BOONE, N.C. — The date, time and site have all changed. The stakes remain the same.
Appalachian State's dual meet at Southern Conference wrestling rival Campbell is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday in Gore Arena. The teams will meet in Buies Creek a week later than originally scheduled, as a Jan. 18 matchup was set for 5 p.m. in the more intimate Carter Gym before being postponed by inclement weather.
App State has won two straight Southern Conference regular-season titles. The Mountaineers (5-3, 3-0) and Camels (4-6, 1-0) have split the last two SoCon tournament titles.
They're joined by Chattanooga (6-6, 4-0) on the list of three teams that haven't lost a SoCon dual meet this season.
"We knew going into this year that we had a team that needed to develop," App State head coach
JohnMark Bentley said. "We had a lot of new faces in our lineup and a lot of new guys. That was something really important, and we're growing. We're getting better each time out that we're competing, and that's what we've mainly been focused on."
App State faced Campbell in Boone last season and won 24-13 to hand the Camels their only SoCon loss.
Returning starters
Irvin Enriquez (141 pounds),
Gavin Londoff (149 this year after being at 157 in 2017),
Forrest Przybysz (174 this year after being at 165 last year) and
Randall Diabe (197) likely will be joined Thursday by four freshmen (
De'Andre Swinson-Barr at 125,
Codi Russell at 133,
Thomas Flitz at 165,
Alan Clothier at 184), one sophomore (heavyweight
Cary Miller) and one junior (
Angel Najar at 157) in the Mountaineers' lineup.
Campbell's Austin Kraisser (157), Quentin Perez (165) and Jere Heino (HWT) are also back from last year's matchup, as the Camels likely will start four freshmen, three sophomores and three juniors.
At the last four spots in the lineup, the 15th-ranked Przybysz, 25th-ranked Clothier, Diabe and 32nd-ranked Miller are a combined 25-7 in dual meets, led by Przybysz's 7-1 record. Campbell's ranked wrestlers are Korbin Meink (No. 23 at 125), Nathan Boston (No. 25 at 133), Perez (No. 27 at 165), Andrew Morgan (No. 29 at 174) and Heino (No. 29 at heavyweight), so there likely will be matchups of ranked opponents at 174 pounds and in the heavyweight division.
"We're focused on what we need to do," Clothier said. "A lot of wrestlers get caught up in what the other guys are going to do, and how we're successful is we just focus on what we need to do when we go out there."
Since winning 45-0 against Davidson to open the SoCon schedule and going 1-3 against stiff competition in their next four dual meets, the Mountaineers have claimed a 30-6 victory against Gardner-Webb and a 30-9 victory against SIU-Edwardsville.
"There's been some highs and some lows, but it's been a fun ride," Enriquez said. "It's a good experience overall, and I've enjoyed the process."
