Hokie ClubSALEM, VA – Season 2025-2026 is officially underway for Virginia Tech wrestling with the first competition of the season under their belt. The Hokies claimed one individual title, two runner-up finishes, and 11 total podium finishes at the 2025 Southeast Open in Salem, Virginia on Sunday, November 2.
Taking home a title for the Hokies was redshirt freshman Dillon Campbell at 133-pounds after bonus point victories in all four of his matches throughout the day. Competing in the Open division, the No. 27 ranked wrestler in his weight class was dominant – outscoring opponents 57-2 without surrendering an offensive point. To put the finishing touch on his title, Campbell defeated No. 8 Braxton Brown in a controlling 11-0 victory in the finals to wrap up the day.
In their first action as Hokies, graduate transfer Jaden Bullock and freshman Ben Weader secured runner-up finishes in their respective divisions, 184-pounds Open and 165-pounds fresh/soph, respectively. En route to his finals appearance, ranked No. 22 at 184, Bullock secured an upset semifinal victory over No. 20 Ian Bush of West Virginia.
Also making their debuts for Virginia Tech was transfer No. 20 Sergio Desiante at 174-pounds and freshman Ryan Burton at 165-pounds. Desiante would drop his semifinal bout but rebounded with a ranked win over No. 21 Clayton Whiting of Minnesota to secure a third-place finish. Burton – a top-15 talent in the Hokies’ 2025 recruiting class – dropped a tight semifinal match in the closing seconds to Minnesota’s No. 10 Andrew Sparks for his only loss of the tournament before claiming third in his first appearance in orange and maroon. Taking third in the 184-pounds fresh/soph division was Glean Gonzalez to add to the tally for Tech with Hokies’ big man returnee, Jimmy Mullen would also take third in the open division with a technical fall over No. 22 Nolan Neves of North Carolina to round out Tech’s third-place finishers.
Also finding the podium for the Hokies were No. 19 Sonny Sasso (4th, 197-pounds), No. 20 Tom Crook (5th, 141-pounds), No. 24 Mac Church (5th, 165-pounds), Parker Ferrell (5th, 285-pounds), Gunnar Garelli (6th, 184-pounds fresh/soph)
The Hokies return to action in Cassell Colsieum on Friday, November 7 at 7 p.m. ET against Bucknell to open the dual season. Admission is free and the match will be streaming on ACC Network Extra.
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133 - #27 Dillon Campbell – Champion
- TECH FALL Luke Passarelli (Davidson), 20-2, 2:13
- TECH FALL Aaron Lucio (Southeastern), 15-0, 2:46
- MAJ DEC Troy Hohman (NC State), 11-0
- MAJ DEC #8 Braxton Brown (Maryland), 11-0
165 - Ben Weader (Fr/So) – Runner-Up
- TECH FALL Charlie Spinning (Ohio), 32-16, 6:17
- MAJ DEC Pete Winterstein (NC State), 17-5
- DEC Kendrick Hodge (Campbell), 5-1
- DEC Michael Baldwin (West Virginia), 5-3
- loss Leo Contino (West Virginia), 1-4 SV
184 - #22 Jaden Bullock – Runner-Up
- MAJ DEC Brodie Porter (Citadel), 12-2
- DEC Jake Dailey (North Carolina), 7-6
- DEC #20 Ian Bush (West Virginia), 4-3
- loss #16 James Conway (Franklin & Marshall), 17-2, 6:14
165 - Ryan Burton – 3rd Place
- FALL Aaron Fiason (NC State), 3:26
- DEC John Martin Best (Maryland), 7-3
- loss #10 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota), 4-6
- M FOR Anthony Conetta (App State)
174 - #20 Sergio Desiante – 3rd Place
- TECH FALL Dominic Wheatley (Franklin & Marshall), 19-3, 5:28
- DEC Blaine Brenner (Minnesota), 7-3
- loss Ethan Riddle (Minnesota), 10-16
- DEC #21 Clayton Whiting (Minnesota), 4-2
184 - Glean Gonzalez (Fr/So) – 3rd Place
- DEC Leo Varga (Franklin & Marshall), 6-2
- DEC Kyser Kostoff (Presbyterian), 6-4
- loss Brock Sullivan (Noke Wrestling RTC), 2-4
- MAJ DEC Dylan Shelton (Franklin & Marshall), 12-0
285 - #14 Jimmy Mullen – 3rd Place
- FALL Elijah Hunter (West Virginia), 0:40
- loss Koy Hopke (Minnesota), 1-12
- TECH FALL #22 Nolan Neves (North Carolina), 19-4, 4:58
197 - #19 Sonny Sasso – 4th Place
- TECH FALL Conor Maslanek (Campbell), 21-5, 4:42
- DEC Gunner Pool (App State), 5-0
- FALL Kasten Grape (Southeastern), 3:42
- loss #33 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia), 6-7
- loss #17 Gavin Nelson (Minnesota), 0-7
141 - #20 Tom Crook – 5th Place
- TECH FALL Andrew Jones (Southeastern), 17-2, 1:29
- MAJ DEC Kaden Jett (Ohio), 14-3
- loss Luke Simcox (North Carolina), 3-5
- DEC Aldo Hernandez (App State), 8-5
- MAJ DEC #29 Jordan Titus (West Virginia), 10-2
- FOR Ryan Luna (Presbyterian)
165 - #24 Mac Church – 5th Place
- FALL Josh Palmucci (Franklin & Marshall), 2:20
- DEC Charlie Darracott (North Carolina), 4-2
- loss Tanner Peake (Davidson), fall 2:53
- MAJ DEC Jack Lledo (Ohio), 15-3
- DEC Anthony Federico (Southeastern-Unatt), 4-1
- FALL Anthony Conetta (App State), 0:16
285 - Parker Ferrell – 5th Place
- DEC James Blackman (George Mason-Unatt), 4-0
- loss #22 Nolan Neves (North Carolina), 3-4
- FALL George Hopkins (Presbyterian), 1:21
- FALL Sam Dickey (VMI-Unatt), 3:57
- DEC James Blackman (George Mason-Unatt), 11-6
184 - Gunnar Garelli (Fr/So) – 6th Place
- DEC Reed Douglass (Presbyterian), 11-9
- loss Cody Kirk (Davidson), 5-9
- DEC Blake Hendricks (The Citadel), 6-2
- DEC Leo Varga (Franklin & Marshall), 4-1
- loss Reed Douglass (Presbyterian), 8-14
125 - Ryan Messick (Fr/So)
- loss Brayden Teunissen (Ohio), 6-22, 6:51
- DEC Ayden Sumners (RAW), 9-8
- DEC Holt Quincy (Unaffiliated), 12-6
- loss Malachi Ortiz (VMI), 2-19, 5:27
149 - Chris Bacchioni
- loss Luke Jacobs (Maryland-Unatt), 2-4
- DEC Mario De la Torre (Southeastern), 13-8
- loss Thomas Termini (Citadel), 1-2
157 - Frank Dibella (Fresh/Soph Division)
- MAJ DEC Niko Valenzuela (Presbyterian), 10-1
- loss Brogan Tucker (NC State), 2-11
- FALL Pablo Macias (Campbell), 4:10
- loss Brady Campbell (Citadel), 7-14
184 - Harrison Smith
- loss Marcus Murabito (North Carolina), 0-6
- loss Brent Caracraft (Campbell), 0-5