Appalachian University- Seven Mountaineers Place at Hokie Open
SALEM, Va. - In the team's first competition of the year, Appalachian State wrestling was represented by 17 wrestlers at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech, on Sunday. Seven Mountaineers were place-winners at the event, including 184-pound champion Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor).
The fourth edition of the annual event featured hundreds wrestlers from more than 20 college teams from around the region and as far as Colorado Springs (Air Force).
"All in all, I feel like we wrestled pretty well," said head coach JohnMark Bentley. "We competed hard, showed some hustle and proved that we can compete. We made some mistakes that we need to fix back in the training room, but we had a pretty good performance today."
Trotman survived a tough semifinal opponent in Virginia Tech's John Dickson but pulled through with a 5-3 decision. In the final, the senior defeated Newberry's Mitch Brown, 10-3, to cap a 4-0 day and take the Apps' only title.
Redshirt freshman Dominic Parisi (Harrisburg, N.C./Jay M. Robinson) picked up three straight wins to advance to the 125-pound final before he was edged by Virginia Tech's Ty Mitch, 4-3, to pick up a runner-up finish.
At 141 pounds, Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) suffered a quarterfinal loss, 4-0, to The Citadel's Khishignyam Undrakhbayar, but the senior rebounded with three more wins before taking third place with a forfeit win in the wrestle-back final.
Senior Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) advanced to the semifinal with three major decisions, but UNC's Kyle Kiss earned a 3-2 decision to relegate the senior to the lower bracket. The defending Southern Conference champion recovered to win his last two bouts for third place at 165 pounds.
Sophomore Chris Johnson (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) made a nice run to the 133 pound semifinals but lost three-straight bouts to slip to sixth-place on the day.
ASU's final place-winner was Chip Powell (Greensboro, N.C./S.W. Guilford) at 157 pounds. The senior bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to win two bouts in the consolation bracket, including his pin of NC State's Mardel Gabriel. Powell was eventually eliminated by UNC's Corey Mock and was edged in his final bout to earn sixth place.
The Mountaineers return home on Sunday, Nov. 13 for their only home competition of the fall. Appalachian hosts Anderson at 1 p.m. and Belmont Abbey at 3 p.m. in their only Boone meet until January.
Two Appalachian Wrestlers Ranked in Preseason Polls
BOONE, N.C. - Two Appalachian State wrestlers have been ranked among the nation's best in preseason polls conducted by leading wrestling news outlets.
The Mountaineers' duo of defending Southern Conference champions, Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) and Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor), were both ranked as high as 13th nationally in their respective weight classes.
Blevins finished the 2010-11 season as the No. 18 wrestler at 165 pounds after taking Tournament Outstanding Wrestler honors at the 2011 SoCon event and posting a 2-2 record in the NCAA Championship. Last year, he tied the program record with 38 wins in the season and won 15 of his final 16 regular-season bouts. Blevins has been honored by the SoCon as Wrestler of the Week in each of the last two seasons, and the senior was tabbed preseason all-conference by the league's coaches.
Trotman has won a SoCon crown in each of the last two seasons and could become the first Mountaineer to three-peat since Mark Fee (165) in 2001-03. A three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, Trotman looks to be the first wrestler in Appalachian history to qualify for the national event in four seasons. The 184-pounder is a two-time all-conference selection and was named SoCon Wrestler of the Year in 2010. Trotman stands 23 wins away from the ASU career-wins record and could surpass that mark this season.
Appalachian begins its 2011-12 campaign on Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. The Mountaineers host their only home competition of the fall on Sunday, Nov. 13 as they host Anderson and Belmont Abbey at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, in Varsity Gym.
Kyle Blevins (165 pounds):
The Open Mat, 13th
WIN Magazine, 13th
WrestlingReport.com, 13th
Amateur Wrestling News, 15th
InterMat Wrestling, 15th
D1 College Wrestling, 16th
Austin Trotman (184 pounds):
WrestlingReport.com, 13th
InterMat Wrestling, 14th
WIN Magazine, 14th
The Open Mat, 15th
Amateur Wrestling News, 16th
D1 College Wrestling, 19th
Appalachian Wrestling Conducts Black & Gold Meet
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State wrestling conducted its final tune-up before the regular season at the Black & Gold Meet on Tuesday evening at Varsity Gym. The Mountaineers' best wrestlers hit the mat for intrasquad competition to try to secure their place among the Apps' starting ten.
The dual-meet format pit wrestlers against each other in a battle of Black vs. Gold. Head coach JohnMark Bentley will use Tuesday's outcomes as a factor in determining his wrestlers in dual meet and tournament competition.
The Mountaineers will hold their first home meet on Sunday, Nov. 13, as they host Anderson and Belmont Abbey in duals at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, in Varsity Gym.
