NEW YORK – Virginia Tech wrestling's Mekhi Lewis and Ty Walz both finish fourth at the 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial International Open in New York. The two Hokies still have two more opportunities to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Walz finished the tournament 3-2 in the 97 kg division. He outscored his opponents 23-16 through his five matches. Lewis went 4-2 at 74 kg, outscoring his opponents by an impressive 34-15.
Walz fought his way into the semifinals with an 11-4 win over Joshua Manu in the round of 16 and a 5-0 win in the quarterfinals over Riley Lefever. In the semis, Walz lost to Michael Macchiavello 4-0 after Macchiavello picked up an early takedown and turn.
Walz wasn't finished despite being knocked out of title contention. He defeated Derek White 7-4 in the consolation semifinals before meeting Hayden Zillmer in the third-place match. Walz finished fourth after losing 4-0 to Zillmer.
Lewis breezed into the quarterfinals winning both matches by tech fall. He defeated James Hunsberger 10-0 in the round of 32, and Jakob Sykora 11-0 in the round of 16. Lewis then faced Vincenzo Joseph in a rematch of the 2019 NCAA finals.
Lewis got off to a 1-0 start, but Joseph scored a second period takedown, which was upheld after a challenge, to take a 3-1 lead. Joseph held on for a 4-1 victory.
However, Lewis finished the tournament strong. He defeated Logan Massa 7-1 in the consolation round of four and then took down Thomas Gannt 5-1 in the consolation semifinals. Lewis then ran into Nazar Kulchytskyy in the third-place match and finished fourth after a 9-3 defeat.
Lewis and Walz will continue their 2020 Olympic Trials qualification bids at the U.S. Open in Fort Worth, Texas. The tournament is scheduled for December 20-22.
