Dual of the Week: #7 Ohio State at #3 Virginia Tech

Many college wrestling fans circled the early-season dual between No. 3 Virginia Tech and No. 7 Ohio State. The Hokies look to have one of their strongest teams in recent memory, and Ohio State has already declared itself as one of the power programs in the sport. The 10 matches could include as many as 17 ranked individual wrestlers. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the dual. 125: No. 4 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) vs. Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) The Hokies are stacked at 125 pounds. Ventresca won a close battle against teammate Cooper Flynn for the spot last year and finished seventh to become an All-American. In the offseason, Flynn won the U23 World Team Trials and represented the country at the World Championships. He lost to the eventual silver medalist and finished one bout short of the bronze medal match. Depth like this is rare in the portal era, and it will likely benefit Virginia Tech this season. McCrone redshirted last year for Ohio State, but he did step in for the team in a pair of Big Ten duals. Overall he finished with a 15-4 record with the vast majority of his matches coming in open tournaments. In the preseason, he locked down the starting spot in the wrestle-offs. Last weekend, he made his season debut at the Clarion Open where he went 4-2 with losses coming against No. 25 Nick Babin (Columbia) and Tristan Lujan (Michigan State). On a team loaded with high-level recruits, McCrone does seem to be a bit of an outsider. However, coach Tom Ryan likes him a lot and has not been afraid to put him in the lineup. With that being said, Ventresca is a heavy favorite in this contest. With the three-point takedown, it is hard to see this one not ending with a major decision. Prediction: Ventresca major decision over McCrone Dual Score: Virginia Tech 4, Ohio State 0 133: No. 7 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 14 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) After a disappointing 2022 season ended in the round of 12, Latona moved up to 133 pounds last year and returned to the All-American podium for the first time since his redshirt freshman year. Latona made his season debut at last weekend’s Southeast Open. He took a bit of a head-scratching loss against then-unranked No. 23 Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) in the semifinals and finished third. Bouzakis was used as a spot starter during his redshirt year a season ago. In fact, he represented the squad for exactly five matches on four dates and maintained his redshirt status. In those five matches, he went 4-1 with his only loss coming in the dual against Virginia Tech. This year, he is expected to hold down the starting job at this weight. He kicked off his season at the Clarion Open and dropped matches against No. 10 Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) and No. 11 Angelo Rini (Columbia). This is an extremely interesting early season bout considering the trajectory of both competitors. They both enter this season with high expectations, but have already suffered some early-season setbacks. This could turn into a close contest that resembles a tournament-type match where one score will decide it. In the end, Latona probably has the better offense at this point so that makes him the favorite. However, this match might be rematched down the road as 133 appears to be a contender for the wackiest weight of the year. Prediction: Latona decision over Bouzakis Dual Score: Virginia Tech 7, Ohio State 0 141: Mac Church/Hunter Mason (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 5 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) Tech lists four true freshmen at 141 pounds and many expect Church to be the starter this season. The two-time Pennsylvania state champion was a top 50 recruit this past offseason, but he did not wrestle at the Southeast Open last weekend. The other three 141-pound wrestlers for the Hokies did, including Mason, also a top recruit, who went 5-0 to win the freshman/sophomore bracket. Mendez was one of the top recruits in the country, and he started from the jump at Ohio State last season. He went 19-9 at 133 pounds and finished sixth to become an All-American. For this season, he will bump up to 141 pounds. Mendez got off to a strong start at the Clarion Open where he won the tournament title with a 4-0 record including a fall and three technical falls. Despite the success last season, there were times when Ohio State fans were hoping for more of an offensive mindset from Mendez. While he did not face the toughest opposition in the Clarion tournament, he was clearly putting points on the board. The Hokies have talent at this weight, but whoever they send out, it will likely be too much too soon. Prediction: Mendez decision over Mason Dual: Virginia Tech 7, Ohio State 3 149: No. 4 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 5 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) Henson started as a true freshman for the Hokies last year and finished fifth at this weight to become an All-American. He announced his presence with authority when he defeated then-second-ranked Sammy Sasso of Ohio State in the last iteration of this dual. Henson returned to action this past weekend and picked up four bonus-point victories and a 5-1 decision over Shannon Hanna (Campbell) at the Southeast Open. After back-to-back qualifying seasons for D’Emilio, he took the next step last season and finished eighth to become an All-American. This year, he will move up to 149 pounds. His first matches at the new weight came this past weekend at the Clarion Open. D’Emilio won the tournament title with five victories. Along the way, he knocked off ranked wrestlers No. 24 Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) and No. 33 Zach Price (Gardner-Webb). Henson might be the more dynamic wrestler in this contest, but D’Emilio can excel in tight and physical bouts. If he can make a difference in the ties he should be able to pull off the slight rankings upset. With that being said, Henson enters this one with a bit of an edge. Prediction: Henson decision over D’Emilio Dual: Virginia Tech 10, Ohio State 3 157: No. 6 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 16 Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) Andonian reportedly dealt with injuries during the early part of last season, but he pulled it together in the second semester and finished seventh at the NCAA tournament. It was his first season at 157 pounds, and he is expected back there once again. When in action, Andonian has been one of the most exciting wrestlers in the sport, but It remains to be seen if he will compete. Last year, he did not make his season debut until January, and he did not wrestle at the Southeast Open. Gallagher joined the starting lineup last season after a redshirt year. He took some lumps in the Big Ten grinder but managed to qualify for the NCAA tournament and finish with a 12-11 record. The former high-level recruit appeared to be in top form at the Clarion Open. There he scored five bonus-point victories