overall. The junior had five majors, one tech fall and a pin throughout the campaign. He has ended the year with nine straight wins and 11 of his last 12. In those nine victories, he has outscored his opponents 71-18. Nicholson was the 165 pound selection to the All-SoCon team.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 165:
1. Nicholson (UTC), 2. Formato (APP), 3. Mosley (GWU), 4. Porter (CIT), 5. Showers (VMI), 6. Nation (CAMP), 7. Hardrick (DAV), 8. Spell (PRES).

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 165 pounds nine times. The last to do it was Nicholson in 2021.

174: After starting the season 2-7, sophomore Carial Tarter concluded the year 11-12 overall and 6-2 in league competition. Tarter won the last four matches and six of his last seven.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 174:
1. Flitz (APP), 2. Murphy (CAMP), 3. Tarter (UTC), 4. Schenk (GWU), 5. Hoover (VMI), 6. Haubert (CIT), 7. Watkins (PRES), 8. Rosato (DAV)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 174 pounds five times. The last to do it was Sean Mappes in 2015.

184: Thomas Sell will represent the Mocs at 184 after going 7-2 in that weight class and 6-1 in league competition. Sell has four pins at 184, including both of his last two wins.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 184:
1. Hopkins (CAMP), 2. Sell (UTC), 3. Anderson (GWU), 4. Blakely (APP), 5. Henry (DAV), 6. Burke (CIT), 7. Bertrand (PRES), 8. Diaz (VMI).

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 184 pounds nine times. The last to do it was Bryce Carr in 2018.

197: Matthew Waddell has been dominant at 197 pounds this season. After moving up a weight class last month, Waddell is 7-1 and 6-1 in league competition at 197 pounds. He has two pins, two tech falls and two majors. Waddell has won six straight matches, including earning bonus points in five of them.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 197:
1. Kober (CAMP), 2. Waddell (UTC), 3. Mousaw (VMI), 4. Perrine (GWU), 5. Holston (DAV), 6. Miller (APP), 7. Stemmet (CIT), 8. Jean (PRES)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 197 pounds six times. The last to do it was Scottie Boykin in 2018.

285: Freshman Matthias Ervin is 4-10 this season, but won his last three SoCon matches to finish 3-3 in league matches. Two of his four wins have come via fall, while the other two are by decision.

SoCon Tournament Seeds at 285:
1. Ghadiali (CAMP), 2. McAleavey (CIT), 3. Burchell (APP), 4. Trigg (DAV), 5. McComas (GWU), 6. Ervin (UTC), 7. Evans (VMI), 8. Spell (PRES)

All-Time/Last Time: UTC has won the SoCon Tournament at 285 pounds six times. The last to do it was Matt Koz in 2007.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alonzo Allen

Scottie Boykin

Bryce Carr

Noah Castillo

Chris Debien

Matthias Ervin

Fabian Gutierrez

Lincoln Heck

Drew Nicholson

Brayden Palmer

Thomas Sell

Carial Tarter

Franco Valdes

Matthew Waddell

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