UTC Heads To NCAA Wrestling Championships

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team competes in the 2015 NCAA Championships on March 19-21.  Action takes place in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., and is covered live by the ESPN family of networks.   
 
UTC posted a 13-6 dual match record and won the Southern Conference Regular Season Title for the 15th time since the league began recognizing a season champ in 1992. 
 
The Mocs also won their 29th SoCon Tournament Championship since joining the league in 1978. 
 
Chattanooga is sending seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, five who qualified automatically and two at-large bids.  Seniors Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass.), Shawn Greevy (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) and Nick Soto (Spring Hill, Fla.) and sophomores Scottie Boykin (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Jared Johnson (Jefferson City, Mo.), Sean Mappes (Greenwood, Ind.) and Michael Pongracz (Milford, N.J.)  represent the Mocs at this week’s national tournament.
 
CHATTANOOGA MOCS LINEUP
125: No. 5 Sean Boyle (Sr. – 29-5)
133: No. 15 Nick Soto (Sr. – 27-9)
141: Michael Pongracz (So. – 19-14)
149: Shawn Greevy (Sr. – 19-11)
174: Sean Mappes (So. – 17-9)
197: Scottie Boykin (So. – 23-11)
285: Jared Johnson (So. – 30-9)
(No. = NCAA Tournament Seed)
Head Coach:  Heath Eslinger (74-41 - 6th Year)
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 19
Session 1 - 1st Round - ESPNU/ESPN3 - Noon (E.D.T.)
Session 2 - 2nd Round and Consolation Rounds - ESPNU/ESPN3 - 7:00 p.m.
 
Friday, March 20
Session 3 - Quarters and Consolation Rounds - ESPNU/ESPN3 - 11:00 a.m.
Session 4 - Semifinals - ESPN/ESPN3 - 8:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 22
Session 5 - Medal Rounds - ESPNU/ESPN3 - 11:00 a.m.
Session 6 - Finals - ESPN/ESPN3 - 8:00 p.m.

 FOLLOW THE MOCS
Be sure to follow the Mocs on Twitter @UTCWrestling for updates throughout the tournament. Links for live scoring and video are available on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.
 
ESPN TO AIR EVERY SESSION, EVERY MATCH
ESPN provides comprehensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis from March 19-21. For the second consecutive year, all six sessions are televised and every match carried on ESPN3 throughout the entire three-day competition. 
ESPN televises the semifinals (March 20) and finals (March 21) in prime time and ESPNU airs the first, second (March 19) and quarterfinals (March 20), in addition to the medal round (March 21). ESPN3 carries individual mat feeds throughout the entire tournament including the return of Off the Mat during the Championships finals.  Additionally, for computer users, ESPN3 once again offers multi-mat, simultaneous viewing, allowing fans the opportunity to watch up to four different mats at one time.
 
MOCS AT THE NCAAS
Chattanooga has been represented at the NCAA Wrestling Championships every year since moving up to Division I in 1978. The Mocs’ best finish was a tie for 14th in 1983. UTC has scored points every year except for 1997, 2003 and 2011.  Chattanooga’s second-best result was a 21st-place showing in 2007. The Mocs also tied for 21st in 2005.
Individually, UTC has 12 All-American honors won by nine different wrestlers. Cody Cleveland was the last to earn All-American status, finishing eighth at 141 in 2008. The best individual finish was Charlie Heard’s runner-up at 118 in 1983.
 
HEAD COACH HEATH ESLINGER
Chattanooga head coach Heath Eslinger is in his sixth season with the Mocs.  He guided UTC to five SoCon regular season and tournament titles and has a 74-41 (.643) dual match record.  He is third all-time in career wins at UTC and has a 29-1 league record.  UTC’s best finish at the NCAAs under Eslinger was a tie for 51st in 2012 and 2014.
 
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT PREVIEW
A complete breakdown of each individual Moc at the NCAA Championships is available in the .pdf of the notes which are attached to this story.
 
Sean Boyle - Senior - 125
• No. 5 seed at 125 ... highest seed for a Moc since Matt Keller was seeded fifth at 133 in 2007.
• 29-5 overall.
• 2015 SoCon Wrestler of the Year.
• 2015 SoCon Champion at 125.
• Biggest win of the year was a 3-1 OT victory against Iowa’s Thomas Gilman in the NWCA National Duals on Feb. 21.
• Transfer from Michigan who is in his sixth year.
• Third trip to the NCAA Tournament after going twice at Michigan in 2011 and 2013.
• 5-4 record in two previous trips to the NCAAs ... was one win away from All-American status in 2011. 
• 10-4 against the field in 2014-15.
• SoCon Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 7 following a second-place finish at the Southern Scuffle.
• SoCon Wrestler of the Month for February.
• Opening match is against Lehigh’s Scott Parker (18-9).
• Second-place finish at the Hokie Open and the Navy Classic ... third place at the Southern Scuffle.
• Has won 13 straight matches ... 19-2 since Jan. 1.
 
