Mock, Soto lead Chattanooga to sixth-place finish at Reno Tournament of Champions
RENO, Nev. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team posted a sixth-place showing at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday. Juniors Corey Mock and Nick Soto led the team with wins in their weight classes.
Soto continued his hot streak, scoring bonus points in four of his five wins at 133 pounds. He capped off a great weekend of competition with a 12-3 major decision over Javier Gasca, who was competing unattached. He is now 14-4 overall, including Friday’s win over No. 1 Ryan Mango in the dual victory against No. 15 Stanford.
Mock dominated the field at 165, not giving up a takedown in five matches. He improved his overall record to 18-0 and has only once allowed a takedown this season. Mock finished his run to the title with an impressive 9-1 major decision over Nebraska’s 16th-ranked Austin Wilson. It was Mock’s fifth win over a ranked competitor this season.
Senior Alex Hudson finished third in at 157, adding five wins to up his season record to 16-3. Seeded second in the tournament, he advanced to the semifinals of the main draw. There, he was pinned by Wyoming’s Andy McCulley (2:12). He bounced back with two more wins in the backdraw to place third overall.
Sophomore Austin Sams and freshman Michael Pongracz competed for the Mocs at 141. Sams won his first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals of the main draw. There he was pinned (2:32) by No. 7 and eventual champion Evan Henderson of North Carolina. He scored one more win in the backdraw. Pongracz had three wins of his own before bowing out in the consolation bracket.
Junior Shawn Greevy led Chattanooga at 149, posting two wins in consolation action. Freshman Michael Hooker nearly had a signature victory, falling to Ohio’s 17th-ranked Tywan Claxton in overtime. Freshman Scottie Boykin posted a pair of main draw wins at 197. He was knocked out in the round of 16 with an 8-1 loss to Ohio’s 13th-ranked Phil Wellington.
The Mocs had a strong finish in the team score, despite not fielding anyone at 125, 184 or 285. UTC will take a few days off for the Christmas break before turning its attention to the Southern Scuffle.
The Citadel’s Frisch takes second-place finish at Reno Tournament of Champions
RENO, Nev. – Matt Frisch collected five consecutive wins, outscoring his opponents 31-4, en route to a second-place finish in the 149-pound division of the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday at the Reno Convention Center.
Frisch opened the competition with a 10-0 major decision win over Northwestern Tech's Alexander Buelna and followed that performance with a 4-0 victory over Oklahoma City's Ricky McCarty.
The redshirt sophomore, who is competing at 149 pounds for the first time in his career, then earned a 5-1 decision over Arizona State's Preston McCalmon to launch him in a quarterfinal bout with Brandon Richardson of Wyoming. Frisch topped Richardson in his third shutout of the day, 3-0.
In the semifinal match, Frisch continued his dominance with a 9-3 decision over North Carolina's Christian Barber, placing him in the championship bout against sixth-ranked Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska.
The Husker grappler stymied Frisch for the first time on the day and topped the Bulldog by a score of 7-1 to move Frisch into second place.
The five wins improved Frisch's record on the season to 9-3 (5-1 at 149 pounds and 4-2 at 157 pounds). The Oxford, Mich., native now holds a career mark of 39-18.
The Bulldogs return to action on Jan. 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn.