The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team had nine individuals place at the Cougar Clash in Edwardsville, Ill., today. Juniors Chris Debien and Jake Huffine and sophomore Fabian Gutierrez were all runners up in their weight classes.
Gutierrez finished second at 125 with a 2-1 record. His semifinal match against Arizona State’s Brandon Courtney was a barn-burner with a combined 29 points scored. See the clip of Gutierrez pulling off the pin with three seconds left in the match below.
Gutierrez lost in the finals to the Sun Devils’ No. 8 Ryan Millhof (8-4). Senior Alonzo Allen also lost to Millhof in the semifinals (15-4). Allen went on to pin Courtney (6:58) in the third place match.
Huffine continued his strong season with a second place showing at 133. He lost in the finals to Kent State’s Timothy Rooney. He was in on a single-leg late in the match, but could not get the takedown before falling 5-2.
Debien scored in double-figures in both of his wins while placing second at 141. He dropped a finals match to Wisconsin’s No. 14 Tristan Moran (15-6).
“I think all three of our lower weights looked good,” stated head coach Kyle Ruschell. “They continue to wrestle hard, but there are still some things to clean up. We know what they are and will get back work on improving for the next match.”
Junior Dominic Lampe had a fourth place finish at 184, while freshman Hunter Fortner (174) and seniors Rodney Jones (197) and Connor Tolley (285) all placed fifth. Freshman Franco Valdes rounded out the UTC placers with a 6th at 133.
UTC returns back to campus for final exams next week. The next action for the Mocs is a Dec. 18-20 road trip to Edinboro and Ohio.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2019 Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sportswear, on Jan 1-2 in McKenzie Arena. Don’t forget about the Hospitality Pass that includes a reserved ticket and access to the Hospitality Room on the main floor. The Hospitality Room includes two full meals each day and access to a full cash bar. Click on the “Tickets” tab at the top of the page to purchase today.
