BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling secured another SoCon regular season title Sunday, prevailing 25-14 against Gardner-Webb in front of a sizable Senior Day crowd.
The Mountaineers (10-6, 7-1 SoCon) earned at least a share of a regular season title for the fourth time in the last five years and the eighth time in the last 11 years by tying Chattanooga and The Citadel for first place.
It's the program's ninth regular season title in 17 seasons under the direction of head coach
JohnMark Bentley, who lost starters at five of 10 weights from last year's championship team and has three freshmen in this year's lineup.
With the three most accomplished wrestlers from Gardner-Webb (7-13, 4-4) filling the lightest weights at 125, 133 and 141 pounds, Sunday's dual began at 141 following a coin flip that gave App State the choice of where to start. The Mountaineers improved to 6-1 in coin flips involving assistant coach
Hunter Shaut, small victories that allowed them to choose the starting weight almost every time there wasn't an agreement to begin at 125 pounds.
Aldo Hernandez gave up the first takedown but recorded the final two in an 8-4 decision against Dominic DiTullio, who arrived in Boone with a 5-1 record in SoCon duals, and
Kaden Keiser's six-point pin as the second-period buzzer sounded at 149 pounds produced a 9-0 lead in the team score.
Anthony Conetta won via an 18-2 tech fall at 165 pounds, and Gardner-Webb trailed 14-8 after winning a major decision at 174, but the Mountaineers were able to clinch the team victory thanks to consecutive wins by
Tomas Brooker (9-0 major decision at 184),
Logan Eller (9-2 decision at 197) and
Stephan Monchery (11-2 major decision at heavyweight).
Facing Josh McCutchen, who was 5-0 with a 54-9 scoring advantage since moving up from 197 pounds to heavyweight, Monchery led 4-0 entering the third period and added two takedowns in a victory that established a 25-8 team lead prior to Gardner-Webb victories at 125 from Tyson Lane and 133 from No. 17 T.K. Davis, the highest-ranked wrestler in the league.
Cooper Foster led 4-3 before Lane took control with back points during a second-period rideout, but Foster nearly recorded back points of his own during the final seconds of a third-period rideout in a 7-4 loss.
App State's
Jarvis Little, ranked 31st at 133 pounds, had a late takedown in a 13-6 loss to Davis, who had recorded bonus points in each of his first seven league victories.
Like Davis, App State's Brooker (7-0) and Monchery (8-0) went undefeated in SoCon duals. Keiser finished 7-1, followed by Eller at 6-1 and Conetta at 6-2.
On Senior Day in Boone, with 801 fans in attendance, six wrestlers were recognized before the dual:
Drake Acklin,
Hunter Adams,
Nick Grizales,
Colby McBride,
Kai O'Dell and
Joe Zovistoski. Adams, O'Dell and Zovistoski all had at least one victory in a SoCon dual this season, and McBride was victorious in a league dual last season.
App State's 2025-26 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station. The SoCon Championship tournament runs from March 6-7 in Asheville, and the NCAA Championships will be held March 19-21 in Cleveland.
App State 25, Gardner-Webb 14
141:
Aldo Hernandez (APP) def. Dominic DiTullio (GWU), 8-4 dec.
149: #29
Kaden Keiser (APP) def. Charlie Sly (GWU), fall (5:00)
157: Joseph Giordano (GWU) def.
Jeremiah Price (APP), 11-2 maj. dec.
165:
Anthony Conetta (APP) def. Tucker Cell (GWU), 18-2 tech fall
174: Isaiah Guerrero (GWU) def.
Colt Campbell (APP), 10-2 maj. dec.
184: #22
Tomas Brooker (APP) def. Andrew Wilson (GWU), 9-0 maj. dec.
197:
Logan Eller (APP) def. Hadyn Danals (GWU), 9-2 dec.
285: #31
Stephan Monchery (APP) def. Josh McCutchen (GWU), 11-2 maj. dec.
125: Tyson Lane (GWU) def.
Cooper Foster (APP), 7-4 dec.
133: #17 T.K. Davis (GWU) def. #31
Jarvis Little (APP), 13-6 dec.
Attendance: 801
SoCon Standings
| App State |
7-1 |
| Chattanooga |
7-1 |
| The Citadel |
7-1 |
| Bellarmine |
4-4 |
| Gardner-Webb |
4-4 |
| Davidson |
4-4 |
| VMI |
1-6 |
| Campbell |
1-7 |
| Presbyterian |
0-7 |
Monday's match: VMI at Presbyterian
