Six upperclassmen and three underclassmen secured starting positions in the varsity lineup for the upcoming season.
Senior Matt Koz recorded the only fall on the night, pinning freshman Ethan Winel at 4:08 to win the 197-pound match. Koz was the SoCon heavyweight champion and an NCAA Qualifer a year ago.
"Koz told me that he felt really good after his match," Bono said. "It is good to have him wrestling at his natural weight. There were no surprises. I really liked the way our young guys competed. (True freshmen) Johnson, Lettner, Waddell, Felix; they are our future."
Seniors Seth Garvin, Lloyd Rogers and Josh Edmondson joined Koz in the winner's categories. Garvin defeated freshman Dan Waddell, 8-1 at 157 pounds, Rogers scored an 11-4 victory over junior Kyle McKee at 174, and Edmondson recorded a 12-3 major decision over freshman Tyler Roberson at 184.
Senior Javier Maldonado, a back-to-back Southern Conference champion and NCAA Qualifier, did not compete but has a lock on his 125-pound position.
"Lloyd Rogers and Josh Edmondson looked good," Bono said. "Lloyd out hustled everyone. He showed a lot of focus. We had Josh change some things up. He showed a little variety, and he can pull that off because he is such a great athlete."
Junior Steve Hromada's 19-8 major over sophomore T.J. Hannah ensured his spot at 133 pounds and junior Nick Davis edged redshirt freshman Mark Rogers, 3-2 in the 165-pound match.
Matt Lettner was the lone freshman to nail down a lineup spot, registering a 5-1 victory over Ben O'Neill in the heavyweight class.
Three wrestlers competed for the positions at 141 and 149. Freshman Ben Johnson shut out Mark Nicely at 141, 2-0 then fell to sophomore Cody Cleveland by major decision, 9-1.
Freshman Kelly Felix defeated redshirt freshman Carlos Baron 6-3 at 149 before suffering a 17-2 technical fall to sophomore Joey Knox.
UTC opens the season next Saturday hosting three teams including No. 5-ranked Ohio State. The Mocs take on Anderson University at 1 p.m., Cumberland University at 3 p.m. and the Buckeyes at 6 p.m.
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