AGATE
125 - Dominic Parisi (Concord, N.C./Jay M. Robinson) dec. Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista), 11-6
133 - Chris Johnson (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) dec. Brett Boston (Morganton, N.C./Freedom), 9-4
141 - Acton Pifer (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) dec. Kyle Benson (Morganton, N.C./Robert L. Patton), 6-5
149 - Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) dec. Russ Benner (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park), 6-2
157 - Zack Strickland (Muncy, Pa./Muncy) dec. Chip Powell (Greensboro, N.C./S.W. Guilford), 3-1 (SV-1)
165 - Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) MD Nick Vetell (Trinity, N.C./Trinity), 18-6
174 - Colin Hedash (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) dec. Carter Downs (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter Christian), 5-2
184 - Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) dec. Jesse Johnson (Lexington, N.C./Central Davidson), 9-2
197 - Paul Weiss (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS) dec. Jon Hartley (Lenior, N.C./South Caldwell), 6-1
285 - Brock Durfee (Sherrills Ford, N.C./Bandys) dec. Joe Cummings (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Nyack HS), 5-1
Appalachian Wrestling Ranked Second in Preseason Poll; Three Apps Named all-SoCon
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Appalachian State University wrestling has been projected to finish second in the Southern Conference according to the SoCon coaches' poll released on Thursday. In addition, three Mountaineers were selected to the 2011-12 Preseason All-Conference Team.
Seven-time defending champion Chattanooga received four first-place votes and 34 points to take No. 1 in the poll. With 33 points and three top votes, Appalachian fell to second place by a slim one-point margin.
The Citadel received third-billing followed by SoCon newcomers Gardner-Webb and Campbell. VMI and Davidson rounded out the survey.
Three Mountaineers earned all-conference distinction from the coaches, including Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western), Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) and Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor).
Blevins was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 SoCon Championship after cruising to a 165-pound championship.
The league's Wrestler of the Year in 2010, Trotman (184 pounds) is a three-time national qualifier and the only two-time SoCon champion returning to the mat this season.
Kessler was a 2009 all-Freshman selection and returns to the mat at 141 pounds following a 12-7 dual record last season.
The Mountaineers are set to begin their final week of preparation before their opening competition at the Hokie Open on Sunday, Nov. 6. The Apps return home on Sunday, Nov. 13 to host Anderson and Belmont Abbey at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
2011-12 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team
125 Demetrius Johnson, Chattanooga @
133 Ryan Goodsell, VMI
141 Mike Kessler, Appalachian State
149 Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga #
157 Dan Waddell, Chattanooga @
165 Kyle Blevins, Appalachian State ^
174 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel
184 Austin Trotman, Appalachian State # ^
197 Niko Brown, Chattanooga
HWT Odie Delaney, The Citadel #
@ - 2009 SoCon Champion
# - 2010 SoCon Champion
^ - 2011 SoCon Champion
Edinboro Alumnus Pearce Joins Appalachian Wrestling Staff
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University wrestling coach JohnMark Bentley announced the hiring of assistant coach Josh Pearce on Friday. Pearce has demonstrated a dedication to the sport of wrestling while exemplifying academic success outside the training room.
"I am excited about the addition of Josh to our coaching staff," remarked Bently. "Josh has a tremendous amount of experience that will be extremely valuable to our upper-weights at ASU."
Pearce brings nine years of coaching experience to the Mountaineer program. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Edinboro, in fall 2002 and later served another one year stint as assistant with the Fighting Scots. At the collegiate level, Pearce also served as head coach of the Penn State club team and assistant at Thiel College.
More recently, the Greenville, Pa. native has served as coach in his hometown at Commodore Perry High School and at Greenville High School. He also completed one year as head trainer at House of Speed in Youngstown, Ohio.
As a student-athlete, Pearce was the 2000 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) heavyweight champion. A two-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship qualifier, he was also selected to the EWL and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference all-academic team. As a member of Edinboro's wrestling squad, Pearce was the program's first wrestler to become a five-time EU Student-Athlete Award honoree.
At Commodore Perry High School, Pearce had a career record of 111-13 and was a two-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state finalist.
From 2004-06, Pearce trained at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. as an Olympic hopeful and resident athlete in freestyle wrestling.
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to join the Appalachian State staff," commented Pearce. "I truly believe in what Coach Bentley is doing here and the direction the program is headed, and I am fully committed to helping the program reach its goal of being a national power. Appalachian State is a great university that offers a top education along with state-of-the-art facilities."
Appalachian wrestling hits the mats for the start of the practice season next week. The Mountaineers are slated to compete in the Hokie Open hosted by Virginia Tech on Nov. 6 and return to Boone for their home-opener against Anderson and Belmont Abbey on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Schedule Set for 2011-12 Wrestling Season
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University wrestling coach JohnMark Bentley announced his 2011-12 schedule on Friday. This year's schedule is highlighted by six home competitions, including the second annual Appalachian Open.
"I am excited about the upcoming year," notes Bentley. "I feel this year's team has the potential to be one of the best dual-meet teams ASU has had in some time."
This season begins with a visit to Salem, Va., to compete at the Hokie Open on Nov. 6. The following weekend, the Mountaineers return to Boone for their home-opener, a tri-meet featuring Anderson and Belmont Abbey on Sat., Nov. 13.
The Southern Conference slate opens with a trip to new SoCon associate member Gardner-Webb on Dec. 5. The Apps then head west for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 16.
New Year's Day marks a new face for the Southern Scuffle. The perennial fixture for many teams has moved to Chattanooga for this season's edition on Jan. 1-2. ASU continues its SoCon schedule with road duals against newcomer Campbell on Jan. 9 and The Citadel on Jan. 20.
