Tech takes flight for 2023 Wrestling National ChampionshipTech takes flight for 2023 Wrestling National Championship
Wrestling

Tech takes flight for 2023 Wrestling National Championship

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BLACKSBURG, VA – The Virginia Tech wrestling team takes to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2023 Wrestling National Championship from Thursday, March 16 – Saturday, March 18 live on ESPN U and ESPN. The Hokies are one of four teams to send a full lineup of ten wrestlers and field five top-seven seeds to go along with four All-Americans, national champion, and a battle-tested squad for the season finale. Additional championship details can be found at top of page.
 




Hokies vs Everybody
When: Thursday, March 16 – Saturday, March 18
Time: https://www.ncaa.com/championships/wrestling/d1/daily-schedule
Where: Bank of Oklahoma Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
How to Watch: ESPN+ & ESPN
Live Updates: http://vthoki.es/C58ku
Fan Attire Coordination: Orange – Thursday, Gray – Friday, Maroon – Friday
*Additional championship details can be found at top of page
 


 
Returning All-Americans
 
The Hokies boast four wrestlers with All-America honors and one national champion in Mekhi Lewis, Bryce Andonian, Sam Latona, and Hunter Bolen. The NCAA's most exciting wrestler, Andonian, is up a weight class yet still a dangerous bonus machine as ever. With only 10 bouts under his belt this year, six of Andonian's wins have come via bonus victory in his abridged season. A four-time NCAA qualifier, the Hokie senior claimed his first All-America honor at 149-pounds and put his name on the national stage with his high amplitude style in 2022. Andonian will now look to push for a national title in his new weight class of 157-pounds.
 


 
Latona, who finished sixth in 2021 at 125-pounds, will look to find a place back on the podium after a Round of 12 finish at last year's national tournament. Now up at 133-pounds, Latona has look stellar this year and is vying for his second All-America honor in a loaded weight class.
 


 
Bolen returned for his last year of eligibility this season and has looked promising majority of the year. With his last tournament in mind, Bolen is prepared to return to form at his last national championship after a seventh-place finish in 2021 and an NWCA All-America honor in 2020.
 


 
Lewis enters his fourth championship – and potentially last – with a national title and national runner-up to his storied legacy. Lewis carved his name in Hokie record-books in 2019 when he became Tech's first national championship and made history yet again a year removed from injury to become the program's first two-time national finalist in 2022, losing in a highly contested finals bout. Lewis will look to add to his story one more time this weekend in Tulsa.
 


 
Young Squad in Tow
 


 
The Hokies field multiple-time qualifiers in three-time qualifier Connor Brady and time qualifier Hunter Catka at 285-pounds. Brady takes on his third NCAA tournament, his first at 165-pounds after twice previously qualifying at 157-pounds. Catka made his first NCAAs as a true freshman in 2021 and returns to the lineup after a redshirt last season to qualify for his second trip to the championships.
 


 
Four first-time qualifiers make up the rest of the Hokies' national championship line-up led by freshman phenom Caleb Henson. Henson burst onto the scene this year with a 21-3 record, dispatching four All-Americans over the season and capturing an ACC title in his first year of collegiate competition. Henson also enters the weekend as the highest seeded freshman in program history.
 


 
Joining the true freshman party is Tampa, Florida native Tom Crook. Crook has been consistent all season, namely taking fourth at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Crook joins Henson to make the Hokies the only program to field two true freshman earning automatic allocations to Tulsa.
 


 
Redshirt freshman Eddie Ventresca has hit the back end of the season in stride en route to an ACC runner-up finish and qualifying for his first championships in his first year in the Hokie lineup. Joining Ventresca in his first trip to the national tournament is Andy Smith. Smith took an impressive third-place in a loaded weight at the ACC Championships to earn an automatic bid.
 


 
Hokies Entering with Top-7 Seeds
 
Redshirt senior Mekhi Lewis claimed the highest seed among the Hokies with a No. 3 seed at 174-pounds. Lewis enters with a 18-1 season record and his third ACC title just this past weekend. The returning finalist and 2019 national champion will look to make history yet again and return atop of the podium in what could be his final season.
 
A breakout star in his first season of collegiate competition, freshman phenom Caleb Henson will enter the 2023 NCAA Championships as the No. 4 seed at 149-pounds. The first true freshman ACC champion for the Hokies since Devin Carter in 2011, Henson stands at 22-3 with impressive victories over four All-Americans – No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), No. 9 Jonathan Millner (App State), No. 12 Jaden Abas (Stanford), and Zach Sherman (North Carolina).
 
