University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Heath Eslinger recently welcomed 12 new student-athletes to the Mocs wrestling program with the start of the 2009 fall semester.
Chattanooga is adding a solid group of newcomers to a roster that includes 23 returners. Among the dozen incoming student-athletes, six are former high school state champions, including a 2009 senior All-American. There are 10 incoming freshmen in the group, a junior joining the program and one transfer. Eight of the 12 also earned academic honors during their high school careers.
"We have such a strong group of guys returning from last year's team that it is going to be tough for these new guys to get into the line-up," stated head coach Heath Eslinger. "However, they have the talent to push for a spot and will make competition in the fall very tough."
Senior All-American Jake Young highlights the group. The Ooltewah, Tenn., product was a two-time Tennessee State Champion and has the potential to work his way into the line-up at 174 this fall.
Three-time Texas State Champion Jeremy Sandoval comes to the program from Colleyville, Texas. He joins his older brother, Josh, who is a redshirt freshman with the Mocs. Sandoval is set to compete at 141 in the fall.
Another three-time state champion who has joined the Mocs' program is Alex Hudson. He won consecutive Georgia state titles at Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga., and will compete for time on the mat at 149.
Two-time Tennessee State Champion Logan Biddy has also become a member of the Mocs and will compete at 125. He won the last two state tournaments at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn. He helped guide the Bears to back-to-back team duals and traditional championships while posting a 66-4 individual record.
The Mocs two other former state champs are Chanse Hayes (149) and Cody Hood (141). Hayes wrestled at The Baylor School in Chattanooga where he posted a 102-11 high school mark. Hood was a teammate of Young at Ooltewah High School and won the 130 state title in 2009.
Other incoming freshmen include Joe Burns (141) from Morristown West High School in Morristown, Tenn.; Wiley Davis (157) from Franklin High School in Franklin, Tenn.; Alex Platt (157) from Northview High School in Johns Creek, Ga.; and Hunter Scott from Erwin High School in Asheville, N.C.
Junior Stephan Garrett joins the Mocs after attending UTC for the past three seasons. He was an all-mid state wrestler at Father Ryan in Nashville, Tenn., during his prep career. Junior Tom Minwell transfers to UTC from Carson-Newman after the Eagles cut their program following the 2009 season. Minwell was an NCAA Division II qualifier and an Academic All-American last season.
Logan Biddy - 125 - Cleveland, Tenn. (Bradley Central HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn...wrestled for head coach Steve Logsdan...two-time state champion..posted a 66-4 record over the last two years...team captain last two seasons...led Bradley Central to the team duals and traditional state titles in each of the last two seasons...the Bears posted a 43-0 team mark in the last two seasons...PERSONAL: Full name is Baxter Logan Biddy...born April, 30, 1991...son of Glen and Debbie Biddy...has one older sister, Kayla...undecided on a major.
Joe Burns - 141 - Morristown, Tenn. (Morristown West HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Morristown West High School in Morristown, Tenn...posted a 36-3 record as a junior...36 wins in 2008 is the school record for victories in a season...team captain and qualified for the state tournament as a junior...wrestled for head coach T.J. Sewell...graduated with 1st Honors...member of the Army All-State Academic Team his senior year...four-year letter winner on the football team...PERSONAL: Full name is Joseph Francis Burns...born Sept. 7, 1990...son of Jeff and Ronda Burns...has one younger brother...plans to major in Mathematics.
Wiley Davis - 157 - Franklin, Tenn. (Franklin HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2008 graduate of Franklin High School in Franklin, Tenn...wrestled for head coach Gerrmy Welder...part of the dual state championship team as a freshman...finished fifth in the state as a junior...four-year letter winner on the soccer team...PERSONAL: Full name is William Alexander Davis...born Oct. 30, 1989...son of John and Lynn Davis...has two brothers, Bond and John...Bond is a junior on the Mocs' wrestling team...undecided on a major...
Stephan Garrett - 197 - Nashville, Tenn. (Father Ryan HS)
Joins the wrestling team after attending UTC for the previous three years...PRIOR TO UTC: 2006 graduate of Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tenn...wrestled for head coach Pat Simpson...team captain and all-mid-state when he finished in third place at the state tournament as a senior in 2006...also a member of the football team...PERSONAL: Full name is Michael Stephan Garrett...born Dec. 31, 1987...son of Mike and Stephanie Garrett...has two younger brothers, Joe and Kenneth...majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship...member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Cody Hood - 133 - Harrison, Tenn. (Ooltewah HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Ooltewah High School in Ooltewah, Tenn., where he was a four-year member of the wrestling team for head coach Wendell Weathers...won the state title at 130 pounds as a senior...finished third in the state tournament as a junior at 130 while leading his team to a second place finish...finished sixth in the state at 125 as a sophomore when the Owls placed fourth as a team...was a member of the Beta Club and earned the Physical Science Award as a senior...teammates with fellow Mocs freshman Jake Young...PERSONAL: Full name is Nicholas Cody Hood...born July 24, 1991...son of Ronald and Terry Hood...has three younger brothers...plans to major in Engineering.
