BOONE, N.C. — The eighth annual Appalachian Open on Saturday ended with two App State champions in
Cary Miller (heavyweight) and
Paul Carson, who edged teammate
Demazio Samuel in the final at 197 pounds.
Samuel, who had reached the final with a 5-1 decision against Chattanooga starter Rodney Jones, joined App State's
Anthony Brito (141) and
Will Formato (165) in posting second-place finishes.
Michael Burchell pinned Chattanooga starter Grayson Walthall in the third-place match of the heavyweight bracket, and fellow redshirt freshman
Barrett Blakely took third at 174 pounds.
After placing second at the Appalachian Open in 2018 and 2019, Carson secured a 2020 title by going 3-0 in his bracket and winning a 4-2 decision against Samuel. Samuel took a first-period lead against Jones with a takedown and led 3-1 before producing another takedown with 48 seconds remaining in their semifinal match.
Miller, whose 8-0 dual record this season includes two wins by forfeit, remained sharp by going 4-0 on Saturday with a pin, a 7-1 decision, a 15-0 tech fall against Walthall and a 7-1 decision against Gardner-Webb's Anthony Perrine in the final. He improved to 88-38 in his career and moved into ninth place on App State's career wins list.
The Mountaineers (6-2, 3-0) have a week to prepare for a big Southern Conference dual at Chattanooga (5-7, 3-0) on Super Bowl Sunday. Also well-represented in Varsity Gym, the Mocs had three finalists and two champions at the Appalachian Open, with matchups between SoCon starters also occurring at 165 and 125 pounds.
Formato reached the 165 final with a 5-2 decision against Chattanooga's Drew Nicholson, and unattached Drexel wrestler Evan Barczak used a last-second takedown to win 4-2 in the championship round. Ranked 19th by the NCAA Coaches Panel, Chattanooga's Fabien Gutierrez pinned
Sean Carter in one semifinal at 125 pounds, and unattached
Caleb Smith gave App State two true freshmen in the semifinal round.
Brito came close to winning a title at 141, but Virginia Tech's Dom Latona won the final by a 2-1 overtime score because he executed an escape with nine seconds left in the second 30-second tiebreaker period after not giving up one to Brito in the first 30-second tiebreaker period.
Blakely's third-place finish at 174 resulted from a 7-3 decision against Gardner-Webb starter Kyle Homet and a 7-5 loss to Chattanooga starter Hunter Fortner, who delivered a takedown with five seconds left.
App State's
Thomas Flitz (174 pounds) went 2-0 in an abbreviated appearance in the Open, as did
Bradley Irwin (141 pounds).
True freshman
Julian Gorring (184 pounds) accounted for one of five fourth-place finishes from App State,
Mason Fiscella was fifth in the same weight class with three pins among his four victories and
Carson Smith placed sixth at 125 pounds.
Dawson Bates (141 pounds),
Cody Bond (149),
Tim Warren (heavyweight) and
Kameron Miller (unattached at 157) won two matches apiece. Bates, Warren and true freshman
Blake Baker (unattached at 141) were among the Mountaineers to record a win by fall.
The 2019-20 wrestling season is presented by Hungry Howies.
