The Hokies enter 2023 after a year for the record books where they crowned five All-Americans, finished ninth as a team at the NCAA tournament and won a share of the ACC dual title. They only lose one starter to graduation and return a very dangerous team that will be in the hunt for an ACC title and an NCAA team trophy. Last season saw the continued success of Sam Latona, Bryce Andonian, and Mekhi Lewis and the rise of some talented young wrestlers in Eddie Ventresca, Caleb Henson, and Tom Crook. The Hokies continue to reload with strong recruiting classes and are trying to fight their way into the top three teams in the country. It is going to be another fun season in Blacksburg.
TOP RETURNERS
Eddie Ventresca won the battle for the starting spot with Cooper Flynn and went on to earn his first All-American honors with an impressive performance in Tulsa. He was 22-9 on the year, with four of those losses coming in sudden victory. Two of those were his only losses in the ACC; he was 3-1 in duals and made the ACC finals with both losses being to Jarrett Trombley in SV. Ventresca seemed to find another gear in Tulsa and made an incredible run to get on the podium as a redshirt freshman.
Sam Latona made his second trip to the podium in Tulsa. He shook off some questionable early season losses to finish the regular season at 22-5 including a win over eventual NCAA champion Vito Arujau. He dropped a tight match to Kai Orine at the ACC tournament that he would avenge a week later in the seventh-place bout. Latona enters the season as a three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American, ACC Champion, and two-time ACC finalist. He is unquestionably one of the leaders of this Hokie squad and has shown incredible leadership in his time in Blacksburg.
Caleb Henson was named ACC Freshman of the Year after putting together an impressive campaign as a true freshman that culminated on the podium in Tulsa. He started the season on an 8-0 run and put himself on the national radar with a win over NCAA finalist Sammy Sasso. He would go on to earn wins over seven All-Americans on the season. Henson was undefeated in ACC duals and won the ACC Championship over fellow freshman Jackson Arrington; which is going to be a fun rivalry to watch over the next few years. Henson put together a phenomenal run at the NCAA tournament after an early-round loss to place fifth.
Bryce Andonian enters the season coming off his second-straight All-American finish. The electric factory is looking to add more highlights and more trophies to his collection in his final season in Blacksburg. He had a shortened season, returning for the back half of the season after aggravating an injury at the All-Star Classic. He was 12-4 on the year, with two of those losses to NCAA Champion Austin O’Connor in the dual and the ACC finals. Andonian seems more focused coming into this season, which could spell trouble for anyone lining up across from him.
Mekhi Lewis enters his final year in Blacksburg as the most decorated Hokie wrestler of all-time and is looking to add a second NCAA title to his collection. He fought through multiple injuries, including a gnarly-looking dislocated finger during a match at the NCAA tournament, to finish in 4th place for his third All-American honor. He added another undefeated ACC season and a third ACC title to his resume last season as well. It’s hard to quantify what Mekhi has meant to this program, but suffice it to say, he is the face of Hokie Wrestling and is looking to go out on top.
KEY DEPARTURES
Hunter Bolen
The Christiansburg Cowboy left his mark on the Hokie program. He earned All-American status in 2021 and fell one match short of a second trip to the podium last season, falling in the blood round. Bolen was a five-time NCAA qualifier, three-time ACC finalist, and one-time ACC champion.
NEWCOMERS
Mac Church and Hunter Mason will be battling for the starting spot at 141 this year and will both likely get an opportunity in the lineup early in the season. Church is a Waynesburg, PA product who was a two-time PA State Champion and three-time finalist who was ranked #49 on the Big Board. Mason was a four-time Tennessee State Champion, Dave Schultz Award winner and #85 on the Big Board. Both of them have huge potential and will be critical to the team success of the Hokies this year.
Jimmy Mullen is a two-sport phenom for the Hokies, playing football and wrestling. Mullen was a three-time New Jersey State Championship; he chose to forgo the tournament one season to compete for Team USA in the Cadet World Championships. He was the New Jersey Wrestler of the Year and the Dave Schultz Award winner. Mullen will be a huge part of the continued success of the Hokies and will be a talented anchor for the top of the lineup moving forward. The plan is to redshirt this year, but he will likely utilize his five dates to get some time in the lineup.
