BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 7 Virginia Tech wrestling team will travel to Charlottesville for the Commonwealth Clash on Friday to close out regular season conference competition at 7 p.m. against Virginia. The Hokies will then travel to Raleigh to wrestle #4 NC State in a non-conference dual on Sunday at 6 p.m.
The Hokies (8-3, 3-1 ACC) are riding a three-match win streak heading into the weekend's two duals as the post-season looms.
Commonwealth Clash Quick Hits – No. 7 Hokies vs Cavaliers
- Friday night will be the 79th meeting between Virginia Tech and Virginia on the mat. The Hokies lead the all-time series 49-28-1.
- The Hokies will look to make it ten straight wins over the Cavaliers on Friday night. In the most recent outing, Tech prevailed over UVA, 19-15 in Blacksburg.
- Tech has won the last nine matchups and are 10-1 in the last 11 bouts against UVA. Since Feb. 5, 2011, Tech is 13-1 against their in-state foe. In the past 20 years, the Hokies hold a 26-5 record over the Cavaliers.
Probable Starters
No. 7 Hokies vs Cavaliers
125 – No. 20 Sam Latona (VT) vs Patrick McCormick (UVA)
133 – No. 5 Korbin Myers (VT) vs No. 20 Brian Courtney (UVA)
141 – No. 22 Collin Gerardi (VT) vs Dylan Cedeno (UVA)
149 – No. 5 Bryce Andonian (VT) vs No. 32 Jarod Verkleeren (UVA)
157 – No. 26 Connor Brady (VT) vs No. 28 Jake Keating (UVA)
165 – Clayton Ulrey (VT) vs No. 23 Justin McCoy (UVA)
174 – No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (VT) vs Justin Phillips (UVA)
184 – No. 14 Hunter Bolen (VT) vs No. 25 Michael Battista (UVA)
197 – No. 30 Dakota Howard (VT) vs No. 16 Jay Aiello (UVA)
285 – No. 14 Nathan Traxler (VT) vs No. 32 Quinn Miller (UVA)
BATTLE FOR ACC SUPREMACY – NO. 7 HOKIES VS NO. 4 WOLFPACK
Two perennial programs. Drama personified every year. Rivalry encapsulated in ten matches. The No. 7 Virginia Tech Hokies travel to Raleigh to face the No. 4 NC State Wolfpack in a top-10 match-up on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.
The ACC opener that was originally canceled, but now re-scheduled to close out the regular season. While not a conference competition, two of the ACC's most storied programs – and one of college wrestling's biggest rivalries – meet once again Sunday evening in Raleigh, North Carolina for one of the most anticipated duals of the year.
HISTORY RUNS DEEP
- Sunday evening will be the 65th meeting between the two programs on the mat. NC State leads the all-time series 35-28-1.
- The Hokies' last victory over the Pack came in Blacksburg on Feb. 5, 2021 in a thrilling 17-16 criteria victory. Before that Tech dropped the previous team meetings by no more than four team points.
- Over the past seven seasons only Tech (2015-2017, 21) and NC State (2018-20) have captured the ACC regular season title with the winner of the dual claiming the ACC Dual Meet title each season.
- In the past four meetings, the final match proved to be the deciding factor – two of the last three duals being decided on criteria.
TALE OF THE TAPE – 19 RANKED GRAPPLERS, 9 RANKED MATCHUPS
- 125 – No strangers to each other, #20 Sam Latona will face #14 Jakob Camacho for the fourth time in a rematch of last year's ACC Final at 125. Latona holds the series lead at 3-0 – 10-5 at the 2020 Southern Scuffle, 7-4 in last year's electric dual, and 2-1 (TB1) in the 2021 ACC Final.
- 149 – In a meeting of top-five grapplers, No. 5 Bryce Andonian and No. 3 Tariq Wilson meet for the first time in their careers. Andonian enters Sunday night at 6-1 with a Junior World Bronze medal to his name. Andonian won the Junior World Team Trials series against NC State's 157-pounder, Ed Scott, en route to a spectacular summer. A two-time NCAA All-American, Wilson will be the fifth ranked opponent the Hokie faces this year.
- 174 – The Headliner. The Marquee Bout of the Evening – No. 3 Mekhi Lewis vs No. 4 Hayden Hidlay. History from both sides enter this matchup – Tech's first World and National Champion vs. NC State's first four-time All-American. Meeting for the first time in their careers after both moving up this season from their previous respective weight classes, they enter Sunday undefeated on the season as well as against career ACC opposition.
- 184 – Another storied rivalry comes at 184 with No. 14 Hunter Bolen and No. 3 Trent Hidlay meeting for the fifth time in their careers – Bolen leads the series 3-1 dating back to 2020. Both have split ACC titles between each other with the widest margin of victory just two points in all four of their previous encounters.
Probable Starters
No. 7 Hokies vs No. 4 Wolfpack
125 – No. 20 Sam Latona (VT) vs No. 14 Jakob Camacho (NCSU)
133 – No. 5 Korbin Myers (VT) vs No. 14 Kai Orine (NCSU)
141 – No. 22 Collin Gerardi (VT) vs No. 24 Ryan Jack (NCSU)
149 – No. 5 Bryce Andonian (VT) vs No. 3 Tariq Wilson (NCSU)
157 – No. 28 Connor Brady (VT) vs No. 11 Ed Scott (NCSU)
165 – Clayton Ulrey (VT) vs No. 21 Thomas Bullard (NCSU)
174 – No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (VT) vs No. 4 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU)
184 – No. 14 Hunter Bolen (VT) vs No. 3 Trent Hidlay (NCSU)
197 – No. 30 Dakota Howard (VT) vs No. 15 Isaac Trumble (NCSU)
285 – No. 14 Nathan Traxler (VT) vs No. 26 Tyrie Houghton (NCSU) or Owen Trephan (NCSU)