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Wrestling

Century year of Virginia Tech Wrestling one to remember

The Virginia Tech wrestling team capped off a stellar 2022-2023 season with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the season finale. In the 100th year of Virginia Tech wrestling, the Hokies made memorable achievements throughout the course of the season.



2023 NCAA Championship Review – Top-10 Finish, Five All-Americans, Ten Automatic Qualifiers
For the eighth time in ten seasons, Tech finished in the top-10 in the country and placed the highest among conference teams also for the eighth time in eleven seasons with a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Also notable in Tulsa, the Hokies matched their second-highest number of All-America finishes from 2017 with five podium placers. Tech extended the streak of three or more All-Americans to ten-straight seasons as one of four other programs to boast the claim – Penn State, Cornell, and Iowa. Mekhi Lewis, Caleb Henson, Eddie Ventresca, Sam Latona, and Bryce Andonian all found the podium to help propel the Hokies to another memorable NCAA Championship. Tech also made history, automatically qualifying all ten wrestlers to the national tournament for the first time in Hokies wrestling history and just the second time Tech has sent ten to the NCAA Championship.


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The most decorated wrestler in program history – and one of the most accomplished athletes in Virginia Tech athletics history – Mekhi Lewis, only added to his legacy with another All-American finish in Tulsa. Lewis finished fourth at his fourth NCAA Championship to become Tech's just sixth three-time All-American after winning the program's first national title in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. Lewis took an Olympic redshirt in 2020 then returned in 2021 on a tear before sustaining an injury late into the season which forced him to medically withdraw from the national tournament after winning his first two bouts. Lewis came back a year later – and up a weight – to make history yet again by becoming Tech's first two-time finalist. Lewis finished fourth this past year after battling injuries throughout the season to add to his already storied career in Blacksburg. The Somerset, New Jersey native made history yet again as he became the first Tech wrestler to finish in the top-four on three separate occasions. With one year of eligibility still yet to be decided on, there is no doubt Lewis has already cemented his place as the greatest wrestler in the history of the program.


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True freshmen aren't supposed to have seasons like the one Caleb Henson had. From the start it wasn't a matter of "if" he would place, but rather a matter of "how high he could go" and the freshman phenom did not disappoint as he garnered a fifth-place finish at 149-pounds in his first NCAA Championship appearance. Henson dropped a heartbreaker of a second-round bout, but put together an ironman performance to win four-straight on the backside to secure All-American status. Henson would wrestle a total of eight matches over the course of the weekend to go 6-2 with wins over four All-Americans – including two wins over multiple time All-Americans – to add to his final tally of victories over seven All-Americans over the course of the season. Henson joined elite company to become Tech's just third true freshman All-American alongside Joey Dance (2014) and David McFadden (2016). With an ACC title and an All-America honor to his resume, Henson stands alone as the only true freshman to win both in the same season for the Hokies.


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From entering as the No. 27 seed to finishing seventh in the country, it was an improbable Cinderella story run for redshirt freshman Eddie Ventresca to close out his first season in the starting lineup for the Hokies. In a year that saw Ventresca battling for the starting lineup spot over the course of the season, to say Ventresca was a dark horse entering his first NCAA Championship was an understatement but the Roxbury, New Jersey native put on the tournament of his life to become just the fourth 125-pound All-American for Virginia Tech wrestling. Ventresca defeated the No. 6, No. 11, No. 9, and No. 27 ranked wrestlers to finish seventh-place in one of the most memorable NCAA Championship runs by a Virginia Tech wrestler in program history.


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He was counted out at the beginning of the season, but quickly reminded people why he's one of the best in the nation, redshirt junior Sam Latona found the podium for the second time in his career. After a podium finish his redshirt freshman season at 125-pounds in 2021, Latona just missed All-America honors in 2022. Cue the redemption arc as the Alabaster, Alabama native moved up to 133-pounds en route to a seventh-place All-American finish – and handing the eventual national champion his lone loss of the season – to become a two-time All-American for the Hokies. With his second podium placement and two years of eligibility left, Latona all but let the country know he is a title contender next season as well as secured his spot as the greatest wrestler to ever come out of Alabama.


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The Human Highlight Reel. Never one to disappoint, the most entertaining wrestler in the country found the podium for the second time in his career despite missing the first half of the season due to injury for the Hokies. Up to 157-pounds, Bryce Andonian was a highlight factory despite his abbreviated schedule and landed on the podium with a seventh-place finish in a national championship tournament that saw him put the eventual runner-up on his back in a highly controversial ending. Andonian would rally on the backside to win two more matches to secure his spot in the top-eight and become a two-time All-American. The Kirtland, Ohio native will look to rise to the top of the weight and continue to have the country in awe with one year of eligibility remaining.


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Conference in Review
It was another banner year for the Hokies with an ACC Regular Season Co-Champion title, two individual ACC Champions, ACC Coach and Freshman of the Year honors, and securing ten automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships.


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With a 10-3 overall season record and 4-1 against conference foes, Tech put together another year of strong dual meet performances against some of the best teams in the country. Under the guidance of head coach Tony Robie and staff, the Hokies defeated four top-ten opponents, including a thriller over conference rival NC State to secure a share of the ACC dual meet title.



The Hokies would finish second at the ACC Championships and crown two ACC champions in Mekhi Lewis and Caleb Henson. Lewis won his third title to add to his storied career while Henson added his first conference title in a promising start to his time in Blacksburg. With an impressive performance at the conference championships, Tech automatically qualified ten competitors to the national tournament for the first time in program history – Tech had previously sent ten in 2017 but required an at-large selection. The Hokies were just one of three programs to automatically qualify a full lineup and one of four – the lone ACC team – to send all ten wrestlers to Tulsa.


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Robie and Henson were also voted ACC Coach of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year, respectively, by ACC coaches after a memorable season. This was the fourth time in seven seasons Robie was tabbed conference Coach of the Year and the eighth time in eleven seasons the Hokies took home Freshman of the Year honors.


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In addition, the Hokies secured a conference-high eight ACC Wrestler of the Week honors over the course of the season. Henson (3), Tom Crook (1), Lewis (1), Andy Smith (1), Connor Brady (1), and Latona (1) were all named wrestler of the week for their individual weekly performances over the course of the season.


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NWCA Rankings & Individual Rankings
Tech rose to as high as No. 5 in at least one team ranking poll and would finish the season at No. 9 in both dual and tournament rankings after being ranked in the top-10 for 13 straight weeks. Individually, at least one Hokie was ranked in the top-five every week over the course of the season. Tech would set a program record with all ten starters ranked in at least one ranking poll for 12-straight weeks.
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Coach Headlines: Robie Contract Extension; Robie, Frayer Inducted into Wrestling Hall of Fame
Head coach Tony Robie is calling Blacksburg home for another four years. Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock announced that Robie has agreed to a four-year contract extension which will keep him in Blacksburg through the 2028 season. Robie was also inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame Virginia Chapter before the season's start. Robie was recognized for his outstanding coaching and exemplary community impact in the Commonwealth where he and his family have called home for the past 17 years.
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Associate head coach Jared Frayer was also inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame Florida Chapter, recognizing a heralded high school, college, international, and coaching career. The Clearwater native is one of the top assistant coaches in collegiate wrestling with ties across the country as he and his family call Blacksburg home for the past six years.
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