Match-ending wins from Randall Diabe and Cary Miller lifted App State to an 18-16 road victory that secures at least a share of a third straight SoCon title for the Mountaineers (8-3, 6-0). They face Duke at Varsity Gym on Thursday before wrapping up their SoCon schedule at The Citadel on Feb. 18.
"I'm so proud of our guys," App State coach JohnMark Bentley said. "It was a match that kind of went back and forth, back and forth. There were a lot of matches that I thought we were favored in that we came out on the short end, but we had some guys really step up, and I'd say their coaching staff would say the same.
"It was a great atmosphere here and a great dual. I can't say enough about our guys responding and finding a way to win when our back was against the wall."
An early pin against the reigning SoCon champion from redshirt freshman Codi Russell, a 7-4 decision from junior Angel Najar and a 4-2 decision via a sudden-victory takedown from senior Forrest Przybysz occurred before Chattanooga took a 16-12 lead into the final two matches.
Diabe claimed a 3-2 decision against Scottie Boykin at 197 pounds before Miller earned a 7-5 decision against Connor Talley in the heavyweight division to erase a 16-15 deficit.
Trailing 1-0 at the start of the third period, Diabe improved to 6-0 in SoCon dual meets by breaking a 1-1 tie on a takedown with 55 seconds left and defeating the 14th-ranked Boykin.
"Randall Diabe really just put the team on his back and found a way to get that done," Bentley said.
Results:
125: Alonzo Allen (UTC) def. De'Andre Swinson-Barr (APP), 3-1 dec. (0-3)
133: Codi Russell (APP) def. Chris Debien (UTC), fall, 4:12 (6-3)
141: Michael Pongracz (UTC) def. Irvin Enriquez (APP), 9-1 maj. dec. (6-7)
149: Roman Boylen (UTC) def. Gavin Londoff (APP), 4-2 dec. (SV) (6-10)
157: Angel Najar (APP) def. Jake Adcock (UTC), 7-4 dec. (9-10)
165: Chad Pyke (UTC) def. Laken Cook (APP), 8-5 dec. (9-13)
174: Forrest Przybysz (APP) def. Justin Lampe (UTC), 4-2 dec. (SV) (12-13)
184: Bryce Carr (UTC) def. Alan Clothier (APP), 9-4 dec. (12-16)
197: Randall Diabe (APP) def. Scottie Boykin (UTC), 3-2 dec. (15-16)
285: Cary Miller (APP) def. Connor Tolley (UTC), 7-5 dec. (18-16)
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