Upcoming Event: Wrestling versus Appalachian State on December 17, 2025 at 6 p.m.
/
6 p.m.
Wrestling
vs Appalachian State
Wednesday, December 17
Durham, N.C.
6 p.m.
Duke University
vs
Appalachian State
Photo by: Sam Janicki
Blue Devils Return Home to Host App State Wednesday
12/16/2025 9:30:00 AM | Wrestling
Appalachian State (2-4) at Duke (5-3)
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025Â *Â 6 p.m.
Durham, N.C. * Cameron Indoor Stadium
Watch on ACCNX  l Live Scoring
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SETTING THE SCENE
• The Duke wrestling team (5-3) returns home to host Appalachian State (2-4) on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m., inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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HOW TO FOLLOW
• Fans can follow the action live on FloWrestling.
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THE SERIES WITH APPALACHIAN STATE
• Duke and Appalachian State will meet for the 22nd time in program history with the Mountaineers leading the series, 15-6. Appalachian State has won the last six match ups.
• Last season, Duke lost 45-5 in Boone, N.C., as Connor Barket (285) won his heavyweight match by tech fall.Â
• The Blue Devils are 2-5 all-time in matches played in Durham.
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RUSSELL TO FACE ALMA MATER
• First year assistant coach Codi Russell will face his alma mater, Appalachian State, Wednesday in Cameron. Russell is a 2021 ASU graduate.Â
• He was a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier and three-time Southern Conference Champion at 125 pounds.Â
• Russell notched 94 career wins in college.
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LAST TIME OUT
• The Duke wrestling team won five out of its final seven bouts on Dec. 3 on the road at Gardner-Webb to collect a 24-22 victory at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs.
• The Blue Devils received victories from Dylan Ross, Mikey Boulanger, Aurelius Dunbar, Aidan Wallace and Connor Barket to propel Duke to the win. Duke improved to 5-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs dropped to 3-3.
• Gardner-Webb opened the match by jumping out to a 14-0 lead by winning at 125, 133 and 141 pounds.
• The Blue Devils were able to get on the board at 149 pounds as redshirt freshman Dylan Ross collected a 4-0 decision against Drew Pepin. Ross, who is from Edgewater, New Jersey, battled through a scoreless first two periods, before collecting a reversal to put the first points on the board and holding on for the 4-0 decision. Ross is now 2-2 on the season in dual match action and 5-2 overall.
• At 157 pounds, Duke's Mikey Boulanger faced Joseph Giordano. Boulanger totaled a takedown in the first period and led 3-1.Giordano battled back in the second by notching an escape and takedown to lead, 4-3, heading into the final period. Boulanger, a native of Milford, Massachusetts, notched a reversal to open the period to regain the lead and held on for a 6-5 decision.
• The Blue Devils trailed 14-6 heading into the 165-pound match featuring Aurelius Dunbar of Duke and Tucker Cell of Gardner-Webb. Dunbar, who hails from Greencastle, Pennsylvania, took control early with a takedown and nearfall to lead 7-1, before collecting a pin and put an important six points on the board for Duke.
• Needing more Duke points to cut into the Bulldog lead, redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace did just that at 174 pounds as he pinned Andrew Wilson to collect his 10th win of the season. Wallace, a native of Mahwah, New Jersey, is now 19-6 in dual match play. The fall by 23rd-ranked Wallace gave Duke its first lead of the match, 18-14.
• Gardner-Webb regained the lead, 22-18, by netting two major decisions at 184 and 197 pounds.
• It all came down to the heavyweight match with Duke's 19th-ranked Connor Barket and Gardner-Webbs Rocky Files. Barket, who is from West Lafayette, Indiana, took control of the match early with a takedown 45 seconds into the bout. He added five more takedowns, before closing the match with a pin to clinch the Duke victory.
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DUKE REACHES FIVE WINS
• Duke has opened the season with a 5-3 ledger. It marks the most victories by the Blue Devils since the 2021-22 campaign when Duke totaled a 7-10 ledger.Â
• Over the last 10 years, Duke has reached five or more wins only three times -- 2025-26, 2021-22 and 2017-18.
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OTHER NOTES
• Of Duke's 169 points scored on the season, 82 have come from the 165, 174 and Heavyweight divisions.
Â
BARKET & WALLACE RANKED NATIONALLY
• Duke wrestling redshirt junior Connor Barket is currently listed in four different rankings -- FloWrestling (#19), Intermat (#22) and WrestleStat (#23).Â
• Seeing action at 174 pounds this season, redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace is also ranked in three different polls -- Intermat (#23), WrestleStat (#31) and FloWrestling (#26).
• Wallace (10-1) and Barket (9-0) have combined for a 19-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign.Â
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DUNBAR HAS SOLID START TO DUKE CAREER
• Blue Devil graduate student Aurelius Dunbar has featured a solid start to his Duke career with a 5-1 ledger. He has collected wins against Sacred Heart, Morgan State, Mercyhurst and VMI, while the only loss came to Drexel.Â
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Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025Â *Â 6 p.m.
