CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team is ranked No. 18 in two national collegiate wrestling polls, tying the highest ranking for the Mocs in the NCAA Division I era.
Both the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Intermat Wrestling poll and the Wrestling International Newsmagazine poll rate the Mocs 18th in their respective rankings this week. UTC was receiving votes in both polls and was ranked 20th in the WrestlingMall.com poll during the first week of December, but the team’s 28-13 victory at No. 14 Ohio State Dec. 17 seemed to catch the pollsters’ attention.
“This is certainly something for our program and its followers to be proud of,” UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. “It shows that we are making progress and that our hard work is paying off. But we are not satisfied, and we won’t be until we are No. 1.”
Individually, senior Matt Keller remained No. 2 at 133 pounds in both polls and has been rated second for the last three weeks. Keller, a 2006 All-America, is a perfect 10-0 on the year.
Junior Javier Maldonado remained 16th in the WIN poll and 17th in NWCA/Intermat at 125 pounds, and 141-pounder Michael Keefe, a senior, is 17th in the NWCA/Intermat rankings.
Senior Aaron Martin, who competes at 149 pounds, improved from 18 to 14 in WIN and remained 13th in NWCA/Intermat. Martin jump-started the Mocs’ victory at Ohio State with a pin over 19th-ranked Lance Palmer in the first match of the dual.
UTC was ranked 18th in November, 2004 by WIN. The Mocs have only been ranked in the NWCA Top 25 poll twice previously.
Missouri is rated No. 1 by NWCA/Intermat, and Minnesota is No. 1 in the WIN poll.
UTC is on a short break for the Christmas holidays but returns to action Dec. 29 and 30 at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C.