Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG -- For the past several seasons, the Virginia Tech wrestling program invested its time and work into “raising the bar” – a team motto that has morphed into the program’s identity.
After three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, the program reached new heights this past March when the Hokies made it to the podium at Madison Square Garden in New York City, coming in fourth place. The finish marked the program’s best and the best ever by an ACC team.
To raise the bar this season means finishing in the top three – or even win a national championship.
Kevin Dresser is down for the challenge.
“I’m one of those guys who always wants more and I’m an optimist, so our goal is to win a national title,” Tech’s coach said two weeks before the Hokies started workouts for the upcoming season. “That’s what we’re here to do. That’s the goal of the staff and I think that’s the goal of the team. We’ll know more when we start competing, but I hope they have that sense of urgency.
“I’ve always said that the ultimate goal is to be a top-five program year in and year out. When you make that statement, you better be in it to win it all.”
The ascension to the throne certainly will not be easy. No team outside of the Big Ten has taken home the crown in the past decade, and Penn State dominates collegiate wrestling these days, having won five of the past six national titles.
But of all the teams nationwide, the Hokies certainly appear on paper to be in the best position to break the Big Ten’s dominance. Tech lost three-time All-American Nick Brascetta to graduation, but the Hokies return the remainder of their lineup. Seven of the eight who qualified for the NCAA Championships return, including five All-Americans.
Ty Walz and Zach Epperly headline the contingent. Epperly, a redshirt junior at 174 pounds, won seven straight matches to finish third at the NCAAs after being upset in the first round. Walz, a redshirt senior, advanced to the semifinals at heavyweight before losing to eventual national champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State. He ultimately finished fourth.
Joey Dance, another senior, earned All-America honors as a freshman. He gives the Hokies a total of six who have earned All-America honors at some point. Given that returning talent, Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine ranked the Hokies at No. 2 in its preseason poll.
Dresser, though, expressed concern about complacency coming off of the program’s huge accomplishments this past spring.
“I see certain guys making a run at it. They’re hungry,” he said. “I also see certain guys that I think are going to get snuck up on. The notoriety and the target on their backs … Everyone is going to be gunning for us. We have to learn how to step out and fight every time because people are going to want to take our head off.”
Read the rest of the preview, including a comprehensive breakdown by weight class, in the latest issue of Inside Hokie Sports.
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The No. 4/6 Hokies open the 2016-17 season at Cassell Coliseum tomorrow, Nov. 5, where they will face Edinboro at 1 p.m. before taking on VMI at 3 p.m. Admission is free and the first 300 fans will receive a Virginia Tech wrestling "Raising The Bar" t-shirt.
PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 3 Joey Dance
133: Dominic Latona
141: Dennis Gustafson
149: No. 7 Solomon Chishko
157: Sal Mastriani
165: Mike Ciavarro
174: No. 2 Zach Epperly
184: No. 10 Zack Zavatsky
197: No. 3 Jared Haught
HWT: Dylan Cook