Wrestling Southern Conference

SoCon Wrestling Results, Friday, February 13

Chattanooga 25, VMI 15

Lexington, Va. - The Chattanooga wrestling team won six of 10 individual
matches in defeating VMI (7-5, 2-1 SoCon) by a score of 25-15 in Southern
Conference atction on Friday night at Cocke Hall. VMI's loss snapped a
seven-match win streak.

Chattanooga took an early 3-0 lead when freshman Michael Keefe thwarted a
comeback by VMI's freshman David Metzler (Dayton, Va./ Turner Ashby) and
held on to a 12-9 match-opening win at 141 lbs. The Keydets evened the
match up at 3-3, when freshman 149-pounder Sam Alvarenga (Springfield, Va./
Edison) outlasted Chattanooga's sophomore Jacob Harris, 9-7.

Keydet sophomore Chris Hardy (Chesapeake, Va./ Western Branch) gave VMI its
first lead of the match (6-3) when defeated Chattanooga's freshman T.J.
Sayers, 9-5 in a 157 lb. match that he led for the entirety.

Chattanooga took the lead right back in the 165 lb. bout as junior John
Sioredas pinned Keydet sophomore P.J. Neumann (Chesapeake, Va./ Great
Bridge) in 4:58. The Mocs raised the lead to 17-6 with a pair of major
decisions. First, junior Josh Ward scored 12-2 win over freshman Aaron
Kerkhof (Muncie, Ind./ Delta) at 174 lbs. A match later, UTC's John Davis
defeated VMI redshirt freshman Corry Murray, 16-5.

The Keydets got back in the win column when senior 197-pounder Jason Cox
(Amherst, Va./ Amherst County) held on to beat freshman Nick Lorenzanok,
11-9. VMI sophomore Scott Buhman cut the Moc lead to two (17-15) by pinning
sophomore Edwards in 5:51 in the heavyweight match.

The pendulum of momentum swung back in the direction of Chattanooga when
junior Matt Pitts earned a 17-4 major decision over VMI senior Juan Sanchez
(Alexandria, Va./ Hayfield) at 125 lbs., giving the Mocs a six-point lead
(21-15) and dashing VMI's hopes of a victory. UTC freshman John Keefe
wrapped up the night with a 21-9 major decision win over Keydet sophomore
Micah Amrozowicz (Virginia Beach, Va./ Kellam), giving the Mocs the 10-point
win.

This was a hard-fought match," said VMI head coach John Trudgeon.

Chattanooga will wrestle at The Citadel on Saturday night. The Keydets will
wrestle again on February 19, facing The Citadel at Cocke Hall in their
final home match of the season. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m.

141 lbs. Michael Keefe (UTC) dec. David Metzler (VMI), 12-9; 3-0 UTC
149 lbs. Sam Alvarenga (VMI) dec. Jacob Harris (UTC), 9-7; 3-3 Tie
157 lbs. Chris Hardy (VMI) dec. T.J. Sayers (UTC), 9-5; 6-3 VMI
165 lbs. John Sioredas (UTC) pinned P.J. Neumann (VMI), 4:58; 9-6 UTC
174 lbs. Josh Ward (UTC) maj. dec. Aaron Kerkhof (VMI), 12-2; 13-6
UTC
184 lbs. John Davis (UTC) maj. dec. Corry Murray (VMI), 16-5; 17-6
UTC
197 lbs. Jason Cox (VMI) dec. John Lorenzano (UTC), 11-9; 17-9 UTC
285 lbs. Scott Buhman (VMI) pinned Diaz Edwards (UTC), 5:51; 17-15
UTC
125 lbs. Matt Pitts (UTC) maj. dec. Juan Sanchez (VMI), 17-4; 21-15
UTC
133 lbs. John Keefe (UTC) maj. dec. Micah Amrozowicz (VMI), 21-9;
25-15 UTC