WRESTLER TO WATCH
Sam Fisher
The Virginia native has been patiently biding his time behind Hunter Bolen and is ready to make his mark for the Hokies. He is coming off a 23-5 season where he had dual wins over Duke, American, and George Mason to go along with solid performances at the Keystone Classic and in open tournaments. Fisher is also accomplished in freestyle, capturing a U20 Pan Am title during his time in Blacksburg. He isn’t the flashiest wrestler on the squad, but he is technically sound and has proven he can win. He will be an important element for the Hokies to have a chance at the ACC title and an NCAA trophy.
TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL
The Hokie coaching staff continually seeks out competitive out-of-conference duals and has a multi-year running home and home series scheduled with three top-10 programs. This season the #3 Hokies will face #7 Ohio State at home while they will see #2 Cornell and #4 Mizzou on the road. I can’t pick one of these as the “best” out-of-conference dual because they will all be fantastic matchups for different reasons. They will open the dual season against Ohio State at home and Cassell will be rocking. With all three of these being top-10 duals, we will have a full breakdown of each as the dual approaches.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
125: #4 Eddie Ventresca 22-9 3-1 ACC - All-American (7th) - NCAA Qualifier - ACC Finalist
133: #4 Sam Latona 28-8 4-1 ACC - 2x All-American (6th, 7th) - 3x NCAA Qualifier - ACC Champion - 2x ACC Finalist
141: Tom Crook 17-11 1-3 ACC - NCAA Qualifier - Will likely redshirt this season
Mac Church True Freshman
Hunter Mason True Freshman
149: #4 Caleb Henson 27-5 5-0 ACC - All-American - NCAA Qualifier - ACC Champion
157: #6 Bryce Andonian 12-4 4-1 ACC - 2x All-American (3, 7) - 3x ACC Finalist
165: #16 Connor Brady 15-11 2-3 ACC - 3x NCAA Qualifier
174: #3 Mehki Lewis 22-3 5-0 ACC - NCAA Champion - 3x All-American (1, 2, 4) - 3x ACC Champion - 4x NCAA Qualifier
184: #24 Sam Fisher 23-5 1-0 ACC
197: #14 Andy Smith 15-9 3-1 ACC - NCAA Qualifier
285: #16 Hunter Catka 19-8 3-2 ACC - 2x NCAA Qualifier
The Hokies enter 2023 after a year for the record books where they crowned five All-Americans, finished ninth as a team at the NCAA tournament and won a share of the ACC dual title. They only lose one starter to graduation and return a very dangerous team that will be in the hunt for an ACC title and an NCAA team trophy. Last season saw the continued success of Sam Latona, Bryce Andonian, and Mekhi Lewis and the rise of some talented young wrestlers in Eddie Ventresca, Caleb Henson, and Tom Crook. The Hokies continue to reload with strong recruiting classes and are trying to fight their way into the top three teams in the country. It is going to be another fun season in Blacksburg. TOP RETURNERS Eddie Ventresca won the battle for the starting spot with Cooper Flynn and went on to earn his first All-American honors with an impressive performance in Tulsa. He was 22-9 on the year, with four of those losses coming in sudden victory. Two of those were his only losses in the ACC; he was 3-1 in duals and made the ACC finals with both losses being to Jarrett Trombley in SV. Ventresca seemed to find another gear in Tulsa and made an incredible run to get on the podium as a redshirt freshman. Sam Latona made his second trip to the podium in Tulsa. He shook off some questionable early season losses to finish the regular season at 22-5 including a win over eventual NCAA champion Vito Arujau. He dropped a tight match to Kai Orine at the ACC tournament that he would avenge a week later in the seventh-place bout. Latona enters the season as a three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American, ACC Champion, and two-time ACC finalist. He is unquestionably one of the leaders of this Hokie squad and has shown incredible leadership in his time in Blacksburg. Caleb Henson was named ACC Freshman of the Year after putting together an impressive campaign as a true freshman that culminated on the podium in Tulsa. He started the season on an 8-0 run and put himself on the national radar with a win over NCAA finalist Sammy Sasso. He would go on to earn wins over seven All-Americans on the season. Henson was undefeated in ACC duals and won the ACC Championship over fellow freshman Jackson Arrington; which is going to be a fun rivalry to watch over the next few years. Henson put together a phenomenal run at the NCAA tournament after an early-round loss to place fifth. Bryce Andonian enters the season coming off his second-straight All-American