The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers began and ended their Southern Conference dual meet Sunday at The Citadel with a major decision followed by a win by pin, and they had another such combination in the middle.
Added to Rodney Jones’ forfeit victory at 197 pounds, the Mocs collected 15 bonus points in winning 39-9. And their other win, 6-5 for Drew Nicholson at 165, was one of their most impressive because it came against a nationally No. 26-rated opponent.
The meet began at 141 pounds, where UTC’s Mason Wallace won 14-4. Then Tanner Smith made the team score 9-0 with a pin. After the Bulldogs’ Douglas Gudenburr sliced that to 9-6 with a pin of his own at 157, Nicholson prevented a tie and Hunter Fortner majored 9-0 ahead of Matthew Waddell’s ninth pin of the season at 184 and Jones’ six points the easy way.
Mocs heavyweight Grayson Walthall lost a 5-3 decision, but 125-pounder Fabian Gutierrez and Wade Cummings closed out the visitors’ victory with a 10-2 major and the team’s third pin of the day.
UTC is 6-9 overall and 4-2 in SoCon competition; the Bulldogs are 4-5, 2-4. The Mocs host Indiana for senior night at 7 Friday at McKenzie Arena.