The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team has three individuals listed on TheOpenMat.com’s NCAA DI College Wrestling Early-Preseason Ranking. Senior Fabian Gutierrez and juniors Tanner Smith and Matthew Waddell can all be found in the recently released listing.
Gutierrez checks in at No. 25 at 125 pounds. He is coming off a 17-9 season that included an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. He was 6-0 in Southern Conference action, earning a spot on the All-SoCon team. He has a 40-23 career mark and is entering his second season as the full-time starter at 125.
Smith is No.
19 at 149, following a strong sophomore season. The 2019 SoCon Freshman of the Year led the Mocs with a 25-9 record in 2019-20. Like Gutierrez, he also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, but did not compete due to the COVID-19 shutdown of the tournament.
Waddell is the highest ranked of the three, listed at No. 18 at 184 pounds. He was an automatic qualifier for the NCAAs after finishing second at the SoCon Tournament. He was 22-9 overall and 11-5 in dual action in his first year with the Mocs.