UTC’s Alex Hudson, the only senior on the team, practices in the wrestling room at McKenzie Arena.Senior Alex Hudson isn’t saying adios yet, but he will wrestle his final home meet for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this afternoon.
Mocs coach Heath Eslinger has set a goal of 1,500 fans for the 2 p.m. Southern Conference match against Appalachian State, and he’s offering free pizza for the student section.
The last time Appalachian was at UTC (2012), the Mountaineers brought a fan bus and handed the Mocs their first home conference loss in the Eslinger era. This year, UTC is 12-5 overall and 3-0 in league meets and riding a five-meet win streak. The Mocs, ranked 20th nationally, also have won eight of their last nine.
Appalachian, meanwhile, is 4-7 overall and 1-2 in the SoCon.
The 12 wins are an all-time best in Eslinger’s four years heading the Mocs, and Hudson has been a big part of the push, especially the past two seasons. A conference champion last year at 149 pounds, the current 157-pounder is 22-6 this year. That’s third on the team behind nationally ranked Nick Soto (133) and Corey Mock (165).