This year's Appalachian Open features wrestlers from dozens of regional teams and is scheduled for Sat., Jan. 28. ASU's final road dual is against SoCon-rival Chattanooga on Feb. 5.
The regular season concludes with four home duals beginning with matches against VMI and Virginia on Feb. 10 and 11, followed by Duke and Davidson on Feb. 18 and 19.
"Our difficult schedule should help prepare our athletes for the NCAA Tournament," predicts Bentley. "We return experience in eight of the 10 weight classes, and we have several guys who have the ability to make a run at the NCAA Championships."
This season's Southern Conference Championships will be held at Chattanooga on March 3 and the 2012 NCAA Championships will be conducted at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., March 15-17.
Appalachian State Wrestling Rolls to 36-9 Win Over Davidson
DAVIDSON, N.C.- Appalachian State University wrestling (8-10-1, 2-3 SoCon) won seven of 10 bouts to defeat Davidson, 36-9, on Sunday afternoon at Belk Arena.
The Mountaineers won four of the battles that were contested and won three additional matches by forfeit due to the Wildcats beings injured.
ASU got five points early in the 125 match, as sophomore Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista) scored a 21-5 technical fall over Davidson's Matt Zarth in 7:00.
Appalachian fell in the 133 and 141 bouts as sophomore Brett Boston (Morganton, N.C./Freedom) and junior Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) were defeated 10-3 and 6-1, respectively.
Junior Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) picked up his career-high 22nd win of the season as he pinned Scott Ray in 2:04 at 149. The fall was Kostis' fifth of the season. Kostis is now 53-41 overall for his career and is 22-18 in his career in dual meets.
Following Davidson forfeiting the 157 and 165 matches, the Mountaineers were in full control, 25-6, heading into the 174 bout where junior Carter Downs (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian) tallied a 11-1 major decision over Christopher Cirenza.
Reigning SoCon Wrestler of the Week Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) did not have a chance to wrestle as the Wildcats forfeited the184 match, but the redshirt junior notched his 86th win of his career, allowing him to take over sole possession of fifth place in overall career wins. The victory moved Trotman's season record to 28-7 overall, including a 19-0 overall record in dual matches and 5-0 mark in SoCon matches.
Sophomore Jon Hartley (Lenoir, N.C./South Caldwell) extended the Black and Gold lead as he took care of Ike Crews in the 197 match, 7-1.
The Wildcats earned only their third win of the dual in the heavyweight match as Charlie Wolff got a 4-1 decision over sophomore Brock Durfee (Sherrills Ford, N.C./Bandys).
The Mountaineers take on Liberty on Tuesday in Lynchburg, Va. at 6 p.m. in its season finale before heading into the SoCon Tournament on Mar. 5 in Boone. Tournament and ticket information is available by checking www.GoASU.com.
Davidson - 9, Appalachian State - 36
125: Tony Gravely (Appalachian State) TF5 Matt Zarth (Davidson ) 21 - 5 (7:00)
133: Alex Radsky (Davidson ) DEC Brett Boston (Appalachian State) 10 - 3
141: Vitaly Radsky (Davidson ) DEC Mike Kessler (Appalachian State) 6 - 1
149: Savva Kostis (Appalachian State) FALL Scott Ray (Davidson ) 2:04
157: John Blakely (Appalachian State) For Forfeit (Davidson )
165: Kyle Blevins (Appalachian State) For Forfeit (Davidson )
174: Carter Downs (Appalachian State) MD Christopher Cirenza (Davidson ) 11 - 1
184: Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) For Forfeit (Davidson )
197: Jon Hartley (Appalachian State) DEC Ike Crews (Davidson ) 7 - 1
285: Charlie Wolff (Davidson ) DEC Brock Durfee (Appalachian State) 4 - 1
VMI 9, Appalachian State 26
LEXINGTON, Va.- Appalachian State University wrestling (7-9-1, 1-3 SoCon) won its first Southern Conference dual of the season and secured a victory in its first leg of their Virginia-dual swing against Virginia Military Institute, 26-9, Friday night at Cocke Hall.
The Mountaineers were not able to get any points during the 125 and 133 bouts to start the dual as sophomore Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista) and sophomore Brett Boston (Morganton, N.C./Freedom) surrenders the matches by a 13-6 and 10-8 decision, respectively.
Appalachian bounced back and got on the board in the 141 match as junior Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) scored a major decision over Ryan Goodsell, 12-3, cutting VMI's advantage to 6-4.
At 149, junior Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) went ahead early 5-0 less than 90 seconds into the match as Kostis combined a takedown at the 1:17 mark and a three-point near fall at the 1:26 portion of the period. Kostis went on to take the 13-3 win, giving the Mountaineers consecutive major decisions as the squad took an 8-6 lead, its first of the match.
v
Sophomore John Blakely (Birmingham, Ala./Oak Mountain) took a 2-0 lead at the 55 second mark in the 157 bout, earning a pair of back points. With 54 seconds left in the first period, Michael Burnett recorded an escape, bringing the score to 2-1 heading into the second frame. Just over a minute into period two, Blakely earned trio of near-fall points to build his lead to 5-1 as the match carried into the third period. However, Blakely would take the match 8-2 to continue the Appalachian State streak and run the team tall to 11-6.
