Seidel, Gaj claim titles; eight Hokies find podium at 2025 Midlands ChampionshipsSeidel, Gaj claim titles; eight Hokies find podium at 2025 Midlands Championships
Sam Janicki
Wrestling

Seidel, Gaj claim titles; eight Hokies find podium at 2025 Midlands Championships

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EVANSTON, IL – Virginia Tech wrestling was back in action after a two-and-a-half-week hiatus and arrived in fashion – crowning two champions and securing eight placements over two days at the 2025 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. True freshmen Aaron Seidel and No. 19 Collin Gaj claimed the Hokies’ two titles to lead the contingent in closing out 2025.

Pair of Keystone Hokies Take Titles

Making his collegiate debut in dominating fashion was Seidel who won all five of his bouts via technical fall or fall en route to claiming the title at 133-pounds and being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Fredricksburg, PA native opened his Midlands tourney with a 2:24 fall over Illinois’ Joey Ruzic after leading 3-0 then would rack on points in a 16-1 technical fall in 2:58 over Massey Odiotti of Northwestern to punch his ticket into the quarterfinals. In a highly anticipated match-up against Rutgers’ Big Ten champion and All-American No. 20 Dylan Shawver, it was the Hokie freshman announcing himself to the nation from start to finish with two takedowns and three sets of nearfall to tally a 17-0 tech fall in 5:26. Seidel would add another tech over yet another ranked wrestler, defeating SIUE’s No. 25 Marcel Lopez in 4:05 via 16-1 technical fall before putting a bow on his tournament with a fall over two-time U23 world champion Reineri Ortega at the 4:59 mark.

Another Pennsylvania native and fellow freshman – both also hailing from the same high school club – Gaj joined Seidel as champion with a strong showing at 149-pounds. Gaj tallied two bonus victories while surrendering zero offensive points against him to put an exclamation mark on his undefeated weekend. The Quakertown, PA native opened his first Midlands Championships with two technical falls – a 2:47 17-2 over Illinois’ Danny Nini and 19-4 Jackson Young of Maryland in 3:40. Gaj followed that with a 5-1 decision over Harvard’s Jack Crook in the quarterfinals and a 9-2 decision over two-time NCAA Championship Round of 12 finisher Sergio Lemley of Michigan in the semifinals to punch his ticket into the finals. Gaj met Illinois’ Michael Gioffre in a bout that went to sudden victory overtime tied at 1, but it was Gaj who displayed savvy scrambling ending in a takedown and victory for the young Hokie.

Young Hokies Shine, Lead Six Placers

Tech’s 2025 recruiting class continues to live up to the billing as true freshmen Drew Gorman, No. 14 Ryan Burton, and Noah Nininger all secured a spot on the Midlands podium. Burton secured his third top three finish in as many tournament appearances in his early Hokie career.

  • Gorman secured third at 141-pounds, going 6-1 with only loss to returning All-American No. 9 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly); Gorman tallied a win over NCAA Round of 12 finisher Tyler Chappell (BUCK) to claim third
  • Burton continues a strong season with a bronze finish in his first Midlands appearance; went 5-1 at 165-pounds with only loss to eventual champion e’Than Birden (OH ST)
  • Nininger battled injury to a sixth-place finish at 149-pounds; went 4-2 in Evanston while registering one bonus point victory

Desiante, Ferrell, and Miller Round Out Placers

Rounding out the placers for Tech were redshirt junior Sergio Desiante continuing to rediscover his groove, redshirt freshman Parker Ferrell ending with a podium in first Midlands appearance, and graduate transfer Ethen Miller making his Hokie debut with a podium finish.

  • Desiante dug deep and found a buzzer beating finish with 0:05 seconds left to finish third; the Tampa, FL native finished with a 5-1 record and two bonus point victories at 174-pounds
  • Ferrell continues making strides in his second year for the Hokies, finishing fourth at 285-pounds; went 5-2 with three bonus point victories
  • Shaking off the rust in his season debut, Miller finished fifth at 149-pounds; advanced to the semifinals in his first appearance as a Hokie to finish 4-2

Tech returns to action in Chattanooga, TN at the 2026 Southern Scuffle on January 3-4 to ring in the new year. Follow Hokies Wrestling on X, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest Virginia Tech news and updates.