Durham, N.C. * Cameron Indoor Stadium
Watch on ACCNX  l Live Scoring
Â
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Duke wrestling team (5-3) returns home to host Appalachian State (2-4) on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m., inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Â
HOW TO FOLLOW
• Fans can follow the action live on FloWrestling.
Â
THE SERIES WITH APPALACHIAN STATE
• Duke and Appalachian State will meet for the 22nd time in program history with the Mountaineers leading the series, 15-6. Appalachian State has won the last six match ups.
• Last season, Duke lost 45-5 in Boone, N.C., as Connor Barket (285) won his heavyweight match by tech fall.Â
• The Blue Devils are 2-5 all-time in matches played in Durham.
Â
RUSSELL TO FACE ALMA MATER
• First year assistant coach Codi Russell will face his alma mater, Appalachian State, Wednesday in Cameron. Russell is a 2021 ASU graduate.Â
• He was a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier and three-time Southern Conference Champion at 125 pounds.Â
• Russell notched 94 career wins in college.
Â
LAST TIME OUT
• The Duke wrestling team won five out of its final seven bouts on Dec. 3 on the road at Gardner-Webb to collect a 24-22 victory at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs.
• The Blue Devils received victories from Dylan Ross, Mikey Boulanger, Aurelius Dunbar, Aidan Wallace and Connor Barket to propel Duke to the win. Duke improved to 5-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs dropped to 3-3.
• Gardner-Webb opened the match by jumping out to a 14-0 lead by winning at 125, 133 and 141 pounds.
• The Blue Devils were able to get on the board at 149 pounds as redshirt freshman Dylan Ross collected a 4-0 decision against Drew Pepin. Ross, who is from Edgewater, New Jersey, battled through a scoreless first two periods, before collecting a reversal to put the first points on the board and holding on for the 4-0 decision. Ross is now 2-2 on the season in dual match action and 5-2 overall.
• At 157 pounds, Duke's Mikey Boulanger faced Joseph Giordano. Boulanger totaled a takedown in the first period and led 3-1.Giordano battled back in the second by notching an escape and takedown to lead, 4-3, heading into the final period. Boulanger, a native of Milford, Massachusetts, notched a reversal to open the period to regain the lead and held on for a 6-5 decision.
• The Blue Devils trailed 14-6 heading into the 165-pound match featuring Aurelius Dunbar of Duke and Tucker Cell of Gardner-Webb. Dunbar, who hails from Greencastle, Pennsylvania, took control early with a takedown and nearfall to lead 7-1, before collecting a pin and put an important six points on the board for Duke.
• Needing more Duke points to cut into the Bulldog lead, redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace did just that at 174 pounds as he pinned Andrew Wilson to collect his 10th win of the season. Wallace, a native of Mahwah, New Jersey, is now 19-6 in dual match play. The fall by 23rd-ranked Wallace gave Duke its first lead of the match, 18-14.
• Gardner-Webb regained the lead, 22-18, by netting two major decisions at 184 and 197 pounds.
• It all came down to the heavyweight match with Duke's 19th-ranked Connor Barket and Gardner-Webbs Rocky Files. Barket, who is from West Lafayette, Indiana, took control of the match early with a takedown 45 seconds into the bout. He added five more takedowns, before closing the match with a pin to clinch the Duke victory.
Â
DUKE REACHES FIVE WINS
• Duke has opened the season with a 5-3 ledger. It marks the most victories by the Blue Devils since the 2021-22 campaign when Duke totaled a 7-10 ledger.Â
• Over the last 10 years, Duke has reached five or more wins only three times -- 2025-26, 2021-22 and 2017-18.
Â
OTHER NOTES
• Of Duke's 169 points scored on the season, 82 have come from the 165, 174 and Heavyweight divisions.
Â
BARKET & WALLACE RANKED NATIONALLY
• Duke wrestling redshirt junior Connor Barket is currently listed in four different rankings -- FloWrestling (#19), Intermat (#22) and WrestleStat (#23).Â
• Seeing action at 174 pounds this season, redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace is also ranked in three different polls -- Intermat (#23), WrestleStat (#31) and FloWrestling (#26).
• Wallace (10-1) and Barket (9-0) have combined for a 19-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign.Â
Â
DUNBAR HAS SOLID START TO DUKE CAREER
• Blue Devil graduate student Aurelius Dunbar has featured a solid start to his Duke career with a 5-1 ledger. He has collected wins against Sacred Heart, Morgan State, Mercyhurst and VMI, while the only loss came to Drexel.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
285
/ Wrestling
157/165
/ Wrestling
157/165
/ Wrestling
141/149
/ Wrestling
165/174
/ WrestlingConnor Barket Post ACC Championship
Monday, March 10
Season Opener Video
Friday, November 01
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
Welcome to Duke
Saturday, October 19