Junior Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) had no problem taking care of Edward Gottwald as he earned a 19-4 techinical fall to increase ASU's lead over the Keydets. It was a match that Blevins controlled from start to finish and the closest that Gottwald would get was in the first period when the match was at 4-1. With the win, the Mountaineers went ahead 16-6.
The Apps stumbled in the 174 matchup as Matthew Brock tallied a 5-0 decision over junior Carter Downs (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian), giving the VMI its first team points in four bouts.
Redshirt junior Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) also had no problem in the 184 match, as he got the Black and Gold back on track by taking down John Dommert, 16-7. Trotman jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first minute of the match, and carried an 8-4 lead into second frame. However, Trotman built a 15-7 lead at the end of regulation, adding a riding point to take the major decision win and carry the team score to 20-9.
v
ASU hiccupped again in the 197 bout as sophomore Jon Hartley (Lenoir, N.C./South Caldwell) fell to Evan Dill, 13-7. Hartley battled back in the match to take a 4-3 lead with four back points seconds into the second frame, but fell in the final period after the match got tied up at 7-7.
In the final match of the evening, the Mountaineers had a commanding lead, but needed to seal the deal in the heavyweight category. Freshman Marc Tyson (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Township) took on a heavily-favored #15 Josh Wine. Wine took a 2-0 lead following the first period, but Tyson earned an escape point 39 seconds into the second period. With the score 2-1 heading into the third, Wine picked up a quick escape point to bring the score to 3-1 with 1:57 left in the bout. However a flagrant misconduct penalty against Wine resulted in a win for Tyson to bring the final score to 26-9, Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers are back in action tomorrow as they take on Virginia at 2 p.m. in a non-conference dual.
VMI 9, Appalachian State 26
Non Match Team Points (Deductions/Criteria)
VMI -3 Flagrant Misconduct 285
125: Johnathan Pope (VMI) DEC Tony Gravely (Appalachian State) 13 - 6
133: Luke Todd (VMI) DEC Brett Boston (Appalachian State) 10 - 8
141: Mike Kessler (Appalachian State) MD Ryan Goodsell (VMI) 12 - 3
149: Savva Kostis (Appalachian State) MD Mike Long (VMI) 13 - 3
157: John Blakely (Appalachian State) DEC Michael Burnett (VMI) 8 - 2
165: Kyle Blevins (Appalachian State) TF5 Edward Gottwald (VMI) 19 - 4 (6:41)
174: Matthew Brock (VMI) DEC Carter Downs (Appalachian State) 5 - 0
184: Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) MD John Dommert (VMI) 16 - 7
197: Evan Dill (VMI) DEC Jon Hartley (Appalachian State) 13 - 7
285: Marc Tyson (Appalachian State) DQ Joshua Wine (VMI)
Appalachian State Wrestling Ties Against North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Freshman Marc Tyson (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Township) forced extra time in the heavyweight division and it came down to five seconds worth of riding time to force a tie between Appalachian State University wrestling (6-7-1, 0-1 SoCon) and North Carolina (6-6-1) on Friday night in Carmichael Arena.
Sophomore Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista) got things started for the Mountaineers at 125 by pinning Jake Corrill in 4:17 to put Appalachian up 6-0.
Pat Owens got the best of freshman Chris Johnson (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) at 133 by taking a 8-3 decision, but ASU still led the dual by a score of 6-3.
Danny Lopes made it two in a row for the Tar Heels as he earned a close 4-3 decision in the 141-weight class over junior Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) and tied up the dual at six all.
Freshman Russell Benner (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) gave the Apps a three-point advantage after he earned a 3-2 decision over Nick Stabile to put the Mountaineers up 9-6.
Appalachian saw their first ranked wrestler of the night when sophomore John Blakely (Birmingham, Ala./Oak Mountain) dropped a 16-0 technical fall decision to #17 Corey Mock at 157 and gave UNC its first lead of the dual, going up 11-9.
The Mountaineers recovered at 165 as #17 junior Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) took care of #31 Thomas Scotton for the third time this season in a 2-0 decision. With the victory, Blevins now has a team-leading and career-high 28 wins on the season and is two shy away from breaking into the most wins in a season group and eight away from joining the career wins list with 74 wins.
The Tar Heels jumped back ahead of the Apps after junior Carter Downs (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian) fell to Thomas Ferguson by a 14-0 major decision at 174, putting UNC back up for only the second time at 15-12.
Redshirt junior and #23 Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) avenged an early season loss to #28 Antonio Giorgio as he routed the Tar Heel by a 12-3 major decision in the 184 match. Trotman put the Mountaineers up by a single point at 16-15. With his decision, Trotman now has 23 wins on the season and has 81 for his career. The reigning Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week needs just a single decision to break into the career wins list and seven more to reach the season mark of 30.
The Tar Heels grabbed one more win at 197 as #29 Zac Bennett earned an 11-0 major decision over sophomore Paul Glover (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) to set up the final match of the dual with UNC leading 19-16.
