BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling veteran
Carson Floyd said he looked forward to the challenge of being one of his team's closers, knowing he would compete in the next-to-last match Sunday during a SoCon home dual against Chattanooga.
His success set the stage for a pressure-packed finale, this time with a true freshman filling that role for the first time, and
Stephan Monchery closed the dramatic dual with a dominant victory to give App State a 24-17 win over the Mocs.
The Mountaineers improved to 7-3 overall and 6-0 in the SoCon by beating rival Chattanooga for the 10th straight year. App State has Sunday afternoon home duals in Varsity Gym remaining against Davidson and conference co-leader Campbell (10-8, 6-0) to close out the regular season on Feb. 16 and Feb. 23, respectively.
App State trailed 12-7 through five of the 10 matches, with a six-point pin for Chattanooga threatening to swing the dual, but No. 28
Luke Uliano followed a 9-5 win by decision from App State teammate
Will Miller at 165 pounds with a 15-1 major decision at 174 in a ranked showdown against No. 20 Sergio Desiante, who brought a 16-1 record to Boone.
UTC (4-9, 3-3) moved ahead 17-14 with two matches remaining thanks to a five-point tech fall at 184 pounds, but Floyd's first-period pin against Logan Webster flipped a three-point deficit to a three-point lead.
A close win by a three-point decision for Chattanooga in the heavyweight matchup would have forced the dual to be decided several steps into tiebreaking criteria, while a bonus-point win for the Mocs would have clinched the dual with easier math, but Monchery collected a 9-1 major decision against Ethan Vergara and returned to a bench full of celebrating teammates.
Monchery broke a scoreless tie with a takedown midway through the second period and moved ahead 7-1 on a takedown with 48 seconds remaining in the third period.
Chattanooga arrived in Boone with two tight SoCon losses: 19-16 against Campbell, which erased a 16-10 deficit with two matches remaining, and 19-18 at The Citadel, which trailed 18-10 before getting a tech fall at 197 pounds and a major decision at heavyweight. Floyd, like he did in a 23-19 win at Bellarmine, came through with a critical pin Sunday to put his team in a winning position.
App State opened the dual with an 11-3 major decision at 125 pounds from redshirt freshman
Bryson Terrell, who recorded a late takedown to secure a bonus point, and the Mountaineers' other victory was
Kaden Keiser's 8-6 decision against Dayne Dalrymple at 149.
In between those wins, the Mocs benefited from No. 17 Blake Boarman's 5-2 overtime win via a Sudden Victory takedown of
Chad Bellis at 133 and Eli Knight's second-period pin of
Aldo Hernandez in a 141-pound match that had a 1-0 score before Knight's pin-triggering takedown.
Jeremiah Price's late takedown at 157 pounds helped him avoid a bonus-point loss in an 11-6 decision by Noah Castillo, a 2023 SoCon finalist in Jon Jon Millner's weight class.
The 2024-25 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
App State 24, Chattanooga 17
125:
Bryson Terrell (APP) def. Ty Tice (UTC), 11-3 maj. dec.
133: #17 Blake Boarman (UTC) def. #33
Chad Bellis (APP), 5-2 dec. (SV)
141: Eli Knight (UTC) def.
Aldo Hernandez (APP), fall (4:02)
149:
Kaden Keiser (APP) def. Dayne Dalrymple (UTC), 8-6 dec.
157: Noah Castillo (UTC) def.
Jeremiah Price (APP), 11-6 dec.
165: #7
Will Miller (APP) def. Jackson Hurst (UTC), 9-5 dec.
174: #28
Luke Uliano (APP) def. #20 Sergio Desiante (UTC), 15-1 maj. dec.
184: Kamdyn Munro (UTC) def.
Logan Eller (APP), 18-3 tech fall
197: #28
Carson Floyd (APP) def. Logan Webster (UTC), fall (2:25)
Hwt:
Stephan Monchery (APP) def. Ethan Vergara (UTC), 9-1 maj. dec.
Attendance: 468
