HAMPTON, Va. - The 10th-ranked and second-seeded Virginia Tech wrestling squad opened up action at the 33rd Virginia Duals Friday with a 32-9 win over unseeded Binghamton in the first round.
Fourth-seeded Jarrod Garnett struggled with Patrick Hunter at 125 pounds, giving up two takedowns, but Garnett rode Hunter for the whole second period and turned him in the process for back points to hold on for the 8-5 win. At 133 pounds, Erik Spjut used two takedowns to defeat Derek Steeley 4-2 before Zach Neibert used four nearfall combinations to roll to a 16-0 technical fall over Dan Riggi at 141 pounds.
The marquee match of the bout featured Tech’s fifth-ranked Nick Brascetta took on sixth-ranked Donnie Vinson at 149 pounds in a rematch of the Midlands Championships final. Brascetta won that match 3-1, but Vinson used a takedown in both the first and second periods, plus riding time, to win this one 6-3.
Sixth-ranked Jesse Dong tied the school record for career dual meet wins when he pinned Jack McKeever at the 4:01 mark. He now has 58 career dual meet wins, tying Sean Gray and Chris Martin in first place. At 165 pounds, fifth-ranked Pete Yates made quick work of Vincent Grella, pinning him at the 57-second mark.
Austin Gabel used four takedowns and over two minutes of riding time to down John Paris, 10-4, at 174 pounds before Nick Vetterlein used five takedowns of his own to spark him to a 10-5 win over Cody Reed at 184 pounds. Eighth-ranked Nate Scheidel of Binghamton pinned Tech’s Derrick Borlie in the second period, but David Marone picked up a pair of takedowns and a point for riding time to down Tyler Deuel 6-1.
Tech will wrestle again at 3 p.m. against seventh-seeded Kent State, a winner over VMI earlier Friday.
#10 Virginia Tech (6-2) 32, Binghamton (2-7) 9
125: #4 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Patrick Hunter, 8-5
133: Erik Spjut (VT) dec. Derek Steeley, 4-2
141: #11 Zach Neibert (VT) tech fall Dan Riggi, 16-0 (4:01)
149: #6 Donnie Vinson (B) dec. #5 Nick Brascetta, 6-3
157: #6 Jesse Dong (VT) fall Jack McKeever, 4:01
165: #5 Pete Yates (VT) fall Vincent Grella, :57
174: Austin Gabel (VT) dec. John Paris, 10-4
184: Nick Vetterlein (VT) dec. Cody Reed, 10-5
197: #8 Nate Schiedel (B) fall Derrick Borlie, 3:41
285: David Marone (VT) dec. Tyler Deuel, 6-1
For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).