In the final match of the dual between Tyson and Ben Brooks, the first period was scoreless and a point was not tallied until Brooks escaped in the second period. With a 1-0 margin heading into the third period, Tyson escaped and tied things up at 1-1. The wrestlers traded escapes, but it came down to the five seconds worth of riding time to give Tyson the 4-3 advantage after two overtime periods to tie the dual at 19-19.
The Mountaineers are back in action again, taking on UNC Greensboro in their second SoCon dual of the season at 7 p.m. in Greensboro.
North Carolina 19, Appalachian State 19
125: - Tony Gravely (ASU) pins Jake Corrill (UNC), 4:17 (ASU 6-0)
133: - Pat Owens (UNC) dec. Chris Johnson (ASU), 8-3 (ASU 6-3)
141: - Danny Lopes (UNC) dec. Mike Kessler (ASU), 4-3 (Tied 6-6)
149: - Russell Benner (ASU) dec. Nick Stabile (UNC), 3-2 (ASU 9-6)
157: - Corey Mock (UNC) tech. fall John Blakely (ASU), 16-0 (UNC 11-9)
165: - Kyle Blevins (ASU) dec. Thomas Scotton (UNC), 2-0 (ASU 12-11)
174: - Thomas Ferguson (UNC) major dec. Carter Downs (ASU), 14-0 (UNC 15-12)
184: - Austin Trotman (ASU) major dec. Antonio Giorgio (UNC), 12-3 (ASU16-15)
197: - Zac Bennett (UNC) major dec. Paul Glover (ASU), 11-0 (UNC 19-16)
HWT: - Marc Tyson (ASU) dec. Ben Brooks (UNC), 4-3 (2OT) (Tied 19-19)
Appalachian State Wrestling Topped By The Citadel, 26-7
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University wrestling (4-6, 0-1 SoCon) dropped its Southern Conference opener to The Citadel (3-5, 2-0 SoCon), 26-7, on Sunday afternoon at Varsity Gym.
Prior to the 184-pound match, the Mountaineers took time to recognize former wrestling student-athletes, coaches and managers.
The dual started off with the 141-pound match-up between junior Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) and The Citadel's Jordan Dix. The first period of the match only featured a takedown by Kessler allowing him to carry a 2-0 advantage into the second period. Kessler grabbed another takedown to go up 4-0, but Dix countered with an escape bringing the match to 4-1. Kessler closed out the second period with another takedown to draw the match to 6-1 heading into the final period. Dix notched a takedown to put more points on the board, but Kessler tallied another takedown. Dix escaped again, but Kessler would score one more takedown to put down Dix and take the match 11-5 to put the Mountaineers ahead 3-0.
The Bulldogs took the 149 and 157 matches before heading into the much anticipated 165-pound match-up between #25 Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) and #9 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj. Luvsandorj got things started off with a takedown, but Blevins escaped bringing the match to a 2-1 Luvsandorj advantage to close the first period. Blevins escaped again to tie things up at two, but Luvsandorj took down Blevins again as the second period came to a wrap to go ahead, 4-2. With the final period beginning, Luvsandorj got the best of Blevins again and created a 6-2 gap. With time against Blevins he escaped to close the gap to 6-3. Blevins was granted two points for Luvsandorj stalling, but that would be as close as Blevins would get as Luvsandorj took the decision, 6-5, moving The Citadel up to 10-3.
The Apps fell again at 174, but redshirt junior #28 Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) turned the tide in the 184 match against Josh Tuck. Trotman struck first in the match and never let up as he earned a 16-5 major decision against Tuck. Trotman ended the first period of the match with an 8-3 advantage. Trotman struck three more times in the second period to go ahead 13-4 heading into the final period of action. In the last period, Trotman only allowed Tuck to escape and nailed one more takedown before notching the major decision, giving Appalachian its last points of the afternoon.
The Black and Gold grapplers are back in action again on Jan. 15 as they take part in the Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas.
ASU 7, The Citadel 26
141: Mike Kessler dec. Jordan Dix, 11-5 (3-0, ASU)
149: Derek Royster major dec. Russell Benner, 16-3 (3-4, The Citadel)
157: Pierre Frazile dec. Travis Puckett, 7-3 (3-7, The Citadel)
165: # 9 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj dec. #25 Kyle Blevins, 6-5 (3-10, The Citadel)
174: #32 J.C. Oddo dec. Carter Downs, 5-2 (3-13, The Citadel)
184: #28 Austin Trotman major dec. Josh Tuck, 16-5 (7-13, The Citadel)
197: Kelby Smith major dec. Paul Glove, 13-4 (7-17, The Citadel)
285: Luke Johnson dec. Marc Tyson, 9-2 (7-20, The Citadel)
125: Richard Alarcon dec. Tony Gravely, 3-0 (7-23, The Citadel)
133: Tyler Sim dec. Chris Johnson, 10-4 (7-26, The Citadel)
Appalachian State Wrestling Has Strong Showing at Virginia Tech Open
SALEM, Va.- Appalachian State University wrestling had three wrestlers place at the third annual Virginia Tech Open on Sunday at the Selma Civic Center in Salem, Va.