finish. The electric factory is looking to add more highlights and more trophies to his collection in his final season in Blacksburg. He had a shortened season, returning for the back half of the season after aggravating an injury at the All-Star Classic. He was 12-4 on the year, with two of those losses to NCAA Champion Austin O’Connor in the dual and the ACC finals. Andonian seems more focused coming into this season, which could spell trouble for anyone lining up across from him. Mekhi Lewis enters his final year in Blacksburg as the most decorated Hokie wrestler of all-time and is looking to add a second NCAA title to his collection. He fought through multiple injuries, including a gnarly-looking dislocated finger during a match at the NCAA tournament, to finish in 4th place for his third All-American honor. He added another undefeated ACC season and a third ACC title to his resume last season as well. It’s hard to quantify what Mekhi has meant to this program, but suffice it to say, he is the face of Hokie Wrestling and is looking to go out on top. KEY DEPARTURES Hunter Bolen The Christiansburg Cowboy left his mark on the Hokie program. He earned All-American status in 2021 and fell one match short of a second trip to the podium last season, falling in the blood round. Bolen was a five-time NCAA qualifier, three-time ACC finalist, and one-time ACC champion. NEWCOMERS Mac Church and Hunter Mason will be battling for the starting spot at 141 this year and will both likely get an opportunity in the lineup early in the season. Church is a Waynesburg, PA product who was a two-time PA State Champion and three-time finalist who was ranked #49 on the Big Board. Mason was a four-time Tennessee State Champion, Dave Schultz Award winner and #85 on the Big Board. Both of them have huge potential and will be critical to the team success of the Hokies this year. Jimmy Mullen is a two-sport phenom for the Hokies, playing football and wrestling. Mullen was a three-time New Jersey State Championship; he chose to forgo the tournament one season to compete for Team USA in the Cadet World Championships. He was the New Jersey Wrestler of the Year and the Dave Schultz Award winner. Mullen will be a huge part of the continued success of the Hokies and will be a talented anchor for the top of the lineup moving forward. The plan is to redshirt this year, but he will likely utilize his five dates to get some time in the lineup. WRESTLER TO WATCH Sam Fisher The Virginia native has been patiently biding his time behind Hunter Bolen and is ready to make his mark for the Hokies. He is coming off a 23-5 season where he had dual wins over Duke, American, and George Mason to go along with solid performances at the Keystone Classic and in open tournaments. Fisher is also accomplished in freestyle, capturing a U20 Pan Am title during his time in Blacksburg. He isn’t the flashiest wrestler on the squad, but he is technically sound and has proven he can win. He will be an important element for the Hokies to have a chance at the ACC title and an NCAA trophy. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL The Hokie coaching staff continually seeks out competitive out-of-conference duals and has a multi-year running home and home series scheduled with three top-10 programs. This season the #3 Hokies will face #7 Ohio State at home while they will see #2 Cornell and #4 Mizzou on the road. I can’t pick one of these as the “best” out-of-conference dual because they will all be fantastic matchups for different reasons. They will open the dual season against Ohio State at home and Cassell will be rocking. With all three of these being top-10 duals, we will have a full breakdown of each as the dual approaches. POTENTIAL LINEUP 125: #4 Eddie Ventresca 22-9 3-1 ACC - All-American (7th) - NCAA Qualifier - ACC Finalist 133: #4 Sam Latona 28-8 4-1 ACC - 2x All-American (6th, 7th) - 3x NCAA Qualifier - ACC Champion - 2x ACC Finalist 141: Tom Crook 17-11 1-3 ACC - NCAA Qualifier - Will likely redshirt this season Mac Church True Freshman Hunter Mason True Freshman 149: #4 Caleb Henson 27-5 5-0 ACC - All-American - NCAA Qualifier - ACC Champion 157: #6 Bryce Andonian 12-4 4-1 ACC - 2x All-American (3, 7) - 3x ACC Finalist 165: #16 Connor Brady 15-11 2-3 ACC - 3x NCAA Qualifier 174: #3 Mehki Lewis 22-3 5-0 ACC - NCAA Champion - 3x All-American (1, 2, 4) - 3x ACC Champion - 4x NCAA Qualifier 184: #24 Sam Fisher 23-5 1-0 ACC 197: #14 Andy Smith 15-9 3-1 ACC - NCAA Qualifier 285: #16 Hunter Catka 19-8 3-2 ACC - 2x NCAA Qualifier
Benedictine College Prep
Pascack Hills
Tuttle
