App State Wrestling Dominates Southern Conference Rival The Citadel

Mountaineers take control of conference standings with 23-13 victory over the Bulldogs

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Appalachian State University wrestling team defeated The Citadel Military School of South Carolina by a score of 23-13 in a matchup of the two remaining undefeated teams in Southern Conference play. The Mountaineers got off to a strong start, winning six of the first seven matches to take a commanding 20-3 lead. Key victories came from Aldo Hernandez, Stephen Monchery, and Logan Eller, as App State maintained its hold on the top spot in the conference standings.

Why it matters

This victory over a conference rival solidifies App State's position as the team to beat in the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers have now won six straight matches and are in prime position to claim the conference title heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

The details

Redshirt sophomore Aldo Hernandez and heavyweight sophomore Stephen Monchery gave the Mountaineers an early lead, with Hernandez producing a tech fall and Monchery winning on a third-period pin. Redshirt sophomore Logan Eller also secured a key victory for App State, taking down The Citadel's Adam Ortega with a reversal in the final seconds. Despite the Bulldogs winning the final three matches, it was not enough to mount a comeback, as the Mountaineers held on for the 23-13 win.

  • The match took place on Sunday, February 11, 2026.
  • App State's next match will be on the road at Davidson College on Friday, February 16, 2026 at 7 p.m.

The players

Aldo Hernandez

Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder for the Appalachian State Mountaineers wrestling team.

Stephen Monchery

Sophomore heavyweight for the Appalachian State Mountaineers wrestling team.

Logan Eller

Redshirt sophomore 197-pounder for the Appalachian State Mountaineers wrestling team.

Kaden Keiser

Redshirt junior 149-pounder for the Appalachian State Mountaineers wrestling team, ranked No. 30 in the coaches poll.

JohnMark Bentley

Head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers wrestling team.

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What they’re saying

“I try to keep everything the same. Going into the match, I knew it was going to be a big match, conference title on the line, but I keep everything the same and our coach preaches on the next match is the most important one, this happened to be the next one.”

— Aldo Hernandez, Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder (theappalachianonline.com)

“I was actively trying to get to my feet, he threw a leg in at the end, and I just felt myself able to hop over and get the reversal.”

— Logan Eller, Redshirt sophomore 197-pounder (theappalachianonline.com)

“Body and mind feel great, the energy has been the best it's ever been all year, and our culture is the best it's been all year.”

— Aldo Hernandez, Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder (theappalachianonline.com)

“I thought that the crowd was great today. They were vocal, they were loud, they obviously gave us some momentum, gave us a homefield advantage. Our guys fed off of it, obviously we got the good start, winning six of the first seven, which is a big deal.”

— JohnMark Bentley, Head coach (theappalachianonline.com)

What’s next

App State wrestling looks to stay ahead of the pack in the SoCon standings, with just three matches to play before the conference tournament. The next match will be on the road at Davidson College on Friday, February 16, 2026 at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on FloSports.

The takeaway

This victory over a conference rival solidifies App State's position as the team to beat in the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers have now won six straight matches and are in prime position to claim the conference title heading into the final stretch of the regular season, proving their wrestling program's continued dominance in the region.