BOONE, N.C. — Laken Cook's victory in the 157-pound division highlighted strong performances by several Appalachian State wrestlers in the Appalachian Open at Varsity Gym on Saturday.
Five wrestlers with App State ties reached the championship round, as Cook defeated unattached teammate
Matt Zovistoski by an 8-3 decision in the 157 final and App alum
Denzel Dejournette, a 2017 All-American, won the heavyweight division.
Taylor Jackson (184 pounds) and unattached teammate
Paul Carson (197) also advanced to division finals.
The Mountaineers accounted for three of the top four places at 157 pounds with unattached
Carl Guess claiming fourth.
Cook improved to 19-10 this season by going 4-0 with wins against Chattanooga's Jake Adcock (fall, 0:36), VMI's Will Lawrence (fall, 4:00), Duke's Ben Anderson (11-4 decision after trailing 4-3 in the third period) and Zovistoski.
Jackson's 3-0 start featured a 6-1 decision, a win by fall and a 4-0 decision. NC State's Nick Reenan posted a technical fall in the championship round.
Carson used an 8-3 decision and medical forfeit to reach his final against Virginia Tech's John Borst, who built a 4-0 lead in a 5-3 decision, and App State heavyweight
Demazio Samuel had two pins to reach a semifinal.
Sixteen schools had wrestlers entered in the open field.
The Mountaineers will resume their SoCon schedule against VMI in Boone on Jan. 31, visit Chattanooga on Feb. 4 and return to Varsity Gym for a Feb. 8 matchup with Duke.
The dual meets with VMI and Duke conclude App State's home schedule. Wrestling tickets can be purchased by calling the Appalachian State ticket office at
828-262-2079 or by going online to the
App State Ticket Central link.
App State results
Attached entries
Andy Richard (125 pounds)
Trevor Edwards (UNA-NC State)…W, 8-4 decision
Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga)…L, fall (4:47)
Joey Thomas (UNA-WVU)…L, 7-5 decision
Laken Cook (157)
Jake Adcock (Chattanooga)…W, fall (0:36)
Will Lawrence (UNA-VMI)…W, fall (4:00)
Ben Anderson (UNA-Duke)…W, 11-4 decision
Matt Zovistoski (UNA-App State)…W, 8-3 decision
Joe Accousti (165)
Dominick Petrucelli (Chattanooga)...W, 15-10 decision
Neal Richards (UNA-VMI)…L, fall (2:52)
Ben Schneider (Ohio)…W, 4-1 decision
William MacDonald (North Carolina)…W, 5-2 decision
Cameron Coy (UNA-Virginia)…L, 5-4 decision
Michael Elliott (165)
William MacDonald (North Carolina)…W, 5-2 decision
Mekhi Lewis (UNA-Va. Tech)…L, fall (2:03)
Cade Moisey (UNA-WVU)…W, 9-2 decision
Shane Jones (UNA-ODU)…L, 19-10 major decision
Taylor Jackson (184)
Jake Walker (Ohio)…W, 6-1 decision
Ryan Ashley (UNA-Campbell)…W, fall (3:28)
Nicolas Mosco (UNA-UNC)…W, 4-0 decision
Nick Reenan (UNA-NC State)…L, 21-6 technical fall
Demazio Samuel (HWT)
Jared Pegher (UNA-Ohio)…W, fall (6:30)
Laith Alsous (UNA-Campbell)…W, fall (4:44)
David Smith (UNA-WVU)…L, DQ
Andrew Gunning (North Carolina)…L, 7-2 decision
Unattached entries
Thierry Washington (133)
Kellen Devlin (NC State)…L, 17-1 technical fall
Danielle Sanders (UNA-UNCP)…W, medical forfeit
Colton Landers (UNA-Chattanooga)…L, 14-6 major decision
Anthony Brito (141)
Aidan Murphy (UNA-Chattanooga)…L, 4-1 decision (TB2)
Logan Sims (Unattached)…W, 9-2 decision
Billy Benfield (UNA)…W, 4-3 decision
Nickolas Lirette (North Carolina)…W, 4-1 decision
Kyran Hagan (UNA-Ohio)…L, 8-2 decision
Jonathan Millner (141)
Caden Darber (Virginia Tech)…L, fall (6:01)
Aidan Murphy (UNA-Chattanooga)…W, 5-3 decision
Clayton Currier (UNA-Campbell)…L, 8-4 decision
Matt Zovistoski (157)
Diavantae Reddick (UNA-Campbell)…W, 7-3 decision
Trey Watson (Chattanooga)…W, 6-3 decision
Miller Clark (UNA-App State)…W, 6-3 decision
Laken Cook (App State)…L, 8-3 decision
Miller Clark (157)
Ryan Resnick (UNA-Chattanooga)...W, 3-0 decision
Daniel Contraguerro (UNA-Ohio)…W, 4-2 decision
Matt Zovistoski (UNA-App State)…L, 6-3 decision
Carl Guess (UNA-App State)…L, 3-1 decision
Carl Guess (157)
Patrick Burton (UNA-Campbell)...W, fall (5:40)
Ben Anderson (UNA-Duke)…L, 10-3 decision
Ryan Resnick (UNA-Chattanooga)…W, 8-6 decision
Diavantae Reddick (UNA-Campbell)…W, 9-4 decision
Miller Clark (UNA-App State)…W, 3-1 decision
Garrett Church (174)
William Carvey (UNA-VMI)…W, 10-4 decision (SV)
Adis Radoncic (North Carolina)…L, 18-2 technical fall
Matt McFarland (Ohio)…L, fall (2:26)
Paul Carson (197)
Hunter Delong (UNA-WVU)…W, 8-3 decision
Jacob Smith (WVU)…W, medical forfeit
John Borst (UNA-Va. Tech)…L, 5-3 decision
Zack Willard (HWT)
Cale Bonner (Ohio)…W, 8-3 decision
Denzel Dejournette (App alum)…L, fall (5:31)
Andrew Gunning (North Carolina)…L, 5-4 decision
App State alum
Denzel Dejournette (HWT)
Zack Willard (UNA-App State)…W, fall (5:31)
Quinton Miller (UNA-Virginia)…W, 8-6 decision
David Smith (UNA-WVU)…W, medical forfeit
