Hokie ClubLAS VEGAS - Five Virginia Tech wrestlers placed at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, led by two finalists, in the two-day competition which concluded Saturday evening inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. In the team race, the Hokies finished in sixth place with 91.0 points, despite competing in only seven of 10 weight classes.
Joey Dance (125 pounds) and Ty Walz (heavyweight) each reached the finals of their respective weight class. With a 7-3 decision in the semifinals and a wire-to-wire 5-3 victory in the finals, Walz picked up the first Cliff Keen Las Vegas championship in program history. Also placing were Solomon Chishko (fifth at 141), Jared Haught (sixth at 197) and Zack Zavatsky (third at 184).
The Hokies, ranked sixth in the country as a dual meet team at 3-1, will be off until January 3, when they head north to take on George Mason. Several members of the team will compete in the Nittany Lion Open Sunday at Penn State as well.
125: #2 seed Joey Dance (SECOND PLACE)
Round of 32: def. Brandon Vu (San Francisco State), TF 24-8 (7:00)
Round of 16: def. Drew Romero (Air Force), 7-4
Quarterfinals: def. Barlow McGhee (Missouri), 3-1
Semifinals: def. #3 seed Ronnie Rios (Oregon State), 7-2
Finals: lost to #1 seed Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), 5-4
141: #1 seed Solomon Chishko (FIFTH PLACE)
Round of 32: def. Sonny Espinoza (Northern Colorado), TF 17-2 (4:01)
Round of 16: def. Mitchell Bengtson (North Dakota State University), 6-2
Quarterfinals: def. #9 seed Tyler Smith (Bucknell), 10-3
Semifinals: lost to. #5 seed Micah Jordan (Ohio State), 5-2
Consolation semifinals: lost to Matt Manley (Missouri), Fall 3:54
Fifth place: def. Tyler Smith (Bucknell), 11-5
149: #3 seed Sal Mastriani
Round of 64: def. Gunner Wolfensperger (Northern Iowa), 6-5
Round of 32: lost to Coleman Hammond (CSU-Bakersfield), Fall 2:26
Consolation: def. Randy Languis (Ohio State), 7-3
Consolation Round of 16: def. Matthew Ontiveros (Utah Valley), MD 14-4
Consolation Round of 16 #2: lost to Alex Griffin (Purdue), MD 8-0
165: #5 seed David McFadden
Round of 32: def. Nolan Kister (California Baptist), 8-3
Round of 16: def. Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 8-4
Quarterfinals: lost to #4 seed George Pickett (Cornell), 4-1
Consolation: lost to #6 seed Tanner Weatherman (ISU), 9-4
184: Zack Zavatsky (THIRD PLACE)
Round of 32: def. #2 seed Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 8-4
Round of 16: def. Steven Schneider (Binghamton), 8-1
Quarterfinals: def. Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin), 7-1
Semifinals: lost to #6 seed Domenic Abounader (Michigan), 5-4
Consolation semifinals: def. Mathew Miller (Navy), Fall 1:47
Third place: def. #5 seed Willie Miklus (Missouri), 9-4
197: #6 seed Jared Haught (SIXTH PLACE)
Round of 32: def. Calvin Nicholls (San Francisco State), Fall 1:35
Round of 16: def. #11 seed Brad Johnson (Oklahoma), 3-1 SV
Quarterfinals: lost to #3 seed Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), 4-1
Consolation Round of 8: def. #5 seed Zach Nye (Virginia), 16-10
Consolation Round of 4: def. #9 seed Bryce Barnes (Army), 9-3
Consolation semifinals: lost to #4 seed Jacob Smith (West Virginia), 2-0
Fifth place: lost to Max Huntley (Michigan), 10-3
285: #1 seed Ty Walz (CHAMPION)
Round of 64: def. Jack Kuck (Northern Colorado), Fall 4:06
Round of 32: def. Damian Trujillo (North Idaho), TF 19-4 6:08
Round of 16: def. Stephen Suglio (Kent State), Fall 2:48
Quarterfinals: def. #8 seed Jeramy Sweany (Cornell), 6-4
Semifinals: def. #4 seed Ross Larson (Oklahoma), 7-3
Finals: def. #2 seed Michael Korells (Minnesota), 5-3