Nick Soto - Senior - 133
• No. 15 seed at 133.
• 27-9 record this season.
• Making his fourth appearance at the NCAAs ... 3-6 career record at the national tournament.
• Opening match is against Cornell’s Mark Grey.  
• No. 10 seed at 133 last season before going 1-2.
• 5-6 against the NCAA field this season.
• Best win was a 12-9 decision over Virginia’s 12th seeded George DiCamillo at the Southern Scuffle.
• One of only 16 four-time SoCon Champions in league history ... one of only four to do so at UTC.
• Fourth in career wins at UTC (113-36).
• Did not lose a SoCon match in his career ... four-time All-SoCon pick.
• Seventh-place finish at the Southern Scuffle
• Second at the Hokie Open.
• Third at the Navy Classic.
 
Michael Pongracz - Sophomore - 141
• Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after earning an at-large bid.
• 19-14 overall record.
• 2-11 against the NCAA field
• Best win was a 3-1 decision over NC State’s Kevin Jack at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1.
• Made the All-Southern Conference team.
• Runner-up at the SoCon Tournament.
• Opens against UNC’s No. 12 seed Joey Ward ... 0-2 against Ward in his career, including a 10-4 decision in the dual with the Tar Heels on Dec. 14.
 
Shawn Greevy - Senior - 149
• Fifth-year senior who is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships.
• Earned an automatic bid with a third-place finish at the SoCon Championships.
• 19-11 record.
• 6-7 against the NCAA field in 2014-15.
• Biggest win was a pin against Kent State’s Michael Depalma at the Navy Classic.
• Finished second at the Navy Classic.
• Opening match is against Penn State’s No. 12 seed Zack Beitz.
 
Sean Mappes - Sophomore - 174
• Won the SoCon title at 174 as the No. 4 seed to earn the automatic bid for his first trip to the NCAAs.
• 17-10 overall record.
• Third place at the Hokie Open.
• Third place at the Navy Classic.
• 0-4 against the NCAA field in 2014-15.
• Lost a tight 7-5 decision to Oklahoma’s Matt Reed in the NWCA National Duals. 
• Opens against Virginia Tech’s Zach Epperly ... dropped a 13-2 major decision to Epperly at the Hokie Open on Nov. 9. 

Scottie Boykin - Sophomore - 197
• Earned an at-large bid after going 23-11.
• Two-time All-SoCon performer who is making his first trip to the NCAAs.
• Finished third at the SoCon Championships after earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
• Third-place finish at the Hokie Open.
• 5-6 against the NCAA field in 2014-15.
• Best win was a 6-4 OT decision against Purdue’s Braden Atwood.
• Tough task in the first round against No. 1 seed and defending NCAA Champion J’Den Cox of Missouri.
 
Jared Johnson - Sophomore - 285
• Earned an at-large bid to his first NCAA appearance with a second-place finish at the SoCon Championships.
• Moved up to heavyweight after competing at 197 last season.
• Team-best 30-9 overall record.
• 3-6 against the NCAA field in 2014-15.
• Biggest win came against Oklahoma’s 15th-seeded Ross Larson (12-11) in the NWCA National Duals on Feb. 15.
• Finished fifth at the Hokie Open.
• Opens against Oklahoma State’s No. 4 seed Austin Marsden. 
 
BOYLE NAMED SOCON WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Senior Sean Boyle is the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year.  He is ranked No. 8 in the nation at 125 pounds and is 27-5 overall.  Boyle is the seventh student-athlete in UTC history to grab the SoCon Wrestler of the Year award, and the first since Cody Cleveland (2008-11) in 2009.  Boyle is the first 125-pounder to earn the award since The Citadel’s Ryan McClester in 2004.  He is in his first and only, season at Chattanooga after transferring from Michigan.
 
FOUR MOCS MAKE THE ALL-SOCON TEAM
Boyle was joined on the All-SoCon team by Senior Nick Soto (133), sophomore Michael Pongracz (141) and sophomore Scottie Boykin (197).  It is the fourth honor for Soto and the second for Boykin.  Justin Lampe (165) was named to the SoCon All-Freshman squad.  
 
CLOSE LOSSES
Five of the Mocs six losses have been very close matches.  Four have been by four points or less and only at No. 22 Old Dominion and at No. 1 Iowa did UTC not win at least five individual matches.
 
SOTO CLIMBING CAREER WINS CHART
Senior Nick Soto is 113-36 in his career at UTC.  He is currently fourth on UTC’s all-time wins.  He is tied with Charlie Heard (1982-84) and three behind Turner Jackson (1972-76).  Head coach Heath Eslinger was 120-18 from 1996-00.  Michael Keefe (2002-07) has the school record with a 134-40 career tally.
 
SOTO IS A FOUR-TIME SOCON CHAMP
Senior Nick Soto won the 133 championship as a freshman, junior and senior, and 125 as a sophomore.  Only three other Mocs have won four SoCon titles in their career, including Charlie Buckshaw (1986-89), Bret Gustafson (1988, 1990-92) and Pat Murphy (1980-83).
 
HOME OF THE SOUTHERN SCUFFLE
Chattanooga serves as the home of the Southern Scuffle.  Billed as the top in-season collegiate wrestling tournament in the nation, the Southern Scuffle has grown in both attendance and prestige since coming to the Scenic City in 2012.  The two-day event has drawn over 6,000 wrestling fans in each of the last two seasons.