| Attached App State wrestlers |
|
|
|
|
|
| 125 pounds |
|
|
| Sean Carter |
|
|
| Brandon Wittenberg, Virginia Tech |
W, Dec |
6-1 |
| Jeremiah Derby, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
10-6 |
| Fabian Gutierrez, Chattanooga |
L, Fall |
2:53 |
|
|
|
| Carson Smith |
|
|
| Fabian Gutierrez, Chattanooga |
L, MD |
14-0 |
| Hunter Graf, Virginia Tech |
W, Dec |
8-3 |
| Jeremiah Derby, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
7-2 |
| Joseph Melendez, North Carolina |
L, Fall |
0:12 |
|
|
|
| 133 pounds |
|
|
| Codi Russell |
|
|
| Nathan Orosco, The Citadel |
W, Fall |
2:27 |
|
|
|
| De'Andre Swinson-Barr |
|
|
| Michael McGee, ODU |
L, Dec |
6-0 |
| Tyler Kellison, U-A App State |
W, MD |
11-0 |
| Colton Landers, Chattanooga |
L, Dec |
4-2 |
|
|
|
| 141 pounds |
|
|
| Bradley Irwin |
|
|
| Jack Latimer, Campbell |
W, TF |
15-0 |
| Silas Shaw, NC State |
W, TF |
18-1 |
|
|
|
| Anthony Brito |
|
|
| Mason Wallace, Chattanooga |
W, Dec |
5-2 |
| Alex Urquiza, NC State |
W, Dec |
5-2 |
| Dom Latona, Virginia Tech |
L, Dec |
2-1 (TB-2) |
|
|
|
| Dawson Bates |
|
|
| Austin Almaguer, Campbell |
W, Fall |
3:35 |
| Aidan Murphy, Chattanooga |
L, Dec |
3-1 |
| Jack Latimer, Campbell |
W, MD |
16-3 |
| Mason Wallace, Chattanooga |
L, Dec |
7-0 |
|
|
|
| 149 pounds |
|
|
| Cody Bond |
|
|
| Devan Hamrick, Fairmont State |
W, Dec |
6-0 |
| Michael Murphy, Virginia |
L, Dec |
10-7 |
| Marcus Loving, North Carolina |
W, TF |
17-2 |
| Caden Darber, Virginia Tech |
L, Dec |
10-8 |
|
|
|
| 165 pounds |
|
|
| Will Formato |
|
|
| Cole Smith, ODU |
W, Dec |
6-4 |
| William MacDonald, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
4-0 |
| Cole Burke, The Citadel |
W, MD |
14-0 |
| Drew Nicholson, Chattanooga |
W, Dec |
5-2 |
| Evan Barczak, Drexel |
L, Dec |
4-2 |
|
|
|
| Christian Beach |
|
|
| Victor Tello, Presbyterian |
W, Dec |
11-5 |
| Nicolas Sansone, Virginia |
L, Fall |
4:52 |
| Cole Smith, ODU |
L, MD |
14-3 |
|
|
|
| 174 pounds |
|
|
| Thomas Flitz |
|
|
| Josh Walker, Gardner-Webb |
W, MD |
16-1 |
| Channing Connors, Virginia |
W, Fall |
2:23 |
|
|
|
| Barrett Blakely |
|
|
| Kyle Homet, Gardner-Webb |
W, Dec |
7-3 |
| Hunter Fortner, Chattanooga |
L, Dec |
7-5 |
|
|
|
| 184 pounds |
|
|
| Julian Gorring |
|
|
| Jake Cook, NC State |
W, Dec |
11-5 |
| Hunter Queen, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
4-1 |
| Cody Howard, Virginia Tech |
L, Dec |
12-7 |
| Drew Peck, Virginia |
L, Dec |
9-2 |
|
|
|
| Mason Fiscella |
|
|
| Nolan Cook, Truett-McConnell |
W, Fall |
5:55 |
| Matthew Waddell, Chattanooga |
L, Fall |
0:36 |
| Jake Cook, NC State |
W, Fall |
4:14 |
| Garrett Church, App State |
W, Dec |
11-5 |
| Christos Avgeros, ODU |
W, Fall |
0:30 |
