January 3, 2013
Hokies return home for bout with Duke
Tech looks to build on success at Midlands

BLACKSBURG - The 11th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team will look to build off its success at the recently completed Midlands Championships when it jumps back into ACC dual meet action Sunday against Duke. The Hokies finished second at the prestigious tournament last weekend with two individual champions and will now host a Duke squad that is 1-3 overall, 0-0 in the ACC under first-year head coach Glen Lanham. Tech is 4-2 overall, 1-0 in the conference. The action begins at 2 p.m. Sunday inside Cassell Coliseum and admission is free.

Tech will feature five ranked wrestlers on Sunday, led by fourth-ranked Jarrod Garnett at 125 pounds. The senior won the Midlands in exciting action, picking up a takedown and back points in sudden victory over Illinois’ Jesse Delgado. Nick Brascetta is ranked sixth after winning the Midlands at 149 pounds, capped by a 3-1 win over No. 1 Donnie Vinson of Binghamton in the finals. Jesse Dong is ranked sixth at 157 pounds by InterMat and Pete Yates is fifth at 165 pounds. Zach Neibert fell to No. 13 at 141 pounds after going 3-2 at the Midlands. Duke has no ranked wrestlers, but features former ACC champ Diego Bencomo at 184 pounds, along with an 8-1 Brandon Gambucci at 133 pounds and a pair of 17-7 wrestlers in Immanuel Kerr-Brown (157) and Conner Hartmann (197).

Tech has won 20 of its last 21 ACC dual matches dating back to 2008 and has won its last seven against the Blue Devils. The Hokies lead the all-time series with Duke, which began in 1926, 22-12-1.

With a win Sunday, Dong will move within one victory of tying the school record for career dual meet wins. He sports a 56-6 all-time mark in dual meets while the record of 58 is held by both Sean Gray and Chris Martin. Dong is also 95-20 for his career and sits just five wins away from becoming the eighth all-time member of the school’s 100-win club. He would join teammates Garnett (sixth at 107 wins) and Yates (fifth at 112 wins) in the club. Dong is also tied for 10th all-time at Tech with 21 career pins after picking up two more at the Midlands last weekend. You can find the Tech wrestling book here.

Live stats will be available here.

Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day as free pizza will be served to all fans in attendance, while supplies last.

Below are the probable lineups for both squads, as submitted by the respective coaching staffs:

#11 Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-0 ACC)
125: #4 Jarrod Garnett (13-1)
133: Erik Spjut (6-5)
141: #13 Zach Neibert (11-5)
149: #6 Nick Brascetta (15-1)
157: #6 Jesse Dong (9-2)
165: #5 Pete Yates (15-1)
174: Austin Gabel (8-6)
184: Nick Vetterlein (7-6)
197: Derrick Borlie (9-6)
285: David Marone (5-6)

Duke (1-3, 0-0 ACC)
125: Peter Terrezza (1-7)
133: Brandon Gambucci (8-1)
141: Tanner Hough (11-10)
149: Marcus Cain (12-7)
157: Immanuel Kerr-Brown (17-7)
165: Randy Roden (4-10)
174: Trey Adamson (9-10)
184: Diego Bencomo (6-8)
197: Conner Hartmann (17-7)
285: Brendan Walsh (4-8) OR Andrew Fulk (0-2)

For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).

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