Jump to content
  • Playwire Ad Area
  • Photo:

    Photo:

    Virginia Tech drops Old Dominion in Salem

    SALEM, Va. -- The 14th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad won their first three matches of the night in dominant fashion, carrying the Hokies to a 29-12 victory over No. 24 Old Dominion on Thursday night at Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem, Va.

    Junior Chris Diaz, ranked 10th at 141 pounds, started the match off strongly with a methodical major decision over Craig Wilson of Old Dominion. Diaz controlled the tired opponent to the tune of a 17-5 victory. Freshman Brian Stephens followed that up with a strong pin, his third straight, at the 3:35 mark in the 157-pound weight class to give the Hokies a quick 10-0 advantage in the team competition. The Tech dominance continued at 157 pounds, as fifth-ranked sophomore Jesse Dong defeated Joey Sheridan of Old Dominion, 15-4, earning more bonus points for Hokies with the major decision.

    At 165 pounds, Old Dominion began to mount a comeback. The Monarchs tallied their first victory of the evening as 13th-ranked Chris Brown held off junior Matt Epperly at 165 pounds, 7-6, and freshman Taylor Knapp fell by a 5-0 decision at 174 pounds.

    Eighteenth-ranked, junior Tommy Spellman scored a takedown with less than 15 seconds left in the third period to secure a 4-2 decision at 184 pounds and help right the ship for the Hokies. After Tech forfeited at 197 pounds, freshman Chris Penny won a big match at 285 pounds, 4-3, to give the Hokies control in the match. Despite the forfeit, Tech took a commanding 20-12 team.

    The Hokies received a forfeit at 125 pounds, and sophomore Brock LiVorio took a 5-3 decision at 133 pounds to close out the match strongly. The Hokies beat the Monarchs 29-12.

    “Tonight’s win was total domination by the Hokies,” said head coach Kevin Dresser. “At 165 pounds, we lost on a bad call and at 125 pounds, they were afraid to wrestle us. Considering the adversity this team has been through this year, to go undefeated against in-state teams and to claim a state championship says a lot about how far this program has come and how bright the future is for the Hokies.”

    Tech next competes at the ACC Championships on March 6 in Raleigh, N.C. Results will be available on hokiesports.com.

    Results:
    125 lbs.: #14 Jarrod Garnett (VT) wins by forfeit
    133 lbs.: Brock LiVorio (VT) dec. Justin LaValle, 5-3
    141 lbs.: #10 Chris Diaz (VT) maj. dec. Craig Wilson, 17-5
    149 lbs.: Brian Stephens (VT) fall Brennan Brumley, 3:35
    157 lbs.: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) maj. dec. Joey Sheridan, 15-4
    165 lbs.: #13 Chris Brown (ODU) dec. Matt Epperly, 7-6
    174 lbs.: Eric Decker (ODU) dec. Taylor Knapp, 5-0
    184 lbs.: #18 Tommy Spellman (VT) dec. Joe Budi, 4-2
    197 lbs.: #19 Jesse Strawn (ODU) wins by forfeit
    285 lbs.: Chris Penny (VT) dec. Grant Chapman, 4-3

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    There are no comments to display.



    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Playwire Ad Area
×
×
  • Create New...