on the way to a tournament championship. This would be a battle between alumni of St. Edward, as the Ohio powerhouse continues to produce top-level talent. At this point, Andonian appears to be a strong favorite, but style does give his opponents’ opportunities. This one might have moments for Gallagher, but Andonian should be able to bring home the victory. If Andonian does not go for Tech, the match swings in favor of Ohio State. Gallagher scored a 14-8 decision over Clayton Ulrey in the dual last year. Prediction: Andonian major decision over Gallagher Dual: Virginia Tech 14, Ohio State 3 165: No. 18 Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 19 Bryce Hepner/Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) Brady has qualified for three NCAA tournaments in two different weights. Last season was his first at 165 pounds, and he went 15-11. Of those 11 losses, three came in overtime and another three were decided by only a single point. Brady has not competed yet this season. Hepner was a starter for Ohio State at 157 pounds for the 2022 season. He redshirted last year and won the only tournament he entered, the Cleveland State Open. In that event, he scored an impressive 6-4 victory over No. 3 Cameron Amine (Michigan). Hepner did not enter the Clarion Open last weekend. These two have a bit of history. During the 2022 season, Brady scored a 3-2 decision in the dual. While it was a one-takedown match, Brady is at his best in that sort of contest. Look for this bout to play out in a similar fashion. Should Hepner not be able to go the Buckeyes could turn to veteran Isaac Wilcox. Wilcox went 4-1 at the Clarion Open, with his best win coming over Purdue’s Stoney Buell. Prediction: Brady decision Hepner Dual: Virginia Tech 17, Ohio State 3 174: No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 7 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) Lewis burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2019. At the NCAA tournament, he scored victories over Evan Wick, Alex Marinelli, and Vincenzo Joseph and won a national title. Following an Olympic redshirt, Lewis dealt with injuries and eventually moved up to 174 pounds. He has twice returned to the podium with a second-place performance in 2022 and a fourth-place finish last year. Kharchla showed flashes during his first season in an Ohio State singlet. In 2022, he picked up several key victories and finished seventh at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American. However, he has continually dealt with the injury bug since. Last season, his run came to an end in the Round of 12, and he medically forfeited out of the Clarion Open after winning three matches. If Kharchla does not go for Ohio State, the Buckeyes could turn to Rocco Welsh. The two-time Pennsylvania state champion made his collegiate debut last weekend and won the 165-pound division with a 5-0 record. Prediction: Lewis decision over Kharchla Dual: Virginia Tech 20, Ohio State 3 184: No. 24 Sam Fisher (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 11 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) Fisher has been a spot starter over the last few seasons for the Hokies. A season ago, he went 23-5 overall and 3-0 in dual meets. It looks like he will get the job of representing the squad at 184 pounds this season. He made the finals of the Southeast Open before dropping an 8-2 decision against No. 3 Trey Munoz (Oregon State). Hoffman finished sixth at the 2022 NCAA tournament and returned to the event last year. He received a rough draw that saw him face off against Max Dean and No. 3 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) in two of his first three matches, and he failed to return to the podium. For this year, he will drop back down to 184 pounds for the first time since his redshirt year in 2019. Considering he has previously sprint time at heavyweight, Hoffman might have a size advantage if he can maintain the weight. Virginia Tech fans are likely expecting Fisher to take a step forward this season, and that might be in the cards. The potential for development is certainly there, but this will be a tough early match against a veteran competitor. Look for this one to be close early, but Hoffman should be able to pull out the victory. Prediction: Hoffman decision over Fisher Dual: Virginia Tech 20, Ohio State 6 197: No. 14 Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) vs. #19 Luke Geog (Ohio State) Smith started for Virginia Tech for the first time last season. He finished third in the ACC and qualified for the NCAA tournament. In the previous edition of this dual, Smith dropped a 4-1 decision against Hoffman, who has since dropped down. Geog was an Ohio state champion on the high school level and redshirted last season for the Buckeyes. During his redshirt year, he won both the Michigan State Open and Blue Raider Open. Geog also filled in for a trio of duals where he scored a decision over Andrew Davison (Northwestern) and dropped matches against No. 7 Silas Allred (Nebraska) and No. 6 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell). Ohio State will likely need this bout if they are to have any shot at winning this dual. Smith certainly has the experience edge, but neither has really been able to break through with a huge named win to this point. Smith probably deserves to be the favorite after a season of making the NCAA tournament, but Geog has a legitimate shot to shock people and pick up the rankings upset. Prediction: Geog decision over Smith Dual: Virginia Tech 20, Ohio State 9 285: No. 16 Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 20 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) Catka returns at heavyweight after his second NCAA qualifying season. He went 19-8 last season. At the ACC tournament, he finished third with his only loss coming against eventual champion No. 8 Owen Trephan (NC State) in overtime. Neither heavyweight on the roster for Virginia Tech wrestled in last weekend’s tournament. Feldman redshirted last year and did not compete. However, he still had some experience at the collegiate level as he previously entered college open tournaments while still in high school and went 6-1. Feldman came to Ohio State in 2022 as one of the top recruits in the country. He has already represented the U.S. at the Junior World Championships and finished his high school career with a 142-17 record. In his official college debut last weekend, he won the Clarion Open with five victories and four coming via bonus points. The only wrestler to escape without giving up bonus points was No. 31 John Meyers (Clarion). Feldman has the potential to be one of the best heavyweights in the country during his time at Ohio State. Catka will be the toughest wrestler he has faced in college to date. In a bit of a strange connection, Feldman’s father (Josh) was actually an All-American heavyweight at Virginia Tech back in 1994. Prediction: Feldman major decision over Catka Dual: Virginia Tech 20, Ohio State 13

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Dual of the Week: #7 Ohio State at #3 Virginia Tech

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