Trojan Wrestling to Ring In New Year at Southern Scuffle Tournament

LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock wrestling is ringing in the New Year at the Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sports, on January 1 and 2. The Trojans are sending 15 men to the annual tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee to compete against 19 other teams also in attendance, with two of those Little Rock wrestlers earning top-2 seeds.
 
Fans can watch all the action over the two-day tournament on FloWrestling and follow along on Little Rock wrestling's social media accounts, linked at the bottom. The first bouts kick off at 10 a.m. EST.
 
Nasir Bailey and Josiah Hill have received top seeds going into the Scuffle. Bailey, ranked #8 nationally, comes in  number one at 133 pounds. Hill, nationally ranked at #27, holds the number two seed at the heavyweight position. View all pre-seeds here.


Coach's Corner
"Excited for us to have another opportunity to showcase our fight and our skill as we compete against some of the best teams in the country," said associate head coach Javier Maldonado. Some of those teams include Oklahoma, who hold a tournament-best 10 top-6 pre-seeds, followed by Indiana with eight and Army with five.
 
"Our goal is to keep building on what we've been doing all year: compete hard, give yourself a chance to win matches, control what you can control, and have fun."


Ended 2023 on a High Note
The Trojans return to Chattanooga after a successful showing in the city just two weeks ago, where Little Rock downed the Mocs and Queens at a tri-dual before heading to Nashville for the Collegiate Duals.
 
Following the long weekend, the Trojans received national recognition as a team for their performances, which included nearly knocking off a top-15 squad. The results also led to a program-best six individually ranked wrestlers during the week of Dec. 25. 

Read up on the team's rise to success here.


A Chance to Start Off 2024 Strong
The 15-man squad includes a handful of Trojans fighting for the starting spot in the Little Rock lineup, while a few others look to add more wins to their repertoire at the final tournament on the schedule.
 
Aside from Bailey and Hill's performances this season, Josh Sarpy and Joseph Bianchi will be ones to watch as the other Little Rock wrestlers attending the Scuffle with ranked wins under their belt. The former is 7-6 on the season while the latter is even at 6-6.

A pair of Trojans are eager return to the mat after earning their first dual starts of their careers the last time out: Reid Nelson and Kodiak Cannedy. Nelson holds three wins on the season, two by fall, while Cannedy boasts a winning record of 7-4.
 
Overall, every Little Rock wrestler has an opportunity to go out and do big things, whether that's advancing through their respective bracket or contributing points toward the team score. Last year, the Trojans finished 10^th at the Scuffle with the help of three finalists, and this season the squad will be looking to raise the bar.


Little Rock Wrestlers
125: Reid Nelson and Jayden Carson
133: #8 Nasir Bailey and Josh Sarpy
141: Cael Keck  
157: Chase Tebbets
165: Brendon Abdon, Joseph Bianchi, Bilal Bailey, and Nico Lozano
174: Kodiak Cannedy, Warren Hoyt, and Austin Keal
285: #27 Josiah Hill and Matthew Weinert
 
*Rankings via InterMat


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.
 
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