Blacksburg – Virginia Tech wrestling faces not one, but two tests in enemy territory as they take on the No. 3 ranked Missouri Tigers and the No. 17 ranked Northern Iowa Panthers in Columbia as part of a rigorous non-conference slate.
No. 10 Virginia Tech vs No. 17 Northern Iowa; No. 3 Missouri
Date: Saturday, December 4
Time: 4:30PM; 7PM EST
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats and Updates: Hokies Wrestling Twitter
Hokies travel to face formidable #17 UNI and #3 Mizzou in tri-meet event
- Saturday will mark the sixth meeting between Virginia Tech and UNI.
- The Hokies are 4-2 all-time against the Panthers dating back to 2005. The last meeting transpiring in 2016 with a 27-10 victory in Tech's favor.
- Saturday's dual will be the sixth meeting between Tech and Mizzou.
- Virginia Tech is 1-4 all-time against Missouri. The series began in 2004 and was last visited in 2019, with upset-minded Tech prevailing 29-10.
Quick Hits – No. 17 Northern Iowa Panthers
- UNI enters Saturday's match ranked 17th in the nation, with seven wrestlers slotted in the national individual rankings
- The Panthers lineup features six NCAA qualifiers and a lone returning All-American, No. 4 Parker Keckeisen who placed third at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds.
Quick Hits – No. 3 Missouri Tigers
- The home team Missouri Tigers sit as the third ranked team in the nation, featuring ten nationally ranked wrestlers
- Mizzou lineup will field eight returning NCAA qualifiers and two returning All-Americans – No. 3 Keegan O'Toole at 165 pounds and No. 5 Rocky Elam at 197 pounds. Both also captured world junior gold at the 2021 Junior World Championships in Oslo, Russia.
Short Time – No. 10 Virginia Tech
- The Hokies have eight wrestlers ranked by Intermat ahead of this weekend's tri-meet – No. 12 Sam Latona (125), No. 4 Korbin Myers (133), No. 32 Sam Hillegas (141), No. 7 Bryce Andonian (149), No. 24 Connor Brady (157), No. 4 Mekhi Lewis (174), No. 9 Hunter Bolen (184), and No. 14 Nathan Traxler (285).
- Tech (1-1, 0-0 ACC) will face their second and third ranked opponents in four duals, once again proving a no-fluff schedule by head coach Tony Robie.
Tale of the Tape
- Combined 24 ranked wrestlers across all three squads will take the mat with potentially 12 ranked matches between Tech and the two opposing squads.
- Bolen-Keckeisen Collision Course Rematch. The two met in the quarterfinals at last year's NCAA Championships with the Panther advancing via 4-2 SV2 decision.
- Tech and Missouri will combine for four junior world medalists – Mekhi Lewis (2018 74-kilograms, gold), Bryce Andonian (2021 70-kilograms, bronze), Keegan O'Toole (2021 74-kilograms, gold), and Rocky Elam (2021 92-kilograms, gold).
No. 10 Virginia Tech vs No. 17 Northern Iowa; No. 3 Missouri
Lineup Probables
125 – #12 Sam Latona vs #11 Brody Teske (UNI); #18 Noah Surtin (Mizzou)
133 – #4 Korbin Myers vs Kyle Biscoglia (UNI); #27 Trey Crawford (Mizzou)
141 - Collin Gerardi vs Gable Fox/Ethan Basile (UNI); #12 Allan Hart (Mizzou)
149 - #8 Bryce Andonian vs Colin Realbuto (UNI); #19 Josh Edmond (Mizzou)
157 - #24 Connor Brady vs Derek Holschlag/Cayd Lara (UNI); #11 Jarrett Jacques (Mizzou)
165 – Clayton Ulrey vs #25 Austin Yant (UNI); #3 Keegan O'Toole (Mizzou)
174 - #4 Mekhi Lewis vs Dajun Johnson/Pat Schoenfelder (UNI); #10 Peyton Mocco (Mizzou)
184 - #9 Hunter Bolen vs #4 Parker Keckeisen (UNI); #10 Jeremiah Kent (Mizzou)
197 – Dakota Howard vs Noah Glaser (UNI); #5 Rocky Elam (Mizzou)
285 - #14 Nathan Traxler vs #21 Carter Isley/Tyrell Gordon/John McConkey (UNI); #13 Zach Elam (Mizzou)