BUIES CREEK, N.C. — App State Wrestling continued its unbeaten start to its SoCon schedule, beginning a comeback with
Aldo Hernandez's timely pin and winning 29-12 at Campbell on Friday night to improve to 3-0 in the league.
The Mountaineers (6-5 overall) prevailed at seven of 10 weights to set up a showdown of league co-leaders Sunday in Boone. Bellarmine (6-4 overall, 3-0 SoCon) won at Davidson on Friday night after arriving in North Carolina from Louisville and is currently scheduled to face App State at 3 p.m. in Varsity Gym after an off day for both programs.
The intense rivalry between App State and Campbell through the last decade has been accompanied by a lot of dramatic duals, as the two programs have had a hand in the last nine SoCon regular season titles: four outright championships for the Mountaineers, three outright championships by the Camels and a pair of shared titles, including a 2025 tie atop the league standings.
With a lot of turnover and changes at Campbell, which fell to 2-16 overall and 1-3 in the league, App State overcame a difficult start in a raucous environment with football team members pressed up against the Mountaineers' bench to beat the Camels in Buies Creek for the first time since 2018.
Campbell held a 12-11 lead through four matches by winning three of them, starting with a stunning pin just 27 seconds into the 125-pound opener and taking a 6-1 lead in the first period of a 7-2 victory at 133 pounds to pull ahead 9-0.
Hernandez's first-period pin at 141 pounds and
Kaden Keiser's 22-7 tech fall at 149 turned a 9-0 deficit into an 11-9 lead that allowed the Mountaineers to settle in.
They followed a Campbell win by decision at 157 pounds with five straight victories to close the dual, getting wins from
Anthony Conetta (21-4 tech fall at 165),
Colt Campbell (5-4 decision at 174),
Tomas Brooker (11-0 major decision at 184),
Logan Eller (5-1 decision at 197) and
Stephan Monchery (4-2 decision in the heavyweight finale).
Hernandez built a 10-1 lead in the first period before finishing off his match with 14 seconds left in the first period against Zander Phaturos, who had beaten Hernandez by a 4-3 score in his first match of the season back in early November.
Campbell had two reversals in his victory at 174 against Ryan Bolletino, who had a first-period takedown to move ahead 3-0. Campbell trailed 4-2 in the third period before settling for his second reversal with 50 seconds left after nearly recording back points or a fall. A second-period rideout had built up Campbell's riding time, and he bumped it back over a minute with that reversal and finished the match on top.
A second-period takedown was the difference in Eller's match, and Monchery recorded the lone takedown in his match midway through the second period.
App State's 2025-26 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
App State 29, Campbell 12
125: Colby Crouch (CU) def.
Cooper Foster (APP), fall (0:27)
133: Logan Heil (CU) def.
Jarvis Little (APP), 7-2 dec.
141:
Aldo Hernandez (APP) def. Zander Phaturos (CU), fall (2:46)
149: #30
Kaden Keiser (APP) def. Noah Doi (CU), 22-5 tech fall
157: Kendrick Hodge (CU) def.
Jeremiah Price (APP), 7-3 dec.
165:
Anthony Conetta (APP) def. Talon Maple (CU), 21-4 tech fall
174:
Colt Campbell (APP) def. Ryan Bolletino (CU), 5-4 dec.
184: #23
Tomas Brooker (APP) def. Brant Cracraft (CU), 11-0 maj. dec.
197:
Logan Eller (APP) def. Conor Maslanek (CU), 5-1 dec.
Hwt:
Stephan Monchery (APP) def. Sawyer Van Rider (CU), 4-2 dec.