Hokies Wrestling at 2025 Midlands Championships Results

Champ. Round of 32

  • 133 | Aaron Seidel (VT) FALL Joey Ruzic (ILL), 3-0 2:24
  • 141 | Drew Gorman (VT) FALL Brogan Fielding (Unatt-Ohio), 10-1 4:06
  • 149 | Collin Gaj (VT) TECH FALL Danny Nini (ILL), 17-2 2:47
  • 149 | Ethen Miller (VT) DEC Jaden Pepe (HARV), 12-9
  • 149 | Noah Nininger (VT) DEC Antonia Alvarado (ILL), 5-1
  • 165 | Ryan Burton (VT) DEC Justin Gates (MICH), 8-1
  • 165 | Ben Weader (VT) loss via dec Josh Knudten (MICH), 1-4 SV
  • 174 | Sergio Desiante (VT) MAJ DEC Cash Stewart (Cal Poly), 14-6
  • 184 | Gunnar Garelli (VT) loss via maj dec Abraham Wojcikiewicz (STAN), 1-11
  • 285 | Parker Ferrell (VT) MAJ DEC Caleb Marzolino (IN), 10-2

Champ. Round of 16

  • 133 | Aaron Seidel (VT) TECH FALL Massey Odiotti (NW), 16-1 2:58
  • 141 | Drew Gorman (VT) loss via dec No. 9 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly), 4-8
  • 149 | No. 19 Collin Gaj (VT) TECH FALL Jackson Young (MARY), 19-4 3:40
  • 149 | Ethen Miller (VT) DEC Cooper Hilton (MICH), 5-1
  • 149 | Noah Nininger (VT) FALL Ben Lunn (SIUE), 13-1 6:04
  • 165 | No. 14 Ryan Burton (VT) MAJ DEC Ryan Ford (RUT), 13-4
  • 174 | Sergio Desiante (VT) DEC Brandon Carr (F&M), 5-1
  • 285 | Parker Ferrell (VT) loss via dec Rocco Dellagatta (SCRTC), 0-4

Cons. Round 2

Championship Quarterfinals

  • 133 | Aaron Seidel (VT) TECH FALL No. 20 Dylan Shawver (RUT), 17-0 5:26
  • 149 | No. 19 Collin Gaj (VT) DEC Jack Crook (HARV), 5-1
  • 149 | Noah Nininger (VT) loss via dec Michael Gioffre (ILL), 9-10
  • 149 | Ethen Miller (VT) DEC Owen Reinsel (LEH), 4-2
  • 165 | No. 14 Ryan Burton (VT) DEC Joseph Cangro (HARV), 10-5
  • 174 | Sergio Desiante (VT) DEC Dom Frederici (LEH), 11-7

Consolations

Consolation Quarterfinals

141 | Drew Gorman (VT) FALL Charles Curtis (NIU), 7-3 1:39

149 | Noah Nininger (VT) DEC Cooper Hilton (MICH), 4-1 SV

285 | Parker Ferrell (VT) MAJ DEC Sean Carroll (Unatt-NIU), 11-1

Championship Semifinals

  • 133 | Aaron Seidel (VT) TECH FALL No. 25 Marcel Lopez (SIUE), 16-1 4:05
  • 149 | No. 19 Collin Gaj (VT) DEC Sergio Lemley (MICH), 9-2
  • 149 | Ethen Miller (VT) loss via dec Michel Gioffre (ILL), 1-2 TB1
  • 165 | No. 14 Ryan Burton (VT) loss via dec e'Than Birden (OH ST), 3-6
  • 174 | Sergio Desiante (VT) loss via dec No. 24 Myles Takats (BUCK), 2-5

Consolation Quarterfinals

Consolation Semifinals

Placement Matches

Finals

  • 133 | Aaron Seidel (VT) FALL Reineri Ortega (UNATT), 5-3 4:59
  • 149 | No. 19 Collin Gaj (VT) DEC Michael Gioffre (ILL), 4-1 SV