Hokie ClubINDIANAPOLIS - The NCAA released the brackets for the 10 weight classes Monday night for the upcoming NCAA Wrestling Championships, to be held Thursday-Saturday at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center. A school-record eight Virginia Tech grapplers will make "The March to The Arch" in search of national championships and All-America honors.
Four Hokies will have seeded competitors in their first match and one will wrestle in an opening round or “pigtail” match.
Below are the first-round opponents, as well as potential second-match match-ups for Tech’s eight competitors.
125: Jarrod GarnettFirst round: vs. Nick Bedelyon (Kent St.; 25-8)Second match: vs. Brian Owen (Boise St.; 12-7)/#3 seed Angel Escobedo (Indiana; 22-3)
141: Chris DiazFirst round: #2 seed Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin; 25-4)Second match: vs. Nick Nelson (Virginia; 23-10)/Elijah Nacita (CS Bakersfield; 33-11)OF NOTE: Diaz beat Tanelli 8-3 at the Las Vegas Invite; lost to Nelson 5-2 in a dual
149: Pete YatesFirst round: #12 seed Trevor Chinn (Lehigh; 27-7)Second match: Daniel Meagher (Cornell; 14-10)/#5 seed Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin; 26-7)
157: Jesse DongFirst round: #11 seed Chase Pami (Cal Poly; 22-7)Second match: Kurt Kinser (Indiana; 18-8)/#6 seed Michael Chandler (Missouri; 27-6)OF NOTE: Dong beat Pami 2-0 in a dual
174: Anthony TrongonePigtail: vs. Nate Rock (Buffalo; 26-14)Second match: if wins: vs. Nathan Lee (Boise St.; 18-3); if loses: TBD
184: Tommy SpellmanFirst round: Christopher McNeil (Oklahoma State; 24-11)Second match: Matthew Gevelinger (Brown; 24-12); #3 Mike Pucillo (Ohio St.; 19-1)OF NOTE: Spellman lost to Gevelinger 6-1 in a dual
197: D.J. BruceFirst round: #2 seed Jake Varner (Iowa State; 26-2)Second match: Dan Tulley (Duke; 17-10)/Logan Brown (Purdue; 29-13)OF NOTE: Tulley was a second alternate who was added to the tournament late, giving the ACC 33 bids; Bruce beat Tulley 5-2 at the ACC Tournament
285: David MaroneFirst round: DJ Russo (Rutgers; 31-14)Second match: Clayton Jack (Oregon St.; 21-9)/#4 seed Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma St.; 30-4)OF NOTE: Marone beat Russo 10-6 in a dual
Tech will send a school-record eight competitors to the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, a year after sending just one. All eight wrestlers representing Virginia Tech at this year’s NCAA Championships will be making their first appearance at the Big Dance.
Six Virginia Tech wrestlers have earned seven All-America honors in program history. Brandon Glover took third at 130 pounds in 1959 to earn Tech’s first honor. In 1994, Josh Feldman took seventh in the heavyweight division. In 2000, the Hokies earned two All-America honors in St. Louis (Chris Martin, fourth, 165 pounds; Sean Gray, sixth, 141 pounds). Gray became the first and only two-time All-American when he placed seventh in 2001.
In 2006, two more Hokies placed at Nationals. Mike Faust took fifth at heavyweight and David Hoffman finished eighth at 141 pounds.
The highest Tech has ever finished at the NCAA Championships is 19th (1956, 1959, 2000) and the Hokies have only four top-25 finishes (T23rd in 2001). In 2005, Tech scored 27.5 points, by far the most ever scored by the team at the Championships.
hokiesports.com will be on site to give you coverage and photos from inside the arena before and throughout the event.