Junior Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) started off his day by earning the decision over Marcel Clopton of Kent State, 7-6. He came back and pinned Dave Ebbot of Virginia in 4:13, but lost his only match of the day to Joey Metzler of Old Dominion, 6-2.
Kostis rolled on to two more victories over Max Mayfield of Iowa State, 6-4 and tallied the major decision over Cam Hurd (Virginia Tech), 16-8 to take fifth place in the 149-pound division.
Junior Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) had the best day on the mat for the Mountaineers by far as he rolled off four victories and did not lose a decision to take first place in 165. Blevins recorded a major decision over Brett Miller of UNC Greensboro, 10-1 in his first match, while earning another victory over Thomas Scotton of UNC in a tight match, 3-1. Blevins got his third win against Matt Epperly of Virginia Tech, 8-4 and continued on to get a forfeit in his final match.
Redshirt junior Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) went 3-2 on the day as he took sixth place in the 184-pound category. Trotman earned a 6-0 decision over Casey Newburg of Kent State in his first match. In Trotman's next bout, he lost a close contest to UNC's Antonio Giorgio, 5-2. Trotman then tallied two wins by pinning Michael Duckworth of Ohio University in 56 seconds and hanging in a match against Mick Tenpenny of UNC, 3-2. In Trotman's last match of the day, UNCG's Andrew Saunders edged him 7-4.
ASU returns to competition next as they host the Mountaineer Duals on Sunday, Nov. 14 with action starting at 10 a.m.
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125: Eric Dunnet (Old Dominion) pins Brett Boston in 1:03
125: Steve Mitcheff (Kent State) wins by decision over Tony Gravely, 8-6
125: Brett Boston pins Joe Deangelo (Chattanooga) in 2:26
125: Tony Gravely wins by technical fall over Charlie Lipford (Nrv Mat Club), 16-0
125: Jerome Robinson (Old Dominion) wins by decision over Dominic Parisi, 3-2
125: Joe Deangelo (Chattanooga) wins by major decision over Austin Annas, 12-4
125: Brett Boston pins Brett Kostem (Gardner-Webb) in 6:16
125: Kyle Ciccarello (Ohio University) wins by technical fall over Weston Haney, 15-0
125: Brett Boston wins by decision over Matt Peters (Nrv Mat Club), 10-4
125: Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech) wins by major decision over Dominic Parisi, 12-4
125: Robert Gribschaw (UNCG) wins by major decision over Tony Gravely, 9-3
125: Prescott Garner (Chattanooga) wins by technical fall over Austin Annas, 16-0
125: Dominic Parisi pins Blake Thomas (CWC) in 2:52
125: Ty Mitch (Virginia Tech) wins by decision over Brett Boston, 7-3
125: Tony Gravely wins by major decision over Joe Deangelo (Chattanooga), 13-4
125: Gabriel Gomez (Virginia) wins by major decision over Weston Haney, 12-4
125: Austin Annas wins by major decision over Richard Williams (King College), 12-4
141: Deral Brown (Newberry College) wins by decision over Mike Kessler, 6-5
141: Mike Kessler wins by decision over Kurtis Becker (Liberty), 3-1
141: Vince Direnzo (Nrv Mat Club) wins by major decision over Kyle Benson, 12-2
141: Chris Drouin (Iowa State) wins by decision over Mike Kessler, 8-3
141: Mike Kessler wins by decision over Troy Silver (UNC), 3-1
141: Trevor Herron (UTA) pins Kyle Benson in 6:08
149: Savva Kostis wins by injury decision over Alex Hudson (CWC)
149: Savva Kostis wins by major decision over Cam Hurd (Virginia Tech), 16-8
149: Savva Kostis wins by decision over Max Mayfield (Iowa State), 6-4
149: Joey Metzler wins by decision over Savva Kostis (Old Dominion), 6-2
149: Savva Kostis pins Dave Ebbot (Virginia) in 4:13
149: Savva Kostis wins by decision over Marcel Clopton (Kent State), 7-6
157: Corey Mock (UNC) pins Chip Powell in 4:42
157: Pete Yates (Virginia Tech) wins by decision over Chip Powell, 6-2
157: Chip Powell wins by major decision over Chris Kline (Ohio University), 13-2
157: Chip Powell wins by decision over Trey Stavrum (CWC), 13-6
165: Kyle Blevins wins by forfeit
165: Kyle Blevins wins by decision over Matt Epperly (Virginia Tech), 8-4
165: Kyle Blevins wins by decision over Thomas Scotton (UNC), 3-1
165: Rodin Mdandula (Old Dominion) wins by decision over Travis Puckett, 7-0
165: Kyle Blevins wins by major decision over Brett Miller (UNCG), 10-1
165: Matt Epperly (Virginia Tech) pins Travis Puckett in 2:05
184: Andrew Saunders (UNCG) wins by decision over Austin Trotman, 7-4
184: Austin Trotman wins by decision over Nick Tenpenny (UNC), 3-2
184: Austin Trotman pins Michael Duckworth (Ohio University) in :56
184: Antonio Giorgio (UNC) wins by decision over Austin Trotman, 5-2
184: Austin Trotman wins by decision over Casey Newburg (Kent State), 6-0
Hwt: Jake Elkins (Newberry College) pins Paul Glover in 4:30
Hwt: Derek Papagianopoulos (Virginia) wins by major decision over Paul Glover, 12-2
Hwt: Paul Glover wins by decision over Dondricus Anderson (King College), 3-2
Appalachian State Wrestling Adds Nine for 2010-11 Season
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University head wrestling coach JohnMark Bentley announced on Tuesday that nine student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent and will join ASU in the fall.
