Virginia Tech wrestling places sixth at 2025 National Duals InvitationalVirginia Tech wrestling places sixth at 2025 National Duals Invitational
Wrestling

Virginia Tech wrestling places sixth at 2025 National Duals Invitational

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TULSA, OK. โ€“ The No. 10 Hokies wrestling team wrapped up the inaugural 2025 National Duals Invitational with a sixth-place finish on Sunday afternoon โ€“ splitting two dual meets on the day with a win over No. 15 Illinois and a loss in a rematch to No. 9 Minnesota. In a loaded bracket featuring 16 of the top teams in the country, the Hokies won three duals over top 24 opponents while dropping two duals on the weekend in the BOK Center to improve to 4-2 on the season.

DOWN TO THE (CRITERIA) WIRE

After dispatching rivals No. 7 NC State on Saturday, Tech was lined up to battle No. 15 Illinois Sunday morning in what was a back-and-forth dual that came down to criteria to determine the dual meet winner. No. 4 Eddie Ventresca, No. 17 Tom Crook, Noah Nininger, came up big for the Hokies in the front half of the lineup then it was No. 23 Sonny Sasso coming up big with a major decision to give Tech a chance for victory. Down 15-18 with one match left, it was No. 18 Jimmy Mullen with a huge upset over No. 8 Luke Luffman to win the bout and tie the dual meet score. After almost 15 minutes, criteria came down to most nearfall points awarded which swung the Hokiesโ€™ way thanks to Niningerโ€™s major decision victory at 149-pounds to give Tech the 19-18 dual meet win.

Tech would then face off against Minnesota in a quick turnaround for fifth place. The Hokies battled to secure victories from No. 17 Dillon Campbell, Nininger, and Sasso to drop the dual 10-25 and ultimately place sixth to wrap up the weekend.

WEEKEND QUICK HITS

  • 23 Sonny Sasso went 5-0 in the two-day span with two ranked wins including wins over returning All-American No. 4 Joey Novak of Wyoming and Minnesotaโ€™s No. 17 Gavin Nelson. Sasso wrestled complete matches in every position while digging deep to find victories all weekend long.
  • 17 Dillon Campbell impressed with four wins including a controlling major decision over two-time All-American Chris Cannon of Minnesota. Campbell also wrestled reigning national champion No. 1 Lucas Byrd to the smallest margin of victory all weekend in a 2-5 loss.
  • Despite bumping up, Noah Nininger announced himself with a defeat over NC Stateโ€™s No. 4 Jackson Arrington. Nininger would only drop one bout all weekend in an impressive weekend for the true freshman from Moneta, Virginia.
  • Another young Hokie making a name for himself was Ryan Burton, going 3-2 but securing a huge victory over No. 11 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota. Burton would push No. 8 Braeden Scoles to the bring but fell just short in sudden victory.
  • 18 Jimmy Mullen rebounded after a bumpy beginning season, putting together with a 4-1 record in Tulsa. Mullen defeated three ranked opponents including the aforementioned victory over Illinoisโ€™ No. 8 Luke Luffman.
  • Tech secured the fastest takedown average in the second round of competition with a 0:49 average which was also the fastest across the whole tournament

Tech returns to action on Sunday, November 23 at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia. Follow Hokies Wrestling on X and Instagram for all the latest Tech Wrestling news and updates.