Redshirt junior Sam Latona enters his third NCAA Championship – his first two seasons at 125-pounds – as the No. 6 seed in his first year at 133-pounds. Latona posts a 24-6 season record and a third-place finish at the ACC Championships. Latona owns seven ranked victories on the season including a decision over No. 3 seed Vito Arujau as the Hokie looks to return to the podium after an All-American finish in 2021.
 
Another Hokie claiming a top-ten seed is Bryce Andonian at 157-pounds with an 8-2 record on the season and an ACC runner-up finish. The Tech senior is up a weight from 149-pounds where he claimed third at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Despite battling injuries early in the year, the NCAA's most exciting wrestler is poised to make another deep championship run as the No. 7 seed.
 
Rounding out top-10 seeds for the Hokies is graduate Hunter Bolen at No. 7. Bolen made history by becoming the first five-time national qualifier for the Hokies at the 2023 ACC Championships. The two-time All-American will look to improve upon his performances in his last national championship for the Hokies after an illustrious career in Blacksburg.
 
Other Hokies Seeded
 
Another freshman joining the party is Tampa, Florida native Tom Crook entering his first national championship as the No. 15 seed. Crook posts a 16-9 record and secured his trip to Tulsa with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 ACC Championships. With Crook qualifying, the Hokies are the only team to boast two true freshmen with automatic qualification to this year's national championship.
 
Andy Smith qualifies for the first time after two years being the starter for the Hokies at 197-pounds. Entering with a third-place finish at the ACC Championships, Smith will take the mat as the No. 21 seed.
 
Redshirt sophomore Hunter Catka snags the No. 22 seed holding a season record of 19-6 and a third-place conference championship finish at 285-pounds to qualify for his second NCAA Championship in as many attempts.
 
Making his third trip to the national tournament is Connor Brady. After a convincing second-place outing at the ACC Championships, Brady qualified for his third season finale in as many years as a starter and will take the mat in Tulsa as the No. 23 seed in a loaded 165-pound weight class.
 
Entering his first championships is redshirt freshman Eddie Ventresca. Ventresca is an automatic qualifier after a runner-up finish at the ACC Championships and holds a 16-7 record in his first year as a starter for the Hokies. The first-time qualifier will take to the mat in his first post-season appearance as the No. 27 seed to round out the Hokies' qualifiers.
 
The 2023 NCAA Championships will take place March 16-18, 2023 at the Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa Oklahoma. Follow Virginia Tech Wrestling on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for all information and updates.
 
2023 NCAA Wrestling Championship
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Virginia Tech Seeds & First Round Match-ups 
 
125 – No. 27 Eddie Ventresca, r-Fr

  • Moxbury, New Jersey
  • 1x NCAA Qualifier
  • 16-7; 7 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 6 Stevo Poulin (University of Northern Colorado), 28-5

 
133 – No. 7 Sam Latona, r-Jr

  • Alabaster, Alabama
  • 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2021 All-American, 125-pounds
  • 23-6; 9 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 27 Taylor Lamont (Wisconsin), 11-14

 
141 – No. 15 Tom Crook, Fr

  • Tampa, Florida
  • 1x NCAA Qualifier
  • 16-9; 5 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 18 Frankie Tal-Shahar (Northwestern), 12-7

 
149 – No. 4 Caleb Henson, Fr

  • Cartersville, Georgia
  • 1x NCAA Qualifier
  • 21-3; 10 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 29 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell), 28-10

 
157 – No. 7 Bryce Andonian, Sr

  • Kirtland, Ohio
  • 4x NCAA Qualifier; 2022 All-American, 149-pounds
  • 8-2; 6 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 26 Peyten Kellar (Ohio), 23-7

 
165 – No. 23 Connor Brady, r-So

  • Powell, Ohio
  • 3x NCAA Qualifier
  • 14-9; 3 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 10 Carson Kharchla (Ohio St), 13-4

 
174 – No. 3 Mekhi Lewis, r-Sr

  • Somerset, New Jersey
  • 4x NCAA Qualifier; 2019 National Champion & Most Outstanding Wrestler, 165-pounds; 2022 National Runner-Up, 174-pounds
  • 18-1; 8 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 30 Jackson Turley (Rutgers), 10-12

 
184 – No. 7 Hunter Bolen, Gr

  • Floyd, Virginia
  • 5x NCAA Qualifier
  • 19-5; 10 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 26 David Key (Navy), 21-9

 
197 – No. 21 Andy Smith, r-Jr

  • Christiansburg, Virginia
  • 1x NCAA Qualifier
  • 15-7; 8 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 12 Zac Braunagel (Illinois), 21-7

 
285 – No. 22 Hunter Catka, r-So

  • Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
  • 2x NCAA Qualifier
  • 19-6; 12 bonus point victories
  • First Round Opponent: No. 11 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), 16-8