BLACKSBURG - Fresh off a record-setting dual meet season, Virginia Tech wrestling coach Kevin Dresser has released the team’s 2011-12 schedule, one that will test the Hokies once again as they continue to build upon last season’s success.
The Hokies will open the season on Nov. 5 against Campbell at the Salem Civic Center before hosting the Hokie Open the following day at the same venue.
Tech will then head to the Duals @ Hershey once again before taking to the road to take on Ohio State on Nov. 20. Tech will open its ACC schedule on Nov. 25 at Virginia before coming home for its home opener on Dec. 1 against Appalachian State.
Individuals will compete in the Penn State Open on Dec. 4 before heading to the prestigious Midlands Open Dec. 28-29 in Evanston, Ill.
The Hokies will open the new year by hosting defending ACC champion Maryland on Jan. 8 and then head to Iowa State on Jan. 13 and NC State on Jan. 15. A four-match homestand follows as Tech hosts Duke (Jan. 21), North Carolina (Jan. 22), Old Dominion (Feb. 3) and Rutgers (Feb. 5).
On Feb. 12, the Hokies will participate in a newly remodeled NWCA National Duals. Tech will be one of 24 already-determined teams battling for the title in the event. Teams will be seeded in one of four regionals (Rutgers, Cornell, Iowa and Oklahoma State). Six teams will go to each site and the teams will wrestle dual meets (the top two seeds at each site get a bye) until a a winner is determined. The four winners will then wrestle the next weekend in the Final Four for the championship at a to-be-determined site. The hope is for this event to become an NCAA-certified dual meet national title event down the road. For the 2012-12 season, the 24 teams will be selected in early February based on season results.
Tech is scheduled to wrestle at American on Feb. 19, provided it isn’t in the Final Four of the NWCA Regionals.
The 2012 ACC Championships will be held on March 3 at Chapel Hill, N.C., and the NCAA Championships will be held March 15-17 at St. Louis, Mo.
Last season, the Hokies won a school-record 20 matches and finished the season ranked sixth in the country as a dual meet team.
The full schedule can be found here.
For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).