Six Stories from the SoCon

• Campbell Competes in Dual at the Daddy

The Camels started the season with a bang, competing against Wyoming in the Dual at the Daddy in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Camels lost 28-12 but put up a fight against the Cowboys. Team points were scored at 149, 174, and 285 - Eugene Harney (149, CAMP), served up an upset against #15 Gabe Willochell (WYO), Harney’s first collegiate dual AND win. Dom Baker put some bonus points on the board with a major decision victory over Brett McIntosh, and top-10-ranked Taye Ghadiali ended the evening on a high note with a technical fall against Kevin Zimmer. Anthony Molton (125) wrestled a barnburner against #2 Jore Volk, ultimately losing 2-0. 

• Throwdown on Yorktown

This event was the first time college wrestling was hosted on the flight deck of the historic USS Yorktown, hosted in Charleston, SC by The Citadel. The event also raised over $1,300 for the SC Wrestling Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the competition was cut short due to weather/climate conditions. The Citadel was bested by UVA 24-11, but not before posting three wins at 149, 184, and 197 pounds. Patrick Brophy (197) has appeared in the rankings the past couple of weeks, blazing ahead with a 4-1 match record after week two of wrestling. Gardner-Webb also threw down on the Yorktown, clinching victories at 141 and 157 pounds, but ultimately was defeated by the Black Knights 35-6. Todd Carter (141) has made an appearance in the rankings in the past couple of weeks as well, currently sitting at #29, up from #33 after week one. 

• Journeymen WrangleMania 

Campbell beats Cal Baptist 24-17

The Camels picked up a hefty win over Cal Baptist, securing wins at seven out of ten weights. Anthony Molton (125) and Taye Ghadiali (285) started and ended the dual with falls, putting up bonus points for the Camels.

VMI beats Sacred Heart 24-19

VMI came back strong after a loss from Franklin & Marshall, beating Sacred Heart. Five victories from the Keydets included four falls - again, racking up those bonus point victories. Braxton Lewis and Patrick Jordon both secured falls in this dual against Sacred Heart AND against F&M. Which leads me to my next point of business…

• VMI Holds Back-to-Back SoCon Wrestlers of the Week

VMI has started off strong this season, competing at the Journeymen WrangleMania and at the Collegiate Classic - and has crowned two SoCon Wrestlers of the Week. Patrick Jordon (149) and #33 Braxton Lewis (184). Jordon earned the remarks after winning first place in the Freshman/Sophomore division at the Southeast Open. His teammate, Lewis (184), earned the honor for week two after securing wins against opponents from Franklin & Marshall and Sacred Heart (WrangleMania Duals), and upset two-time national qualifier Cael Valencia (Arizona State) by 12-0 major decision (Journeymen Collegiate Classic). 

• Ghadiali to Wrestle in All-Star Classic

Campbell’s own All-American Taye Ghadiali will compete at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic. Currently ranked at #9, Ghadiali will wrestle against #3 Nick Feldman from Ohio State. I can’t wait to watch this on Saturday night - I’m a big numbers/stats girlie, and I love using WrestleStat’s comparison tool on their site (this is not a sponsored post LOL). But, per the site, it looks like it’ll be a barnburner of a match. Historically, the two are 1-1 - where Ghadiali’s victory was via injury default, and Feldman’s was a 10-4 decision. This is such a super cool opportunity for the SoCon to be showcased, and for the student-athletes - don’t miss out on this awesome event! 

• SoCon Tournament Returns to Asheville

One of the bigger questions I’ve been waiting to have answered is this right here: where in the world is the Southern Conference Wrestling Championship? (If you watched Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego please leave a comment and tell me you understood the joke). The Southern Conference announced they will be returning to Asheville for 2025 and 2026 championship dates, at the Kimmel Arena (UNC Asheville). Another change? It will be a two-day event - held on the 7th and 8th of March. So go ahead and enter that PTO (or as I like to call it, prepare the others) so you can enjoy a nice long weekend in the mountains. Eyes have been on Western North Carolina recently, following Hurricane Helene and the devastation she left behind. While Asheville is still in recovery mode, I’m sure they’ll greatly benefit from the tourism this upcoming March. 

• SoCon Wrestlers in the rankings: (16) 

125

#29 Anthony Molton (Campbell)

133

#23 Dom Zaccone (Campbell)

#31 Blake Boarman (UTC)

141

#23 Isaiah Powe (UTC)

#29 Todd Carter (GWU)

#31 Shannon Hanna (Campbell)

157

#27 Noah Castillo (UTC)

165

#8 Will Miller (App St)

174

#26 Dom Baker (Campbell)

#31 Sergio DeSiante (UTC)

184

#28 Billy Janzer (The Citadel)

#33 Braxton Lewis (VMI)

197

#18 Levi Hopkins (Campbell)

#31 Patrick Brophy (The Citadel)

#32 Connor Strong (UTC)

285

#9 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell)