BOONE, N.C. — For the second straight season, App State Wrestling has earned a Top 25 national dual team ranking from the NWCA Coaches Poll.
Coached by
JohnMark Bentley, the Mountaineers improved to 1-1 on Sunday and landed at No. 24 in this week's NWCA Poll by winning 24-14 over then-No. 21 North Carolina in their second dual of the season against a ranked ACC program. NC State, which was No. 2 last week, beat App State in its dual opener.
Ethan Oakley,
Ike Byers,
Tommy Askey,
Will Miller,
Luke Uliano and
Jacob Sartorio prevailed Sunday for App State, which won six of 10 matches against the Tar Heels. Six-point pins from Miller and Uliano were crucial as the Mountaineers increased their advantage from 9-6 to 21-6 against an opponent that had four ranked wrestlers in its lineup for the dual in Varsity Gym and already owned a win against then-No. 13 Arizona State.
Last year, a 19-16 win at North Carolina propelled App State into the national rankings, and the Mountaineers finished at No. 20 in the final NWCA Poll of the 2022-23 season. They also have been ranked in the NWCA Poll during the 2018-19, 2016-17 and 2015-16 seasons.
The 2023-24 season is presented by Hungry Howies and Penn Station. App State returns to action on Jan. 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., and the Mountaineers' next dual is at Duke on Monday, Jan. 8.
