Runnin' Bulldogs Impress at Day One of 2025 SoCon Wrestling Championships
March 07, 2025 | Wrestling
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb University wrestling team posted an impressive first day at the 2025 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships, placing fifth place overall as a team behind a handful of strong individual performances
At 125 pounds, junior Tyson Lane pulled a major upset to advance to Saturday's finals. Lane defeated Bryson Terrell of Appalachian State by 9-7 decision in his quarterfinal match-up, then beat No. 1 seed Anthony Molton of Campbell by an 8-2 decision, moving on to Friday as the No. 5 seed in his weight class
Redshirt freshman T.K. Davis handled business as the No. 1 seed in 133 pounds, scoring two wins to advance to Saturday's finals. Davis defeated Kyle Gibson of VMI by tech fall, then Trayce Eckman of Bellarmine by a 16-6 major decision, as the Southern Conference Freshman of The Year moved on to compete for a league title.
Sophomore Joseph Giordano scored the most individual wins for Gardner-Webb on the day, finishing with a 3-1 record. Giordano won his prelim by fall over Elijah Holiday of Presbyterian and despite a quarterfinal set-back, closed out the day with wins over Zac Cowan of Bellarmine by 13-6 decision and Tyler-Xavier McKnight by 5-4 decision in the consolation bracket
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to the arena on Saturday, with Davis, Carter and Lane all competing for Southern Conference Championships and a bid to the NCAA Tournament
At 125 pounds, junior Tyson Lane pulled a major upset to advance to Saturday's finals. Lane defeated Bryson Terrell of Appalachian State by 9-7 decision in his quarterfinal match-up, then beat No. 1 seed Anthony Molton of Campbell by an 8-2 decision, moving on to Friday as the No. 5 seed in his weight class
Redshirt freshman T.K. Davis handled business as the No. 1 seed in 133 pounds, scoring two wins to advance to Saturday's finals. Davis defeated Kyle Gibson of VMI by tech fall, then Trayce Eckman of Bellarmine by a 16-6 major decision, as the Southern Conference Freshman of The Year moved on to compete for a league title.
Graduate student Todd Carter also handled business as the No. 2 seed at 141 pounds, moving on to the finals. Carter, who entered the day on a seven match winning streak, won by tech fall over Thomas Termini of The Citadel then by 7-2 decision over Ryan Luna of Presbyterian.
A handful of other Runnin' Bulldogs also advanced in consolation brackets. Sophomore Drew Pepin posted a 2-1 record for the day, advancing to the semifinals in the 157 pound class. Pepin won his quarterfinal match with Tyler Badgett of The Citadel by 3-2 tiebreaker, and despite a semifinal loss to Noah Castillo of Chattanooga by 8-7 decision, Pepin closed with a 6-1 win over Jeb Pretchel of BellarmineSophomore Joseph Giordano scored the most individual wins for Gardner-Webb on the day, finishing with a 3-1 record. Giordano won his prelim by fall over Elijah Holiday of Presbyterian and despite a quarterfinal set-back, closed out the day with wins over Zac Cowan of Bellarmine by 13-6 decision and Tyler-Xavier McKnight by 5-4 decision in the consolation bracket
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to the arena on Saturday, with Davis, Carter and Lane all competing for Southern Conference Championships and a bid to the NCAA Tournament
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