BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling competes in its first dual of the 2024-25 season on Friday night, when it faces No. 6 NC State at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Coliseum.
The match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
The Mountaineers are one of just four mid-major programs to be ranked at the end of the last two seasons, finishing the 2023-24 season at No. 24 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, and they will have a new starter at six of 10 weights this season.
Five of the 10 starters are projected to be underclassmen, with the experienced returners in the lineup being senior
Will Miller (ranked as high as No. 8 nationally at 165 pounds), sixth-year redshirt senior
Sean Carter (up to 141 pounds from 133 in his return from a January 2023 injury that kept him out of an App State singlet for 22 months), senior
Chad Bellis (up to 133 pounds after being the starter at 125 last year), redshirt junior
Luke Uliano (multi-year starter at 174 pounds) and junior
Carson Floyd (third-year starter who wasn't completely healthy last season).
Tomas Brooker is a reigning SoCon champ and NCAA qualifier coming off an impressive true freshman season, while redshirt sophomores
Noah Luna (125),
Kaden Keiser (149) and
Anthony Conetta (157) have made a combined seven dual starts in their careers. At heavyweight, it will be the dual debut for either redshirt sophomore
Levi Andrews or true freshman
Stephan Monchery.
NC State opened its dual schedule with a 44-3 victory against Campbell, which has been battling App State at the top of the SoCon for several years running.
The Wolfpack had NCAA qualifiers at all 10 weights last year, with eight of those wrestlers being on the 2024-25 roster, including four who are listed as potential starters Friday night: No. 6 Kai Orine (two-time All-American at 133 now competing at 141), No. 9 Ed Scott (three-time Round of 12 placer and one-time All-American at 157), No. 19 Derek Fields (a 2024 national qualifier at 165) and No. 14 Dylan Fishback (NCAA round of 12 last year at 184). Isaac Trumble, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 197, is ranked No. 7 at heavyweight after redshirting last season.
That means there is the potential for ranked showdowns at 141, 165 and 184, pounds with a rematch of the 133-pound battle from the 2022-23 season, when Carter used an overtime takedown to beat Orine in Reynolds Coliseum.
App State probable starters
125:
Noah Luna
133:
Chad Bellis
141: #21/NA
Sean Carter
149:
Kaden Keiser
157:
Anthony Conetta
165: #11/#8
Will Miller
174:
Luke Uliano
184: #27/NA
Tomas Brooker
197:
Carson Floyd
Hwt:
Levi Andrews or
Stephan Monchery
*Rankings from FloWrestling/Intermat
NC State probable starters
125: Louie Gill or #16/NA Vince Robinson
133: Troy Hohman or Draegen Orine
141: #6/#7 Kai Orine
149: #31/NA Koy Buesgens or Tyler Tracy
157: #16/#9 Ed Scott
165: Luke Arhberg or #19/20 Derek Fields
174: #29/#NA Matty Singleton
184: #14/#14 Dylan Fishback
197: #31/#30 Christian Knop or Andrew Macchiavello
285: #7/#7 Isaac Trumble
*Rankings from FloWrestling/Intermat
The 2024-25 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
App State Athletics has partnered with Vozzi, a text messaging service to keep fans updated all season long. Stay informed about App State Wrestling by signing up to receive text alerts for special ticket offers, season-ticket renewal updates, game day reminders and more. Fans can also opt-in by texting REACHTHESUMMIT to 833-390-1823.
