UTC Mocs logoThe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will be one of three ranked wrestling teams competing in the Navy Classic today.
The Mocs wrestlers, ranked 23rd in the latest NWCA poll, join No. 19 Wisconsin, the defending champion, and No. 24 Ohio in the 12-team field.
The others gathered in Annapolis, Md., include the host Midshipmen, Brown, Bucknell, The Citadel, Cleveland State, George Mason, Kent State, North Carolina, Princeton and West Virginia.
"There are good teams here. It's what we need, a good test for us at this time of year," UTC coach Heath Eslinger said.
Only three Mocs who made the trip earned medals at the event last year, and one of those is 141-pound Michael Pongracz. He was at 133 last year and actually beat and knocked UTC starter Nick Soto out of medal contention. The others are John Lampe, who finished fourth at 184 pounds, and Corey Mock, who took the 165-pound championship.
No. 8 in his weight class, Mock is one of three Mocs currently holding a national listing. Sean Boyle is 16th at 125 and Soto is 17th at 133.
UTC is expected to be among those making a run for the team title.
"This tournament is a good opportunity for the guys to wrestle as individuals (rather than a dual meet tournament). It also is an opportunity to get some good wins for the national tournament RPI," Eslinger said. "It's also a good time to get some weight classes settled (174, 184). We want to compete hard and come out injury-free."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.