In a weekend marred by one upset after the other, the University of Tennessee left Davidson University and the Southern Conference wrestling tournament, but just one NCAA qualifier. The Mocs’ lone winner was 149-pound Dean Pavlou.
The redshirt freshsman’s win over Appalachian State’s Savva Kostis was one of the only bright spots for UTC, which went through the conference regular season undefeated. UTC took four unexpected hits Saturday afternoon. Competing in the championship semifinals, which are two wins from a berth in the NCAA tournament, two of the top-seeded Mocs were bested as well as one of their No. 2 seeds.
Top seeds Bucky Johnson (125), Josh Condon (157) and Niko Brown (197) and second-seeded Tom Minwell (285) were upset. The losses left UTC with just three wrestlers in Saturday night’s championship finals – No. 1 seed Josh Statum (133), second-seeded Pavlou and third-seeded Jason McCroskey (184).
The Southern Conference’s only automatic qualifiers for the NCAA tournament are the 10 champions. The Mocs entered the tournament somewhat handicapped after starters Ben Johnson (141), Brandon Wright (165) and Jake Young (174) were suspended by the coaching staff for violating team rules.
The Mocs, who had won their sixth straight regular season championship, were also seeking their sixth straight tournament title as well.
McCroskey, who lost to conference Wrestler of the Year Austin Trotman of Appalachian State, earned UTC’s only quarterefinal points when he pinned Davidson’s Ike Crews. Three reserves filling in for the suspended starters lost. Bond Davis (165) was pinned by Victor Hojilla of UNC-Greensboro, Jeremy Sandoval (141) fell to Nick LaFevre of the Citadel and Alex Hudson lost by major decision to Appalachian State’s Carter Downs.