Mocs’ opening matchesLegend — Appalachian State (App); Campbell (Cam); The Citadel (Cit), Davidson (Dav), Gardner-Webb (GWU), Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (SIUE), Virginia Military (VMI).125 — No. 1 Nick Soto receives bye, vs. winner between No. 4 Dominic Parisi (App) and No. 5 Cortez Starkes (GWU); Soto beat Parisi twice, 10-2 major decisions both teams.133 — No. 3 Alex Ward vs. No. 6 Robbie Golde (GWU); they didn’t meet, but UTC’s Marvin Lopez beat Golde 7-0 in the dual meet.141 — No. 2 Dean Pavlou vs. No. 7 Chris Johnson (App); Pavlou beat Johnson by a 13-4 major decision in the dual.149 — No. 1 Alex Hudson vs. No. 8 Brandon Brindley (SIUE); Hudson won by technical fall (4:35) in the dual meet.157 — No. 4 Trey Stavrum vs. No. 5 Ted Gottwald (VMI); Stavrum defeated Gottwald 8-5 in the dual meet.165 — No. 1 Josh Condon vs. No. 8 Adam Osmoe (SIUE); Osmoe (3:45) was one of five SoCon opponents Condon pinned.174 — No. 1 John Lampe vs. No. 8 Ian Solcz (SIUE); Lampe defeated Solcz 9-3 in the dual.184 — No. 1 Robert Prigmore vs. No. 8 Deshoun White (SIUE); Prigmore pinned White in 6:08 in the dual.197 — No. 1 Niko Brown vs. bye, winner between No. 4 Urayoan Garcia (VM) and No. 5 Marshall Haas (Cit); Brown pinned Garcia in 4:41 and Haas in 5:44.285 — No. 2 Kevin Malone vs. No. 7 Joe Cummings (App); Malone beat Cummings twice — once at the Hokie Open (6-2) and then in the dual (5-0).Best records entering the conference tournament35-4 — Ugi Khishignyam (Cit), 14134-7 — Odie Delaney (Cit), 28531-13 — Eric Montoya (Cam), 12527-3 — Niko Brown (UTC), 19727-13 — Matt Frisch (Cit), 15725-10 — Alex Medved (GWU), 15724-6 — Nick Soto (UTC), 12523-10 — Dominico Parisi (App), 12522-10 — Zack Strickland (App), 16522-11 — Dean Pavlou (UTC), 14120-16 — Aaron Hansen (Cit), 133
When his phone rings and goes unanswered, it’s likely that Heath Eslinger is out running.
That’s what the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling coach does when he gets antsy, according to Rocco Mansueto, one of his assistants.
Eslinger ran a lot earlier this week and might even have jogged up and down the aisle of the team’s charter bus Thursday as it made its way to Lexington, Va., site of today’s Southern Conference tournament.
The fourth-year coach, with a 45-28 record and already fourth on the Mocs’ all-time wins list, was ready for action and anticipating that the mood was similar among his team members, who’ll be shooting for the school’s third consecutive league tournament championship.