Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – After opening the 2018-19 campaign with two tough road duals against nationally ranked opponents, the 13th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team continues to its early-season gauntlet at the Cliff Keen Invitational held in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
The tournament, which every season features arguably the toughest field of any tournament outside the NCAA Championships, runs from Friday, Nov. 30, through Saturday, Dec. 1. Complete coverage of the event can be found on FloWrestling.com while @HokiesWrestling on Twitter will also provide updates over the two days.
WHO'S WRESTLING?
- The following Tech grapplers will compete at the Invite. The numbers that prece a wrestler's name denotes that they've earned a pre-seed at their weight.
125: Joey Prata
133: #9 Korbin Myers
141: Mitch Moore
149: #9 Ryan Blees
157: B.C. LaPrade
165: #7 Mekhi Lewis
174: Cody Hughes
184: #3 Zack Zavatsky
197: #6 Tom Sleigh
285: John Borst
OTHER NOTES
- More than 100 nationally ranked wrestlers will be competing in Las Vegas this weekend, including five Hokies; Myers, Blees, Lewis, Zavatsky and Sleigh.
- Zavatsky has had strong showings in Vegas the last two seasons where he went 5-2 with a fourth-place finish in 2017 and he upended returning NCAA champion Myles Martin as part of a 4-1 performance in 2016.
- Virginia Tech looks to return to Blacksburg with an individual Cliff Keen champion for the fourth consecutive season, following Joey Dance (2015, 125), Ty Walz (2016, 285) and David McFadden (2017, 165).
- The Hokies will look to get revenge against wrestlers from both Missouri and Northwestern, the two squads that topped Tech in duals this season.
- The other ACC teams that traveled west are Pitt, North Carolina, Virginia and Duke.
ON-SALE DATES SET FOR MOSS AND ACC TICKETS
- Tickets for the Hokies' annual dual on the stage at the Moss Arts Center will go on sale to the public at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, while tickets for the 2019 ACC Championships at Cassell Coliseum will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18.
- Commonwealth Clash points will be on the line in this year's match at the Moss as in-state rival Virginia travels to Blacksburg for a 7 p.m. dual on Saturday, Feb. 16.
- The Hokies have won the last two ACC championships and will be hosting the event for the first time since 2014.
UP NEXT
- The Hokies will open the home schedule next week when they welcome Princeton to Cassell Coliseum for a 7 p.m. dual on Friday, Dec. 7.
- Fans are encouraged to wear WWE gear and costumes for "HOKIEMANIA" in Cassell.
- The evening will feature WWE trivia contests, the display Mekhi Lewis' Junior World championship belt and postmatch autographs for fans.