Hokie ClubEVANSTON, Ill. - Joey Dance won the 125-pound weight class and four other Virginia Tech wrestlers placed at the 52nd Ken Craft Midlands Championships, held inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University, to lead the Hokies to a fifth-place finish at the prestigious event.
Dance went 5-0 over two days, picking up a technical fall and a major decision before getting a takedown of top-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa in the second sudden victory to take the championship. He also beat 10th-seeded Lucas Malmberg of Messiah and third-seeded Josh Rodriguez of NDSU along the way to reach the final match.
Dance became the first Midlands champ from Virginia Tech since both Jarrod Garnett and Nick Brascetta won titles in 2012. Devin Carter also took a title in 2011.
Carter also made it to the finals, but fell 4-1 in the championship bout at 141 pounds to top-seeded and second-ranked Mitchell Port. The two were tied at 1-1 in the third and Carter got in on Port’s legs several times, but Port converted one of the several shots he took and got an extra point for riding time. Carter finished the tournament 5-1 and picked up his 100th career win in the process.
Freshman Kevin Norstrem had an impressive tournament at 133 pounds, taking fifth place. Norstrem went 5-2 overall, 4-1 against NCAA competition. In the fifth-place match, Norstrem got revenge for an earlier close loss to Garnett with a 3-2 win. Garnett, an All-American for the Hokies in 2013, was wrestling for the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club as a post-graduate so neither of the results count toward Norstrem’s stat line, but the win was an impressive one, nonetheless.
Sal Mastriani placed fourth at 149 pounds, going 5-2 for the tournament. Along the way, he beat seventh-seeded Alexander Richardson of ODU and No. 14 seed Brandon Nelsen of Purdue.
Ty Walz placed fourth at heavyweight, going 4-2 for the event. He defeated fifth-seeded Evan Knutson of NDSU for a third time this year, dropped a close decision to top-seeded Michael McMullan of Northwestern and downed 11th-seeded Dawson Peck of Maryland along the way. In the third-place match, he fell to third-seeded Connor Medbery of Wisconsin, 2-1.
As a team, Tech finished in fifth place with 99.5 points behind Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern and Edinboro. The Hokies were without three starters in Nick Brascetta, Chris Moon and Zach Epperly due to injury and a fourth - Austin Gabel - had to forfeit out on Tuesday due to an injury he sustained Monday.
“This was a really good team effort,” said Tech head coach Kevin Dresser. “We had many good things happen this weekend! I know this much, we need to get back in the practice room. This team could be really good if we progress. We need to get healthy to make a serious run this season.”
The Hokies will have a weekend off before heading to Hampton for the Virginia Duals Jan. 9-10 at the Hampton Coliseum. Tech won the 2013 title while the University of Virginia won last year. Both will be in attendance, along with 10 other college squads: Arizona State, Bucknell, Chattanooga, Edinboro, Kent State, Nebraska-Kearney, Old Dominion, Rider, The Citadel and West Virginia.
125: #2 seed Joey Dance (5-0; CHAMPION)
First Round: def. Mark Jolcover (UNI), TF 21-6
Second Round: def. Derek Elmore (N. Illinois), 9-2
Quarterfinals: def. #10 seed Lucas Malmberg (Messiah), MD 16-6
Semifinals: def. #3 seed Josh Rodriguez (NDSU), 7-1
Finals: def. #1 seed Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 3-1 (SV-2)
133: #10 seed Kevin Norstrem (4-1*; FIFTH PLACE)
First Round: def. Hunter Weber (NDSU), 7-0
Second Round: def. #7 seed Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 4-4 (TB-2; RT)
Quarterfinals: lost to #2 seed Jarrod Garnett (Lehigh Valley AC), 3-1 *
Consolations: def. #8 seed Robert Deutsch (Rider), Fall 5:05
Consolations: def. #12 seed Dominick Malone (NW), 3-1 (SV)
Consolations: lost to #1 seed A.J. Schopp (Edinboro), 4-2
Fifth-Place Match: def. #2 seed Jarrod Garnett (Lehigh Valley AC), 3-2 *
141: #2 seed Devin Carter (5-1; SECOND PLACE)
First Round: def. Jason Bing (F&M), Fall 4:23
Second Round: def. Brock Irvin (Illinois), TF 25-10 (7:00)
Third Round: def. Tyler Argue (N. Illinois), MD 18-8
Quarterfinals: def. #7 seed Shyheim Brown (Maryland), MD 17-9
Semifinals: def. #6 seed Steven Rodrigues (Illinois), MD 15-6
Finals: lost to #1 seed Mitchell Port (Edinboro), 4-1
149: #10 seed Sal Mastriani (5-2; FOURTH PLACE)
First Round: def. Joe Randazzo (Indiana), MD 16-5
Second Round: def. #7 seed Alexander Richardson (ODU), 3-1
Quarterfinals: lost to #2 seed David Habat (Edinboro), MD 14-4
Consolations: def. #14 seed Brandon Nelsen (Purdue), 5-3
Consolations: def. Seth Lange (Minnesota), 7-6
Consolations: wins by forfeit
Third-Place Match: lost to #6 seed Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 5-0
157: David Wesley (1-2)
First Round: lost to #4 seed Chad Walsh (Rider), Fall 3:33
Consolations: def. Connor Hedash (Air Force), 8-3
Consolations: lost to Benjamin Sullivan (NW), MD 15-5
165: Chad Strube (1-2)
First Round: def. Patrick Robinson (Purdue), 9-2
Second Round: lost to #8 seed Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton), 4-3
Consolations: lost to Tyrel White (Columbia), 7-5
165: David Bergida (0-2)
First Round: lost to #10 seed Connor McMahon (SIUE), 4-2
Consolations: lost to Matt Nora (Illinois), 3-1
184: #7 seed Austin Gabel (1-1)
First Round: def. #10 seed Clint Morrison (Rider), 5-2
Quarterfinals: lost to #2 seed Jack Dechow (ODU), 3-1 (TB-1)
Consolations: forfeited out (injury)
197: #8 seed Jared Haught (2-2)
First Round: def. Matt Williams (CSUB), MD 10-1
Second Round: def. #9 seed Luke Sheridan (Indiana), 4-2 (TB-1)
Quarterfinals: lost to #1 seed Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-1
Consolations: lost to #2 seed Alex Polizzi (NW), 4-3
285: #4 seed Ty Walz (4-2; FOURTH PLACE)
First Round: def. Marcus Malecek (Air Force), 11-4
Second Round: def. Gage Hutchison (Eastern Mich), 4-2
Quarterfinals: def. #5 seed Evan Knutson (NDSU), 4-3 (TB-1)
Semifinals: lost to #1 seed Michael McMullan (NW), 4-2
Consolations: def. #11 seed Dawson Peck (Maryland), 6-5
Third-Place Match: lost to #3 seed Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 2-1
285: Dan Garwood (2-2)
First Round: def. Tyler Kral (Purdue), 5-3
Second Round: lost to #2 seed Bobby Telford (Iowa), 6-1
Consolations: def. #12 seed Chris Lopez (Illinois), 3-2
Consolations: lost to #7 seed Jake Henderson (ODU), 3-1
* - non-NCAA competitor; result does not count toward season/career record, or NCAA qualification status