Alex Hudson - 149 - Marietta, Ga. (Spreyberry HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga., where he was a four-year letter winner on the wrestling team for head coach Gary Jehaven...three-time state champion with a 187-6 career record in high school...won 112 class as a sophomore, 125 as a junior and 145 as a senior...finished third in the state at 103 as a freshman...school record holder as a cross country athlete...also a four-year member of the cross country team...placed 6th in the state as a senior...also on the honor roll and a scholar athlete...PERSONAL: Born July, 13, 1991...son of Robert and Lisa Hudson...has one younger sister, Halle...father, Robert, wrestled at Georgia Tech from 1979-84...plans to major in Health & Human Performance.
Chanse Hayes - 149 - Flat Rock, Ill. (The Baylor School)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...plans to redshirt the 2009-10 season after having surgery to repair an injured thumb he suffered during his senior year of high school...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn...high school record of 102-11 for head coach Jim Morgan...state champion as a senior after finishing the previous year as the runner-up...twice competed on the Tennessee National Team in 2008 and 2009...two-time Tennessee State Champion in the freestyle and Greco Roman competition...finished third in the southeast regionals in the Greco Roman competition in 2009....won the John-Stout Student Athlete Award...earned High School Academic All-American honors...PERSONAL: Born Aug. 25, 1990...son of Brent and Joeddy Hayes...has one younger brother, Cole...plans to be a Pre-Law major.
Tom Minwell - 285 - Clarksville, Tenn. (Carson-Newman)
Entering his season at UTC after transferring from Carson-Newman...the Eagles cut their wrestling program following the 2009 season...PRIOR TO UTC: Wrestled for two seasons at NCAA Division II Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tenn...NCAA qualifier and an Academic All-American as a sophomore...2006 graduate of Clarksville High School in Clarksville, Tenn...career record of 122-12...two-time state runner-up and recorded on third place showing...finished third at the junior nationals...wrestled at Clarksville for head coach Jeff Jordan...member of the National Honor Society...PERSONAL: Full name is Thomas Alan Minwell...born Oct. 27, 1987...son of Dan and Kathy Minwell...has one older brother, Greg...majoring in Human Resource Management...worked with terminally ill children at Camp Rainbow over the summer, showing them the outdoors and other activities.
Alex Platt - 157 - Johns Creek, Ga. (Johns Creek HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Northview High School in Johns Creek, Ga., where he was a four-year letter winner for head coach Dugan Turnbow...two-time team MVP with a career record of 127-30...placed third at the Dixie Nationals...second in the freestyle & Greco roman state tournament...fifth in the southeast regional freestyle competition...three-year member of Northview's football squad and team captain as a senior...earned the school's VIP award...PERSONAL: Born Nov. 11, 1990...son of Shari Dover and Warren Platt...has one older brother, Robert...plans to major in Finance.
Jeremy Sandoval - 141 - Colleyville, Texas (Colleyville Heritage HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas, where he dominated his class for nearly four years...won three straight state titles and was undefeated for over two years until he was slowed by a staff infection his senior year...won the 121 title as a freshman, following that with back-to-back titles at 130 the next two seasons...finished third at 140 his senior year, despite being slowed by injuries...141-2 during his high school career...wrestled for head coach David Traver...PERSONAL: Full name is Jeremy Astolfo Sandoval...born Oct. 21, 1990...son of Sam and Lisa Sandoval...has one older brother, Josh, who is currently a member of the Mocs' wrestling team...also has a younger sister, Shaina...plans to major in Sports Medicine.
Hunter Scott - 174 - Asheville, N.C. (Erwin HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Erwin High School in Asheville, N.C...four-time MAC Conference Champion and three-time state championship qualifier...130-40 career record...130 career wins is a school record...wrestled for head coaches Tom Carter and Shon Hoyle...member of the golf team his senior season...member of the Beta Club...graduated with honors...PERSONAL: Born April, 9, 1991...son of Heather Scott...plans to major in Engineering.
Jake Young - 174 - Ooltewah, Tenn. (Ooltewah HS)
Entering his first collegiate season at UTC...PRIOR TO UTC: 2009 graduate of Ooltewah High School in Ooltewah, Tenn., where he was a four-year member of the wrestling team for head coach Wendell Weathers...won the 171-pound state title as a sophomore and senior...finished second during his junior season and third place as a freshman at 160...earned All-American honors at the NHSCA Senior Nationals when he finished fifth...member of the BETA Club...teammates with fellow Mocs freshman Cody Hood...PERSONAL: Full name is Jake Ryan Young...born June 5, 1990...son of Tim and Robine Young...has a younger sister, Kelsey...father, Tim, played two years of college football at Carson-Newman...undecided on a major.
Courtesy: GoMocs.com
