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Blue Devils Ring in New Year at Southern Scuffle
12/31/2014 11:21:00 AM | Wrestling
DURHAM, N.C.—The Duke University wrestling team will ring in the New Year on the mat at the prestigious 2015 Defense Soap & Flips Wrestling Southern Scuffle tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. Jan. 1-2. The Blue Devils look to build on their 3-0 day at the Grapple at the Garden prior to the holiday break.
#LetsScuffle
The Southern Scuffle features some of the top wrestlers from across the country. Perennial powers such as Penn State, Nebraska and Cornell highlight the field. Overall nine of the top 20 teams from NCAA Championships are participating in the event, including Nos. 1, 3, and 7. Individually two national champions and six finalists are among the individuals competing at the Scuffle. All totaled, 29 All-Americans and 93 nationally-ranked wrestlers are scheduled to take the mat. Tickets for the 2015 Southern Scuffle are on sale now. Daily admission is $30 for reserved seats, $20 for general admission and $10 for youth general admission. All-session passes are $55 for reserved, $35 for general admission and $15 for youth. Tickets can be purchased online on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
Four Blue Devils Earn Seeds
Four Blue Devils are among the 120 preseeded wrestlers across the 10 weight classes. Conner Hartmann headlines the group as the No. 3 seed at 197 pounds. The reigning NCAA Champion J'Den Cox tops the seeds at 197. Redshirt seniors Brandon Gambucci and Immanuel Kerr-Brown both grabbed the 12th seeds at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively, while Jacob Kasper is 10th in the 184-pound division.
Recapping the Grapple at the Garden
The Blue Devils had a very successful showing in historic Madison Square Garden, going 3-0 at the Grapple at the Garden. Duke defeated Northern Iowa, George Mason and the Big Ten's Maryland. Conner Hartmann, Immanuel Kerr-Brown and Jacob Kasper all went 3-0 on the day, with Kasper scoring bonus points for Duke in his final two matches. The 24-9 victory for Duke against Maryland was the Blue Devils' first over the Terps since 2005 and marked the second most points a Duke team has scored against its former ACC foe.
Hartmann Shines in Debut in Blue Devil Singlet
Redshirt junior and 2014 All-American Conner Hartmann made his Duke debut at the Grapple at the Garden. Hartmann went 3-0 with a pair of decisions and a major decision as he pushed his career total to 50-22 in his two-plus seasons. Ranked fifth nationally at 197 pounds, the Port Orchard, Wash., native heads into the Southern Scuffle unbeaten after going 8-0 in the early part of the season wrestling unattached.
Duke in the Rankings
Conner Hartmann tops the InterMat Dec. 23 rankings at No. 5, while Immanuel Kerr-Brown is 17th and Marcus Cain is 18th. All three have been ranked since the middle of November and have maintained their spots. The trio is a combined 24-4 for the year.
Top Matchups in the Scuffle
Kerr-Brown might get the chance to avenge his two losses this season as NC State's Tommy Gantt and Nebraska's James Green will be in attendance in Chattanooga. Gantt got the better of Kerr-Brown in the season-opening tournament, while Green edged the captain in the opening dual of the year. Hartmann, as the No. 3 seed, has the potential to face Missouri's J'Den Cox who defeated Hartmann in the NCAA Championships en route to taking home the NCAA title. Familiar ACC foes in Nick Bonnacorsi and Virginia's Zach Nye also will be on the mat for potential rematches at 197. At 184, Kasper has three common foes among the top 12 seeds, while Gambucci might get the opportunity to avenge his setback to Nebraska's Anthony Abidin.
Freshman Coming into their Own
True freshman Thayer Atkins and Bailey Jack wrestled strong at the Grapple at the Garden. In just their second and third career duals respectively, the duo went a combined 3-3. Jack earned a big win over Northern Iowa's Leighton Gaul to help Duke upend the Panthers, while Atkins went 2-1 on the day to score the Blue Devils six points overall. Atkins is 7-5 overall in matches this season and 2-2 since putting on a Duke singlet. Jack sports an 8-5 mark overall – he wrestled unattached early on – and is 2-3 in his five duals.
Kasper Showing his Potential
True sophomore Jacob Kasper showed why his coaches believe he is a potential NCAA Championship qualifier this season with three strong victories at the Grapple at the Garden. The Lexington, Ohio native has earned the No. 10 seed at 184 pounds and is 12-3 on the year. In New York City, Kasper was the highest scoring Blue Devil, netting 12 points in three matches.
ACC Schedule Awaits
Duke opens its ACC dual schedule Jan. 7 with a road match at NC State at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils then travel to the Pitt Duals to take on ACC foe Pittsburgh and non-conference opponents Eastern Michigan and Lock Haven.
#GoDuke
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