The ODU wrestling team boasted a 17-3 dual record a year ago in one of the best seasons in program history. This year, the 22nd ranked Monarchs will attempt to repeat the promising year against a tough schedule early.
The Monarchs will open the season with the annual Blue/Silver Intersquad on October 26 in the Athletic Administration Building at ODU, at 12:30. The regular season begins with five straight dates on the road.
The team will travel to the Michigan State Open tournament on November 9 and then return to the Commonwealth for the Hokie Open tournament at Virginia Tech November 16. ODU's first dual will be a major test against two of the top teams in the nation, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on November 22 and 23. The Cowboys are ranked 6th in the preseason by W.I.N. Magazine while the Sooners are ranked 20th.
Old Dominion will have the Northeast Duals on November 29, and they will face Harvard, No. 5 Missouri and Bloomsburg. ODU will then take nearly a month's break before they host their first opponent of the year, the Panthers of UNI. Northern Iowa is ranked 25th in the preseason and will be a key matchup for the Monarchs this season.
ODU will then split up and head to the Midlands and Southern Scuffle Tournaments on December 29-30 before coming back home and hosting a quad meet on January 4. ODU plays host to Purdue, UNC Greensboro and George Mason on the 4th at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The quad is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
Martin will return to the Virginia Duals on January 9-10 at the Hampton Coliseum, a tournament they took third at in 2007-08. The CAA Duals will follow in Fairfax on January 17. The following week ODU will travel to face Bucknell and No. 14 Central Michigan. The Chippewas will host the Monarchs in the first ever matchup. ODU will also travel to Rider and NC State at the end of the year.
Virginia wrestling fans will be enthused to hear that ODU will play host to both the Virginia Cavaliers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the end of the 2008-09 regular season. The Cavs, coming to Norfolk on February 8, will be looking to rebound after a 23-12 loss to the Monarchs a year ago, while the Hokies, entertained on February 19, return a home and home matchup of which ODU took a 26-9 victory last year in Blacksburg.
Martin continues to schedule tough opponents to train his grapplers for the CAA Tournament and potential slots at the NCAA Tournament. A year ago, a record six of his wrestlers qualified for the championship. This year, the conference tournament will be hosted by Old Dominion, giving the Monarch wrestlers home mat in the qualifying tournament. The tournament will be held at Oscar Smith High School on March 6-7.
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now