BLACKSBURG – After a historic regular season and second-place finish at the 2021 ACC Championships, Virginia Tech wrestling heads to St. Louis for the 2021 NCAA Championships starting Thursday.
Action gets underway Thursday at 11 a.m. ET and will continue for three days, culminating with the Championship Finals Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Due to COVID-19 restraints, the First Round, Second Round and Quarterfinals will be split up based on weight class.
TV SCHEDULE
Thurs. | 11 a.m. First Round (125 pounds – 157 pounds) | ESPNU
Thurs. | 2 p.m. First Round (165 pounds – Heavyweight) | ESPNU
Thurs. | 6 p.m. Second Round (125 pounds – 157 pounds) | ESPN2
Thurs. | 9 p.m. Second Round (165 pounds – Heavyweight) | ESPN2
Fri. | 11 a.m. Quarterfinals (125 pounds – 157 pounds) | ESPNU
Fri. | 3 p.m. Quarterfinals (165 pounds – Heavyweight) | ESPNU
Fri. | 8 p.m. Semifinals | ESPN
Sat. | 11 a.m. Medal Rounds | ESPN2
Sat. | 7 p.m. National Championships | ESPN
TECH QUALIFIERS (SEED)
125: Sam Latona (2)
133: Korbin Myers (3)
149: Bryce Andonian (6)
157: Connor Brady (28)
165: Mekhi Lewis (4)
174: Dakota Howard (27)
184: Hunter Bolen (5)
285: Hunter Catka (18)
The Hokies go to St. Louis with eight qualifiers, same number they had in their program-record, fourth-place finish in 2016. Tech has had at least eight qualifiers in seven of the last eight championships.
As the 2 seed at 125 pounds, Sam Latona is the highest seeded freshman in school history. The Alabama native won the 2021 ACC Championship and went a 10-0 this season in his first year competing for the Hokies.
Fellow ACC Champion Korbin Myers qualified for the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in his career and will have his highest seed of his career at No. 3. Myers went 8-0 this season with three major decision victories over ranked ACC opponents.
TOP 5 SEEDS
- The Hokies have four wrestlers seeded in the Top 5 for the 2021 NCAA Championships, the second most in school history: Sam Latona (2 seed), Korbin Myers (3 seed), Mekhi Lewis (4 seed) and Hunter Bolen (5 seed).
- The most Top 5 seeds in one NCAA Championships in school history is five which was achieved at the 2017 NCAAs.
RETURN OF THE KING
- The reigning, defending 165-pound national champion Mekhi Lewis returns to the NCAAs two years after his incredible run at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
- Seeded eighth, Lewis knocked off the No. 1, 4 and 2 seeds in succession to win the program's first national championship.
- This year, Lewis is seeded fourth after being the consensus No. 1 165-pounder for the majority of the year, before getting injured in the last dual of the season.
- Lewis also became Tech's first Most Outstanding Wrestler at the championships.
FAMILIAR FIRST MATCHUPS
- Bryce Andonian and Dakota Howard will both face off against opponents they've already faced this season in the First Round Thursday.
- Andonian, seeded sixth at 149 pounds, will see ACC foe Josh Finesilver after pinning the Duke wrestler in 1:02 in the dual meet.
- Howard, as the 174-pound 27 seed, will see Kent State's Andrew McNally, who beat Howard earlier this year in a 13-8 decision.
RECORD VS. QUALIFIERS
- Five of the eight Hokie qualifiers have winning records vs. fellow qualifiers.
- Hunter Bolen has a team-high five wins, Sam Latona has four, Mekhi Lewis and Korbin Myers each have three wins while Bryce Andonian has two.