BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling gained sole possession of first place in the SoCon by claiming six of the first seven matches in a 23-13 home victory Sunday against The Citadel, which also took the mat in Varsity Gym with no league losses.
With competition starting at 184 pounds, App State (8-5, 5-0) jumped out to a 23-3 lead over the Bulldogs (8-7, 4-1) in a matchup of teams that finished first and second in the SoCon Championship tournament last season.
Bonus-point victories from
Stephan Monchery (six team points via a third-period pin at heavyweight) and
Aldo Hernandez (five team points via a 22-7 tech fall at 141 pounds) were key outcomes in creating separation during the strong start, as were some dramatic wins, including 197-pound starter
Logan Eller's 7-6 decision in which he responded to Adam Ortega's go-ahead takedown with 30 seconds left by producing a go-ahead reversal in the final 15 seconds.
Hernandez followed
Jarvis Little's 4-2 decision at 133 with a dominant victory, giving the Mountaineers a 20-3 lead with The Citadel set to send consecutive ranked wrestlers out at 149, 157 and 165 pounds prior to the 174 finale. In a ranked showdown that served as a rematch of the 2025 SoCon final at 149, No. 30
Kaden Keiser from App State clinched the dual with a 3-2 overtime decision over No. 33 Carson DesRosier.
The match was tied at 1-all through three periods and a two-minute Sudden Victory overtime period. Keiser earned an escape 12 seconds into the first 30-second tiebreaker period, meaning he needed to stay on top of DesRosier for at least 13 seconds in the next 30-second tiebreaker period to be in a position to prevail. Keiser took it one step further, riding out the full 30 seconds to earn his fifth victory this season over a ranked opponent.
The dual began with
Tomas Brooker building an eight-point lead in an 11-6 decision at 184.
The Citadel's only win in the first seven matches was reigning 125-pound SoCon champ Gylon Sims' 5-2 decision against true freshman
Cooper Foster in an overtime battle that also went to the tiebreaker periods. Foster was close to winning a 2-1 decision in regulation, but a second stall call with 0.3 seconds left in the third period tied the match, and Sims followed a scoreless Sudden Victory overtime period with a 30-second rideout. They started neutral in the next 30-second period, and Foster wasn't able to record a takedown, instead giving up one to Sims.
A takedown in the first 20 seconds was the difference in Little's victory in the next match against Teegan Vasquez.
The Bulldogs won the final three matches, including No. 19 Thomas Snipes' 4-2 decision in which he posted a go-ahead takedown with 40 seconds left against
Anthony Conetta at 165. The Citadel won a major decision at 157 and ended the dual with a 7-3 decision at 174.
App State has SoCon duals remaining against Davidson (on the road Friday), Chattanooga (on the road Sunday) and Gardner-Webb (at home on Sunday, Feb. 22).
Davidson has equaled a program record for single-season league victories thanks to its 3-2 start against its SoCon schedule.
Chattanooga, which lost a close dual against The Citadel on tiebreaking criteria, improved to 5-1 in the league Sunday by outscoring Campbell and Presbyterian by a combined score of 99-0. Gardner-Webb, meanwhile, built a 10-0 lead in a 19-13 loss to The Citadel on Friday before winning 19-18 against Bellarmine on Sunday thanks to a victory against the Knights' backup heavyweight in the final match.
App State's 2025-26 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
App State 23, The Citadel 13
184: #23
Tomas Brooker (APP) def. Brodie Porter (CIT), 11-6 dec.
197:
Logan Eller (APP) def. Adam Ortega (CIT), 7-6 dec.
Hwt:
Stephan Monchery (APP) def. Christian Bell (CIT), fall (5:36)
125: Gylon Sims (CIT) def.
Cooper Foster (APP), 5-2 dec. (TB-1)
133:
Jarvis Little (APP) def. Teegan Vasquez (CIT), 4-2 dec.
141:
Aldo Hernandez (APP) def. Marcus Wright (CIT), 22-7 tech fall
149: #30
Kaden Keiser (APP) def. #33 Carson DesRosier (CIT), 3-2 dec. (TB-1)
157: #25 Kyrel Leavell (CIT) def.
Jeremiah Price (APP), 15-7 maj. dec.
165: #19 Thomas Snipes (CIT) def.
Anthony Conetta (APP), 4-2 dec.
174: Jacob Silka (CIT) def.
Colt Campbell (APP), 7-3 dec.
Attendance: 634
