Hokies Wrestling 2024-2025 RewindHokies Wrestling 2024-2025 Rewind
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Hokies Wrestling 2024-2025 Rewind

Look ahead to 2025-2026 with a recap of our 2024-2025 season

Top 11 Finish and Continuing the Streak

Continuing to be one of the elite programs in the country, for the seventh time in the last eight seasons the Hokies finished top 11 in the nation after sending nine to nationals for the fifth time in eight seasons. Caleb Henson (2nd, 149-lbs), Eddie Ventresca (5th, 125-pounds), and Connor McGonagle (6th, 133-lbs) helped Tech also continue the elite streak of garnering three or more All-America honors at the NCAA Championships for the 12th straight season – one of four programs alongside Penn State, Cornell, and Iowa.

Henson became Tech’s seventh three-time All-American with a runner-up finish at 149-lbs in Philadelphia. Graduate transfer Connor McGonagle found the podium for the first time to finish his collegiate career after transferring from Lehigh. After an injury sidelined him midway through the 2023-2024 season, 2023 All-American Eddie Ventresca claimed his second All-America honor in the comeback story of the year for the Hokies. Tech will be led by the veterans Henson and Ventresca entering the 2025-2026 season.

2025 ACC Champions – The Double Crown

Virginia Tech took the conference double crown for the first time since 2018 – claiming a share of the regular season title and winning the conference championship. Tech posted a 5-1 dual record against ACC foes including an upset dual win against at the time higher ranked archrival NC State in Blacksburg while setting a dual attendance record in Cassell. The Hokies would follow up on their regular season title in Durham, NC to push six wrestlers into the finals while claiming four individual titles – Eddie Ventresca, Connor McGonagle, Caleb Henson, and Rafael Hipolito, Jr. – to propel Tech to a team title. Tech also automatically qualified nine wrestlers to the 2025 NCAA Championship for the fourth season in a row.

History Made Yet Again

Caleb "The Hitman" Henson continues to etch his name into Hokies Wrestling and Virginia Tech Athletics lore by becoming the first back-to-back national finalist in program history, joining Mekhi Lewis (2019, 2022) as just the second Hokie to make two finals appearances. Henson advanced to his second finals appearance as the defending champion but would drop a highly controversial match in his season finale to Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett, 0-1.

En route to his NCAA finals appearance, Henson posted a 16-0 regular season record that would stretch to 18-0 while securing his second individual ACC title. Henson was ranked No. 1 for the duration of the season and would finish his third year for the Hokies while posting a 57% bonus rate, 22-1 season record for the best single season win percentage in program history and push his career record to 79-8 with one year of eligibility remaining for the 2024 national champion.

Regular Season Competition

Tech went 9-2 in dual competitions with an unblemished 5-0 record at home dismantling three top 15 opponents in Blacksburg. Across the season, Tech defeated five nationally ranked teams. Additionally, Tech ranked ninth in home attendance including the marquee ACC Friday Night Dual featuring the No. 9 Hokies taking down No. 7 NC State in front of yet another electric, record setting Cassell Coliseum crowd.

In the Commonwealth Clash, the Hokies once again asserted dominance over the Virginia Cavaliers with a 36-3 throttling in Blacksburg. Tech won nine of ten bouts with six coming via bonus points. Tech won the 13th straight meeting over the Cavaliers.

The Hokies made their mark in Las Vegas at the Cliff Keen Invitational, long regarded as the most prestigious in-season tournament. Henson and Ventresca both reached the finals with Henson taking the title at 149-lbs to claim the first CKLV individual title for the Hokies since David McFadden in 2018.

Henson, Robie Claim Yearly ACC Awards 

Henson and Robie went back-to-back to be voted ACC Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year by league coaches to cap off the 2024-2025 season. Henson went undefeated across his regular season and ACC junior campaign including securing his second ACC individual title en route to a 22-1 record with his lone loss in the NCAA finals. Henson also logged a 56.52% bonus rate and held the No. 1 ranking throughout the year. Henson became just the second Hokie to claim league Wrestler of the Year multiple times.

For the tenth time in the last 13 seasons, the ACC Coach of the Year resides in Blacksburg. The honor is a four-peat – and sixth in eight seasons – for Robie in his time at the helm for the Hokies. Robie had been tabbed as the lead vote getter by league coaches in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, and 2017. 

Bama Sam and The Long Goodbye 

The Hokies sent off 13 incredible seniors in what was one of the largest graduating classes in program history; included in the group was long-time fan favorite Sam Latona. Forever tied to one of the most iconic moments in Blacksburg and one of the most memorable calls in NCAA wrestling history by Rock Harrison, Latona left his legacy as not only one of the best wrestlers in program history but as a blueprint of what it means to be a Virginia Tech student-athlete. The two-time All-American, ACC champion, five-time NCAA qualifier, 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year, and Academic All-American capped his incredible career donning maroon and orange going 97-38 after a stellar five seasons in Blacksburg. The epitome of what it means to be a Hokie.

Welcoming New Hokies to Blacksburg – Top 5 Recruiting Class and Three Transfers

The recruiting prowess of Tech continues to thrive with Robie and company bringing in 2025’s No. 4 recruiting class. Six of the nation’s top 92 2025 graduates will call Blacksburg home this coming season – No. 12 Ryan Burton (NJ), No. 14 Aaron Seidel (PA), No. 27 Collin Gaj (PA), No. 51 Noah Nininger (VA), No. 55 Drew Gorman (GA), and No. 92 Ben Weader (VA). This class marks the third top five and sixth top 10 recruiting class for the Hokies since Robie and staff took the helm eight seasons ago.

Joining the freshman are transfers Ethen Miller, Jaden Bullock, and Sergio Desiante. Miller arrives in Blacksburg for his final year of eligibility by way of Maryland where he entered the 2025 Big Ten Championships as the No. 1 seed at 157-lbs. Bullock, a Virginia native, returns to his home state after five years in Ann Arbor with two years of eligibility looking to make his mark at 184-lbs. The final portal addition is 2025 174-lbs SoCon and Southern Scuffle champion Sergio Desiante from UT-Chattanooga with two years of eligibility remaining for the Tampa, FL native.

Hokies Wrestling Great into Virginia Tech Hall of Fame

One of the greatest wrestlers in program history and among best athletes to have represented Virginia Tech, Devin Carter will be enshrined into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame. A student-athlete from 2011-2015, Carter re-wrote the record book at Virginia Tech. He won 121 career matches with 38 pins and became the school’s first NCAA finalist when he advanced to the finals at the 2014 NCAA Championships. The Christiansburg native was the first three-time All-American, first four-time ACC Champion, and his 19 NCAA Championship tournament wins rank second in program history. Carter’s .883 career winning percentage (121-16) ranks second in Tech history. He was named ACC Wrestler of the Year in 2012-2013 as well as the conference’s Co-Rookie of the Year for 2011-2012.