Three Mocs alive in NCAA consolations

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Mocs' NCAA resultsChampionship first round133--Nick Soto dec. Joey Palmer (Oregon State), 19-12; 157--Taylor Walsh (Indiana) pinned Alex Hudson, 2:19; 165--Corey Mock major dec. Peyton Walsh (Navy), 9-1; 174--Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) pinned Levi Clemons, 2:09;285--Spencer Myers (Maryland) dec. Dawson Peck, 2-1.Championship second round133--Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) dec. Nick Soto, 8-7; 165--Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (Citadel) dec. Corey Mock, 4-3.Consolation first round157--Austin Matthews (Clarion) pinned Alex Hudson, 0:55; 285--Anthony Vicarrondo (West Virgina) dec. Dawson Peck, 2-0.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's thoughts of a national wrestling championship have been placed on hold for yet another year.

The Mocs, though, are still in the running for a fifth-year goal set by coach Heath Eslinger when he sketched out a wrestling business model upon taking the job in July of 2009. They can have their first All-American since 141-pound Cody Cleveland finished eighth in 2008.

Three UTC wrestlers remained alive in the consolation rounds of the NCAA tournament in Oklahoma City.

The Mocs' day started out well enough with Nick Soto and Corey Mock winning opening matches, but the boat began to rock when Alex Hudson (157 pounds) and Levi Clemons (174) were pinned and heavyweight Dawson Peck dropped a one-point decision in their first matches.

Then in Thursday's second championship round, both the 10th-seeded Soto (133) and the sixth-seeded Mock (165) lost to wrestlers they had defeated earlier in the year.

Purdue's Cashe Quiroga won 8-7 over Soto, who had edged him 10-8. Mock was pitted against the Citadel's Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, whom he defeated 8-1 to win the Southern Conference tournament championship and that event's outstanding wrestler trophy. This time, though, Luvsandorj avoided a scoreless first period and held on for a 4-3 victory.

The Mocs' lone senior, Hudson, and Peck, their lone freshmen at the tournament, were eliminated in Thursday night's first consolation round.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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