|
|
|
| Garrett Church |
|
|
| Drew Peck, Virginia |
L, Fall |
0:14 |
| Ben Stacey, Chattanooga |
W, Dec |
11-5 |
| Mason Fiscella, App State |
L, Dec |
11-5 |
|
|
|
| 197 pounds |
|
|
| Paul Carson |
|
|
| Logan Andrew, Chattanooga |
W, Dec |
1-0 |
| River Henry, ODU |
W, Dec |
7-2 |
| Demazio Samuel, App State |
W, Dec |
4-2 |
|
|
|
| Demazio Samuel |
|
|
| Cristopher Garrison, NC State |
W, Dec |
8-1 |
| Rodney Jones, Chattanooga |
W, Dec |
5-1 |
| Paul Carson, App State |
L, Dec |
4-2 |
|
|
|
| Ramon Rodriguez |
|
|
| Rodney Jones, Chattanooga |
L, Dec |
4-2 |
| Christopher Garrison, NC State |
L, Dec |
8-1 |
|
|
|
| 285 pounds |
|
|
| Cary Miller |
|
|
| Jarrett Tronge, Virginia Tech |
W, Fall |
1:00 |
| Keaton Kluever, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
7-1 |
| Grayson Walthall, Chattanooga |
W, TF |
15-0 |
| Anthony Perrine, Gardner-Webb |
W, Dec |
7-1 |
|
|
|
| Michael Burchell |
|
|
| Owen Trephan, NC State |
W, Dec |
7-6 |
| Andy Smith, Virginia Tech |
W, Dec |
7-6 |
| Anthony Perrine, Gardner-Webb |
L, Dec |
8-5 |
| Grayson Walthall, Chattanooga |
W, Fall |
3:53 |
|
|
|
| Tim Warren |
|
|
| Wade Wheeler, Campbell |
W, Fall |
6:22 |
| Anthony Perrine, Gardner-Webb |
L, MD |
10-1 |
| Jarrett Tronge, Virginia Tech |
W, Dec |
9-2 |
| Andy Smith, Virginia Tech |
L, MD |
13-1 |
|
|
|
| Unattached App State wrestlers |
|
|
|
|
|
| 125 |
|
|
| Caleb Smith |
|
|
| Joseph Melendez, North Carolina |
W, Dec |
2-0 |
| Sam Latona, Virginia Tech |
L, Dec |
12-6 |
|
|
|
| 133 |
|
|
| Tyler Kellison (unattached) |
|
|
| Kai Orine, NC State |
L, MD |
17-6 |
| Noah Burstein, Davidson |
W, MD |
16-3 |
| De'Andre Swinson-Barr, App State |
L, MD |
11-0 |
|
|
|
| 141 |
|
|
| Blake Baker |
|
|
| Digger Dennison, Fairmont State |
W, Fall |
0:26 |
| Dom Latona, Virginia Tech |
L, Dec |
14-7 |
| Mason Wallace, Chattanooga |
L, Fall |
2:19 |
|
|
|
| Joshua Spurlin |
|
|
| Dom Latona, Virginia Tech |
L, TF |
20-4 |
| Digger Dennison, Fairmont State |
W, Dec |
8-2 |
| Alex Urquiza, NC State |
L, MD |
17-3 |
|
|
|
| 149 |
|
|
| Isaac Byers |
|
|
| Sebastian Collazo, The Citadel |
W, Dec |
5-2 |
| Jake Hart, Virginia Tech |
L, MD |
10-0 |
| Joey Caprella, ODU |
L, 15-4 |
MD |
|
|
|
| 157 pounds |
|
|
| Kameron Miller (unattached) |
|
|
| Sawyer Davidson, North Carolina |
L, MD |
16-3 |
| Gaven Krazer, NC State |
W, Dec |
5-1 |
| Cole Burke, The Citadel |
W, Dec |
3-1 |
| Cole Smith, ODU |
L, MD |
9-0 |
|
|
|
| 165 |
|
|
| Brett Mordecai |
|
|
| David Veltri, Virginia |
L, Fall |
0:52 |
| Giuseppi Inserra, UA-App State |
W, Dec |
3-2 |
| Donald Cates, Unattached |
L, Fall |
4:54 |
|
|
|
| Giuseppi Inserra |
|
|
| Gaven Krazer, NC State |
L, Dec |
12-8 |
| Brett Mordecai |
L, Dec |
3-2 |
