INDIANAPOLIS – After medically withdrawing from the 2021 ACC Championships, Virginia Tech wrestling's Mekhi Lewis has been awarded an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Championships, the NCAA announced Tuesday.
With Lewis' inclusion, the Hokies will send eight wrestlers to the national tournament, the same number VT sent in 2016 when the team placed fourth, the program's highest ever finish at the NCAA Championships. Tech had seven wrestlers automatically qualify from the ACC Championships.
Lewis is the defending 165-pound national champion after he won the Hokies' first title at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Before his injury default this season vs. Pitt, the redshirt sophomore was the consensus No. 1 165-pounder in the country and had won 28 straight collegiate matches.
Seeds and brackets for the 2021 NCAA Championships will be announced during the selection show, which will be streamed on NCAA.com Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.