Russell Benner, Jacob Burke, Chris Johnson, Brandon Lietz, Dominic Parisi, Acton Pifer, Aaron Scott, Dominick Vetell and Marc Tyson will all join Appalachian in the fall of 2010.
Russell Benner ( 149 * Roselle Park, N.J.)
Benner was named to the all-state team in New Jersey.
Jacob Burke ( 157 * Mexico, N.Y.)
Earned all-state honors and National High School Coaches Association all-American accolades.
Chris Johnson ( 133 * Hillsborough, N.C.)
Two-time North Carolina state champion and a four-time state-finalist.
Brandon Lietz ( 174 * Greenville, N.C.)
Won a North Carolina state championship this past season. A four-time county champion and two-time team MVP.
Dominic Parisi ( 125 * Charlotte, N.C.)
Three-time North Carolina state champion, four-time conference and regional champion.
Acton Pifer ( 133/141 * Lasiter, Ga.)
State champion as a senior and named NHSCA all-American.
Aaron Scott ( 145 * Todd, N.C.)
Compiled a 129-17 record in four years at Ashe County High School. Won four conference tournaments and was named the Mountain Valley Conference Wrestler of the Year.
Dominick Vetell ( 157/165 * Trinity, N.C.)
Finished in second place in his way class as a junior and senior.
Marc Tyson ( 285 * Monroe Township, N.J.)
Earned all-state honors as a senior with a fifth place finish. Earned all-area first-team honors and was a regional champion.
Appalachian State Gets Three Southern Conference Champions
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Tony Gravely, Austin Trotman and Championships Saturday night at Davidson College, the trio punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships starting March 18 in Omaha, Neb.
Gravely took Chandler down 30 seconds into the match and quickly went to work on getting back points. He got a three-point near fall and kept getting Chandler to his back before getting the pin at the 2:26 mark.
The Martinsville, Va. native becomes the first ASU 125 pounder to win a conference championship since two-time champion Rich Caisse won in 2003.
Gravely becomes the first No. 4 seed to ever win the 125 pound Southern Conference Championship.
With three wins on the day, Gravely moves on to Omaha, Neb. with an 11-9 record.
Savva Kostis, Chip Powell and Kyle Blevins all finished second at the SoCon Championships.
Kostis fell 14-9 in the final to Dean Pavlou. Kostis fell behind early, and was able to get a late takedown but it was not enough.
Powell, a No. 5 seed at 157, fell in the finals 14-6 to The Citadel's Turtogtokh Luvsandorj.
Blevins got behind 9-1 after three periods to UNCG's Victor Hojilla but was able to get riding time in the third and a three-point near fall, bu that was all as he dropped a 10-5 decision to Hojilla.
Jason McCroskey scored the first points with an escape to open the second period but Trotman earned three-straight takedowns to take control and garner a 7-2 decision over McCroskey. Trotman took advantage of his quickness to pull off all three takedowns, especially in the third when he took McCroskey down after a restart at the 1:02 mark of the third period. Trotman becomes the first ever Mountaineer to win a Southern Conference Championship ay 184 pounds.
Temple jumped on The Citadel's Justin Sparrow early with a takedown just 45 seconds into the match and kept the pressure on. After Sparrow escaped, Temple got a takedown with 14 seconds left in the first period to take a 4-1 lead. Temple earned two more takedowns in the second period and got the riding time point for an 8-2 decision.
The three champions are the most wrestlers ASU is taking to the NCAA Championships since taking five in 2003.
Appalachian State Beats Franklin & Marshall and Belmont Abbey
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University wrestling put on a dominating performance, beating Franklin & Marshall and Belmont Abbey Sunday afternoon in Varsity Gym.
Appalachian (4-8) won the first nine matches en route to a 49-3 win over F&M in the first match of the day. All nine of ASU's wins came by major decision, tech. fall or pin.
Austin Trotman earned his second pin of the season by dropping Matt Latessa with 23 seconds remaining in the first period. Trotman had built up a 6-2 before the pin.
Dylan Temple followed at 197 with a 14-1 major decision over Colin Ely. Temple started the match with a quick takedown and added a three point near fall to take a 5-0 lead into the second period. Temple added four more takedowns on his way to the dominating performance.
The Mountaineers captured forfeits at 125 and 133 before Kyle Benson and Savva Kostis earned back-to-back pins. The pin was the second of the season for Benson while it was Kostis' team-leading sixth.
Chip Powell followed with a dominating 17-0 tech. fall win at 157 and Kyle Blevins rounded out the Apps' wins with a 10-2 major decision over Anthony Bongarzone.
