BLACKSBURG - The 17th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team will look to get back on the winning track Saturday and will have plenty of opportunities to do so when it wrestles four dual meets as part of the Duals @ Hershey, held in Pennsylvania. Tech (0-1) will open with Kent State at 9 a.m., and will then take on Edinboro at noon, The Citadel at 1:30 p.m. and will finish with George Mason at 3 p.m.
All four matches will be wrestled inside Hersheypark Arena and doors open at 8 a.m. Admission is $12 for the day. Other Division I teams participating, but not wrestling Tech, are: Drexel, Lock Haven University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia. For more information on the event, go to the event’s website.
According to event organizers, live stats will be available for each match by going to the NWCA’s live event scoreboard page.
When the Hokies take on the Fighting Scots, it’ll be a special match for two of Tech’s coaches. Associate head coach Tony Robie was a three-time EWL champ who was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and assistant coach Nate Yetzer was an All-American for Edinboro as a senior.
Both Kent State and Edinboro are receiving votes in the latest NWCA/USA Today Division I Team Coaches Poll. For Tech, seven wrestlers are ranked in this week’s InterMat Top 20. Chris Diaz moved up to seventh at 141 pounds and Tommy Spellman (184) and Jarrod Garnett (125) are both ranked 10th at their respective weight class. Freshman Devin Carter vaulted into the ranking and sits at No. 11 after a 6-0 start where he was also named the ACC Wrestler of the Week. Pete Yates (157) is 14th, while heavyweight David Marone is 17th and senior Matt Epperly (165) hangs on at No. 20. Brian Stephens fell out of the ranking at 149 pounds after going 4-2 last weekend.
Tech will also send numerous wrestlers to the NC State Wolfpack Open and a few to the Michigan State Open, with some wrestling unattached.
Below are the probable lineups for Tech and all four opponents as submitted by the respective coaching staffs. Also below is a list of which Tech wrestlers will be competing at the two open tournaments.
#17 Virginia Tech (0-1)
125: #10 Jarrod Garnett (5-1) OR T.J. Mitchell (0-1)
133: #11 Devin Carter (6-0)
141: #7 Chris Diaz (5-1) OR Nick Murray (4-1)
149: Brian Stephens (4-2) OR Cameron Hurd (4-2)
157: #14 Pete Yates (6-0)
165: #20 Matt Epperly (4-2) OR Chris Moon (3-2)
174: Nick Vetterlein (1-3)
184: #10 Tommy Spellman (5-0) OR John Dickson (2-2)
197: Chris Penny (4-3) OR Bobby Lavelle (1-2)
285: #17 David Marone (4-1)
The Citadel (0-0)
125: Tyler Sim (0-1)
133: Richard Alarcon (3-2)
141: Nick LaFevre (0-0) or Jordan Dix (0-1)
149: Derek Royster (0-1)
157: Pierre Frazile (2-2)
165: Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (5-1)
174: J.C. Oddo (3-0)
184: Justin Sparrow (2-2)
197: Kelby Smith (3-2)
285: Luke Johnson (3-2) OR Manuel Camargo (0-2) OR Gerald Johnson (3-2)
Edinboro (0-1-1)
125: Evan Yenolevich (1-1)
133: Eric Morrill (1-1)
141: Vinny Pisani (0-2)
149: #9 Torsten Gillespie (1-1)
157: Johnny Greisheimer (1-1)
165: Matt Laird (1-1)
174: Chris Hrunka (1-1)
184: Kenny Massey (0-2)
197: Shawn Fendone (1-1)
285: Ernest James (0-2)
George Mason (0-0)
125: Zach Huxford (0-0)
133: John Delgado (1-2) OR Ryan Hunsberger (0-0)
141: Denny Herndon (0-0)
149: Brandon Bucher (0-0)
157: Ty Knepp (2-2)
165: Jimmy Kaden (4-1)
174: Greg Scott (2-2)
184: #12 Bagna Tovuujav (0-0)
197: #7 Cayle Byers (0-0)
285: Hunter Manspile (3-2) OR Kyle Burke (1-2)
Kent State (1-1)
125: #6 Nic Bedelyon (2-0)
133: Sean Collins (1-3) OR Tyler Small (4-1)
141: Chase Skonieczny (5-3)
149: Marcel Clopton (2-3)
157: #19 Matt Cathell (5-1)
165: Ross Tice (4-3)
174: Chris Estep (2-3) OR Brandonn Johnson (5-2)
184: Casey Newburg (4-3) OR Keith Witt (3-2)
197: #3 Dustin Kilgore (6-0)
285: #13 Brendan Barlow (2-3)
NC State Wolfpack Open
141: Chris Mears
141: Zach Neibert
149: Taylor Knapp (unattached)
165: Harrison Hightower (unattached)
174: Robbie Wannenburg
Michigan State Open
125: Ty Mitch (unattached)
133: Erik Spjut (unattached)
157: Jesse Dong (unattached)
For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).