Blees named ACC Wrestler of the Week

The redshirt junior is honored by the conference for the second consecutive week

February 6, 2018

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Redshirt junior Ryan Blees was named the ACC Wrestler of the Week after upsetting sixth-ranked Troy Heilmann and leading the Hokies to a 21-9 win over No. 25 North Carolina this past weekend.

Blees, from Bismarck, North Dakota, and wrestling at 149 pounds, scored a major upset over Heilmann in a 3-1 sudden victory triumph in overtime. The decision boosted Tech’s team advantage to 9-3, a lead it would not relinquish, as the Hokies went on to win their 18th consecutive ACC dual match.

The loss for Heilmann was only his fourth of the year and only the second to a wrestler not ranked in the nation’s top four. Blees, unranked nationally, has now won 13 of his last 14 matches since dropping down to the 149-pound weight class in January.

The honor for Blees was his second straight, as he was named ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week last week after leading the Hokies to dual wins over Duke and ninth-ranked Lehigh. The Hokies have seen grapplers earn at least a share of ACC Wrestler of the Week honors five times this season

The Hokies return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when they travel to Virginia as they look to earn points in the Commonwealth Clash.

For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @HokiesWrestling