The Mountaineers shutout Belmont Abbey 47-0 to pick up its fourth win of the season. Brett Boston, Chris Collura and Savva Kostis all earned pinfalls in the win while Travis Puckett and Carter Downs won by tech. fall.
After Austin Trotman started the match with a forfeit victory at 184, Paul Glover and Ken Altarac won the next two matches by decision. After Boston's pin, Jacob Earp defeated Graceson Pastirlik by a 13-5 major decision. Blevins earned his second win of the day at 165 with a 8-2 decision over Jake Varilek and Downs' tech. fall clinched the shutout for the Mountaineers.
Appalachian travels to Gardner-Webb on Wednesday to take on the Bulldogs and NC State.
Appalachian State Wrestling Finishes 24th at Southern Scuffle
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) recorded four wins to lead Appalachian State University wrestling to a 24th place finish at the highly competitive Southern Scuffle on Tuesday and Wednesday in Greensboro.
Kostis won three matches by pinfall and one my major decision to lead all ASU wrestlers with four wins. He pinned Cal State Bakersfield's Anthony Box in his first match and downed Luke Mellmer of Minnesota in his second match. After a loss dropped him to the consolation bracket, he pinned Virginia Tech's Taylor Knapp and be Army's James Rafferty 13-4.
Chris Collura (Spencerport, N.Y./Spencerport) and Brock Durfee (Sherrills Ford, N.C./ Bandys) were the only other Mountaineers to have multiple wins, as each had two wins.
Zack Mastro (Naples, Fla./Palmetto Ridge), Carter Downs (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian), Dylan Temple (Marietta, Ga./Walton), Paul Glover (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) and Ken Altarac (Johnsonville, N.Y./Lasalle Institute) all picked up a victory for the Apps.
Appalachian is back in action when they travel to Virginia Tech on Jan. 4.
Appalachian State's Trotman Takes First at Michigan State Open
EAST LANSING, MICH. - Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) won the 174 pound weight class to lead Appalachian State University wrestling in the season-opener at the Michigan State Open on Sunday.
ASU had eight wrestlers finish in the top-six in their weight class as the Mountaineers had a solid debut to the 2009-10 season. The tournament featured more than 20 schools, including ranked opponents such as Central Michigan, Indiana and Michigan State.
A redshirt sophomore, Trotman led the way for ASU with his first place finish. He defeated The Citadel's Jonathan Oddo 14-5 in the first round and followed that with a 7-0 decision over Ian Hinton to reach the finals. In the finals he dominated Findlay's Justin Shannon 10-1 to take home first place honors.
Frank Celorrio (Miami, Fla./Hialeah) was the Apps' next highest finisher, taking fourth at 133. He won three match on the day, including a 4-2 decision over Zach Neibert to clinch fourth place.
Three Mountaineers earned fifth place finished in the open division, including Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Bay City Western), Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) and Dylan Temple (Marietta, Ga./Walton).
Kessler won his first match of the day by pinning Ohio's Heath Allen. After a second round loss, Kessler went 1-1 in the consolation bracket before defeating Ohio's Darren Boing 10-8 in the fifth place match.
Blevins opened his season with a 2-1 win over Kris Bowser before falling in the next round to Indiana's Ryan LeBlanc. Blevins, like Kessler, went 1-1 in the consolation round before beating Michigan State's Ben Boudro 9-4 for fifth.
After falling in the first round, Temple won five-straight matches to capture fifth. The junior defeated North Idaho's Jacob Burge to capture fifth.
Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) captured sixth place, picking up two wins in the process, beating The Citadel's Derek Royster 8-1 and Cleveland State's Collin McCreary 14-5.
Paul Glover (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) and Carter Downs (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian) represented ASU well in the under 21 division, earning fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively.
Also for ASU, Brock Durfee (Sherrills Ford, N.C./Bandys), Jacob Earp (Boone, N.C./Watauga) and Richie Dehnz (Naples, Fla./Palmetto Ridge) picked up two wins apiece while freshmen Brett Boston (Morganton, N.C./Freedom) and Chris Collura (Spencerport, N.Y./Spencerport) picked up a win and sophomore Travis Puckett (Matthews, N.C./David W. Butler) earned a win.
Appalachian is back in action on Sunday, Nov. 22 when they travel to the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa
.Appalachian State University wrestling head coach hired Christian Sinnot as an assistant coach
JohnMark Bentley hired Christian Sinnot as an assistant coach for the upcoming season, announced Bentley Tuesday afternoon.
Sinnot comes to Appalachian from Central Michigan, where he was an volunteer assistant coach for the 2008-09 season. He also served as the strength and conditioning coach for wrestling, football, baseball, gymnastics and field hockey in 2008.
“I’m very excited about adding Christian to our staff here at ASU,” Bentley said. “I believe he will be a tremendous asset to our upper weight classes, and his experience as a competitor and coach will help our program.”
During his career on the mat with the Chippewas, Sinnot was a three-time NCAA qualifier, a two-time Mid-American Conference champion and earned All-American honors as a senior. He ranks in the top-15 in school history in career winning percentage and helped lead Central Michigan to back-to-back top-10 national finishes in his junior and senior years.
Appalachian State Sports Information
307 Varsity Gym
Boone, NC, 28607
www.GoASU.com
