LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock wrestling is set to fight at Battle in the River City this weekend, a multi-dual event featuring Division I teams from all over the country. The Trojans will compete in three duals throughout the day in Jacksonville, Florida, including #14 Iowa State, RV Campbell, and familiar foes Chattanooga.
The event will be
live streamed on Rokfin, while Little Rock fans can follow live tweets at
@LittleRockWRES. The Trojans take on Campbell first at 9 a.m. CT, Iowa State next at 11 a.m. CT, and Chattanooga to finish the day at 3 p.m. CT.
"We're excited about wrestling some new teams and a historic powerhouse like Iowa State," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "It's always good to wrestle those programs and see where you're at, but it's also good to compete against schools your size and your resource level. Campbell and Chattanooga are two really tough teams and it's going to be a good test for us tomorrow. This weekend can help us set the tone for the rest of the weekend. This weekend will be fun but it'll also be a pivotal moment, and I'm excited to see how our guys respond."
Taking On Tough Teams
The first look at Division I competition this season for the Trojans is filled with big competition, as Little Rock meets Iowa State and Campbell for the first time each. Iowa State sits at a lofty #14 in the NWCA Preseason Division I Wrestling Coaches poll released last Friday, while Campbell is receiving votes.
Meanwhile Trojans will wrestle unranked foes Chattanooga for the second time in school history to close the day of competition. The first meeting between the teams was in January of 2021, two seasons ago, where the Mocs squeaked by with the 16-23 win.
Ranked Round-Up
There should be several fun match-ups tomorrow, as each team boasts a handful of ranked wrestlers.
Triston Wills headlines the Trojan squad, coming in at #22 at 174 pounds via FloWrestling. He'll take on his first ranked opponent of the year, #15 Rocky Jordan, in the Chattanooga dual. Campbell and Iowa State's ranked wrestlers at 174 pounds did not appear in probables for this weekend.
Chattanooga has two other wrestlers receiving Honorable Mentions in the rankings at 125 and 133, while Campbell has three wrestlers with Honorable Mentions and one numerical ranking at heavyweight via FloWrestling. To round out Little Rock's opponents, Iowa State will showcase six ranked wrestlers this weekend at weight classes 125, 157, 165, 184, 197, and 285. View all probables below.
Still Making Program History
Little Rock will enter the weekend coming off an adrenaline high after posting a program-high 41 points over Ouachita Baptist's three to seal the home opener victory this past Tuesday night at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans claimed nine bouts during the evening, earning bonus points in seven of those nine individual wins.
This weekend will be a tough reality check against top teams, but not against teams that the rapidly improving Trojans can't hold their own against. The Battle in the River City will be the first of many tests this November, as the team has loaded up their schedule with several tournaments along with a dual at Oklahoma just two weeks away. Home fans will have to hold tight, as Little Rock will not return to the Jack Stephens Center until Sunday, December 18 at 6:00 p.m.
View the full schedule here.
Little Rock Probables
125:
Jeremiah Reno, So. (1-0) or
Jayden Carson, R-Jr. (1-0)
133:
Josh Sarpy, R-So. (1-0) or
Cael Keck, Fr. (0-0)
141:
Jayden Gomez, R-Fr. (1-0) or
Brennan Van Hoecke, Fr. (0-0)
149:
Joseph Bianchi, R-Jr. (1-0) or
Chase Tebbets, Sr. (0-0)
157:
Matty Bianchi, R-Fr. (1-0) or
Brendon Abdon, Fr. (0-0)
165:
Tyler Brennan, R-Jr. (1-0) or
Kodiak Cannedy, Fr. (0-0)
174: #22
Triston Wills, R-Jr. (1-0)
184:
Mason Diel, R-Fr. (1-0) or
Will Edgar, Sr. (0-0)
197:
Matthew Weinert, R-Fr. (0-1) or
Stephen Little, Fr. (0-0)
285:
Josiah Hill, R-So. (1-0) or
Apollo Gothard, R-Fr. (0-0)
Campbell Probables
125: Anthony Molton or Zak Thompson or Zander Phaturos
133: #HM Domenic Zaccone or Gabriel Hixenbaugh
141: Shannon Hanna
149: Chris Rivera or Callum Sitek
157: Troy Nation or Hagen Heistand
165: Dom Baker or Riley Augustine
174: Cole Rees
184: #HM Caleb Hopkins
197: #HM Levi Hopkins or Brandon Hosleton
HWT: #18 Taye Ghadiali or Chad Nix
#14 Iowa State Probables
125: #18 Kysen Terukina or Caleb Fuessley
133: Zach Redding or Evan Frost
141: Casey Swiderski or Jacob Frost
149: Paniro Johnson or Cam Robinson
157: Jason Kraisser or #24 Isaac Judge
165: #4 David Carr or MJ Gaitan
174: Julien Broderson
184: #5 Marcus Coleman
197: #7 Yonger Bastida
285: #13 Sam Schuyler
Chattanooga Probables
125: #HM Logan Ashton or Dom DiTommaso
133: #HM Brayden Palmer or Blake Boarman
141: Franco Valdes
149: Grant Lundy or Matthew Williams
157: Lincoln Heck or Cole Cochran
165: Weston Wichman or Caleb Waddell or Kamdyn Munro
174: #15 Rocky Jordan or Thomas Sell
184: Landon Lewis or Sergio Desiante
197: Jake Boyd
285: Longan Andrew or Nicholas Benton
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
