Wildcats Host No. 26 App State, Travel to VMI

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson Wildcats continue SoCon action with back-to-back duals on Thursday and Friday. The Wildcats will face No. 26 App State at home Thursday night then head to VMI for a Friday night tilt.

App State Match Information
Date | Time: February 15, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Site: John Belk Arena
Watch: FloWrestling
Live Results: TrackWrestling

VMI Match Information
Date | Time: February 16, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Lexington, Va.
Site: Cormack Hall
Live Results: TrackWrestling
Watch: ESPN+

App State History
Last Meeting: L, 47-0 (2/19/23)
All-Time Series: App State leads, 37-1

VMI History
Last Meeting: L, 39-3 (2/14/23)
All-Time Series: VMI leads 2-45-1

ABOUT THE 'CATS
The Wildcats come into this week still searching for their first SoCon dual win. Davidson won four matches against Gardner-Webb with two by pin then won a pair at The Citadel.

Seniors Bryce Sanderlin and Jake Fernicola picked up the two pins at Gardner-Webb with Fernicola's coming in the third period trailing 6-1.

Freshman Brady Joling made his collegiate debut last Friday in Boiling Springs and impressed in an 11-6 decision.

Fellow freshman Wyatt Ferguson bounced back from his first SoCon loss at the hands of No. 30 and reigning SoCon wrestler of the month with a 12-2 major decision over The Citadel's Adam Ortega. The Cincinnati, Ohio native is now 6-1 over SoCon opponents on the year in both dual and tournament action.

Davidson's hottest wrestler right now is sophomore Tanner Peake. Last year's SoCon runner-up was the only Wildcat to have a perfect weekend with a pair of wins by decision as he moved to 4-0 in conference duals. He has also won seven of his last eight matches dating back to mid-January.

"I've just been trying to keep a positive mindset," said Peake on his turnaround. "I've had a lot of talks with Coach Ty whether it's about something wrestling-wise positionally or self-belief knowing that I can go out there and get it done."

Peake went 15-4 last season as a true freshman with all but three of those wins coming after returning from injury, but early this season, the Flemington, N.J. had a to battle a different kind of adversity. He was just 6-13 entering SoCon action and had wrestled in six overtime matches. But since then, he has gone 7-1 to get back in the thick of the SoCon race at 157.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
App State will come into Belk Arena fresh off another SoCon dual as they are scheduled to travel to Presbyterian at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The Mountaineers are just outside the NWCA Coaches Poll Top-25 receiving 19 votes, putting them at No. 26 in the country.

They have four wrestlers ranked in the NWCA Coaches rankings: No. 23 Ethan Oakley at 133 pounds, No. 20 Cody Bond at 149 pounds, No. 17 Tommy Askey at 157, and No. 27 Will Miller at 165. Askey defeated Peake in last year's SoCon final in a 5-2 decision with a rematch potentially on the horizon tomorrow night.

SCOUTING THE KEYDETS
Davidson will head to Lexington to face a VMI team that is finding some rhythm in dual action. They are 3-1 in the month of February with wins over Presbyterian (46-6), Bellarmine (25-11), and LIU (19-18). Their lone loss came to App State, 32-7.

The Keydets are led by Braxton Lewis (174/84) and Patrick Jordan (141). Lewis is 8-1 since the new year and undefeated in SoCon duals at 5-0. Jordan has 20 wins with a 20-10 mark overall and a 3-2 mark in conference duals.

DAVIDSON PROBABLE LINEUP
125 – Enis Ljikovic
133 – Hale Robinson / Devon Diaco / Brady Joling
141 – Joshua Viarengo
149 – Tyler-Xavier McKnight
157 – Tanner Peake
165 – Bryce Sanderlin
174 – Jaden Hardrick or Marc Koch
184 – Savoy New or Wyatt Ferguson
197 – Cameo Blankenship or Dylan Smith
HWT – Jake Fernicola

UP NEXT
The 'Cats will close out their dual schedule with doubleheader action against Queens and Presbyterian on Feb. 23 in Belk Arena. The first match is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m.

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