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Levi Ventura
Wrestling

Hokies garner ACC wrestling season honors

ACC Press Release

GREENSBORO, NC – The accolades continue to roll into Blacksburg as freshman phenom Caleb Henson was named ACC Freshman of the Year with head coach Tony Robie taking home ACC Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season as announced by the league office on Thursday.
 
Following one of the best rookie campaigns in Hokie history, Virginia Tech wrestling's Henson becomes the tenth Hokie to take home the award – giving Tech the honor in four of the last six seasons – with a fifth-place All-American finish, ACC title, 27-5 season record, 5-0 record against conference opponents, and seven wins against All-Americans on his resume. Since the award was created in 2005, Tech leads the ACC in winning it the most with the next-best team being NC State with five.
 


 
The Cartersville, Georgia native is just the third true freshman to win the award for the Hokies – joining elite company with Joey Dance (2014, 125-pounds, 4th) and David McFadden (2016, 165-pounds, 6th). Henson is the only Hokie to win an ACC title and earn All-American honors as a true freshman.
 


 
Henson, one of 51 Virginia Tech All-Americans all-time and one of five this season, posted a 10-2 dual meet record.
 
Virginia Tech picked up the ACC Coach of the Year award for the eighth time in the last 11 seasons. The honor is the fourth for Robie in his career at the head for the Hokies. Robie had previously won the award in 2017, 2019, and 2022.
 


 
Under Robie's watch this season, Virginia Tech earned both league-leading finishes with a ninth-place NCAA Championship placement and produced five All-Americans – Henson (149, 5th), Eddie Ventresca (125, 7th), Sam Latona (133, 7th), Bryce Andonian (157, 7th), and Mekhi Lewis (174, 4th) – to continue the streak of three or more All-Americans for the tenth consecutive season, a streak shared with Penn State, Cornell, and Iowa. The five placers also tied a program second-best previously accomplished in 2017.
 


 
Robie added a Co-Champion Dual Meet title as the Hokies claimed two individual gold medals at the ACC Championship while placing second in the team scoring. Tech's ten qualifiers for the 2023 NCAA Championships led the conference.
 
This year marked the first time in program history the Hokies automatically qualified ten weights and just the second time Tech sent ten wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.
 
Virginia Tech ACC Freshman of the Year Award Winners
2009 – Jarrod Garnett
2010 – Brian Stephans
2011 – Devin Carter
2012 – Nick Brascetta
2014 – Joey Dance
2016 – David McFadden
2018 – Hunter Bolen
2019 – Mitch Moore
2021 – Sam Latona
2023 – Caleb Henson
 
Virginia Tech ACC Coach of the Year Award Winners
2013 – Kevin Dresser
2014 – Kevin Dresser
2015 – Kevin Dresser
2016 – Kevin Dresser
2017 – Kevin Dresser/Tony Robie
2019 – Tony Robie
2022 – Tony Robie
2023 – Tony Robie