Ty Walz defeated Adam Coon in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Coon finished second to N.C. State's Nick Gwiazdowski in the 285-pound final at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis. Coon came in seeded No. 6 and defeated All-Americans Spencer Myers of Maryland and Mike McMullan of Northwestern to reach the finals. A Fowlerville, Mich., native, Coon finished the 2014-15 season with a 32-5 record.
"What we have seen from both Adam Coon and Ty Walz is they have an ability to really entertain the fans with their exciting, athletic brand of wrestling," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "One of the most memorable sequences in all of last year's NCAA championships was Adam Coon's scramble with Mike McMullan in the semifinals. Walz is also as athletic as they come. I don't think the fans in Atlanta will see a push-and-shove 1-1 match here."
Walz came into last year's tournament as the No. 10 seed and finished in seventh place, helping lead Virginia Tech to a 10th-place finish as a team in St. Louis. Walz, a graduate of national prep wrestling powerhouse St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, defeated returning All-American Austin Marsden of Oklahoma State to earn All-American honors.
Walz beat Coon once last season, earning a 5-3 overtime victory in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2014.
From a historical standpoint, Walz will be Virginia Tech's sixth entrant into the event, with Joey Dance and Devin Carter (twice) representing the Hokies in the past three years. Sean Gray appeared in the event twice, wrestling for the Hokies in 2001 and 2002.
Coon will be Michigan's first representative at the All-Star Classic since the fall of 2008 when Steve Luke defeated Iowa's Jay Borschel 3-2 at 174 pounds in Columbus, Ohio.
Michigan head coach Joe McFarland participated in the event for the Wolverines back in 1982, defeating Oklahoma State's Randy Willingham 84 at 118 pounds.
Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups
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285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech)
WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter
WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern
WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga.
TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15
PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here
TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider)
EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com
About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)
The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities.
About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN)
The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org
About ESPNU
The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.
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