Canyon Springs
Indian Creek
Heritage Hills
So I started doing the whole doctor thing this week. That thing you do when you get old and have to actually put in an effort to stay alive. I don’t even know what else to say about that. It’s just this reluctant acceptance of the beginning of the later stage of life that has been on my mind lately. Then I think about how I want to live as many of those later years as I can. So why should I let the thought of it affect me negatively? I’d rather just enjoy life in the moment. I’m just getting warmed up, baby! It’s week two of wrestling and my football team fired that jobber Josh McDaniels. Things couldn’t be better. Now to your questions! Which weight class do you feel is the most wide open this season for a new NCAA champ? Kevin Claunch, Michigan Spymaster Well, I’ll narrow it down by picking any weight that doesn’t have a returning champ. So that takes out three, but I’ll just substitute 197 for 184 and make it four classes out. You can also toss out heavyweight because Kerk is a returning finalist and Gable apparently located his shoes. Let’s also toss out 141, 157, and the aforementioned 184 since they also have returning finalists in the mix. That leaves us with 125 and 149. And they are intriguing! 149 is a bit top-heavy but 125 is just a mess of guys. You’ve got a mix of guys who have gutted out the Spencer Lee-era and a nice crop of fresh faces ready to make the leap. Literally, any of the top ten guys can make the finals. And that’s not counting Brayden Palmer, who beat the high school kid, who just beat the top-ranked guy, who beat Spencer friggin’ Lee just under eight months ago! Noto-Figs-Ventresca-Peterson-Poulin-Ungar. These guys want to show everyone that they are the guys here now. Guys like Barnett, McKee, and DeAugustino have been stalwarts here for years and they know damn well they have a chance at that title this year. 125 will be the most wild and unpredictable bracket this March. Not a doubt in my mind. If takedowns are now three points, why aren’t escapes 1.5? Doesn’t the sport need more decimals? Regular Guy Good question. We do need more decimals. And more decibels while we’re at it. I’m still not sold on the new scoring, but there’s certainly more scores of 14-5 than there used to be. Which freshman debut most impressed you last week? Dr. Rhino None of them. Alright, maybe a few. For starters, I’m fully on the Rocco Welsh wagon. I actually wish I was Rocco Welsh. I also sometimes wish I was Raquel Welch. Rutgers freshman 133 Max Hermes also had a nice little run at the Princeton Open and put up 41 points in four wins while falling to Rider veteran Richie Koehler 6-2. Kannon Webster had a nice debut with a tech and folks will be certainly keeping an eye on his five-date redshirt rule thing or however that works. Of course, the big story was the performances of a trio of high school kids who had runs through the Clarion Open. In a record-setting 14-hour-long tournament without a break, Bo Bassett, Marcus Blaze, and Jax Forrest made it one of the most fun opening tournaments in years. My guess is that Bo probably slept in until about 5:15 on Monday morning. He certainly earned it. With the first women’s dual meet happening in Carver-Hawkeye, how long before we see a Scuffle/Midlands men’s and women’s division tournament? The Kid Smoke Drip Costanza Midlands had one last year, and would’ve had one the year before had they not canceled. Seton Hall Pirate Bad look for me. The Kid Smoke Drip Costanza Don’t beat yourself up over Pirate sticking his nose in there. The truth is that I forgot that they had it last year. But I also forgot what I had for lunch yesterday, so that might be a problem on my end. It’s possible I’ve also had too much smoke drip Costanza. I’m sure as the sport grows on the women’s side of the D1 level we will see more tournaments co-hosting them and even some more Opens of their own. Headed to England for the Phillies-Mets games next June? Kevin McGuigan Oh jeez, I don't even want to think about baseball and forgot this was even happening. Bryce Harper and Pete Alonso should show American unity by parading the Liberty Bell around the Brits like a trophy. Thoughts on Rutgers’ 2024 signing class. Dan Seifring Not bad. My guys are doing a good job hitting the other states and I’ve heard a lot of good things about Conner Harer. Alex Nini has always been a guy I thought had immense talent and should fit in nicely. Ryan Ford is Coach Dom trained. That’s good enough for me. Will Steveson get his head or his retired shoes cut off in the first episode of college duals? JP Pearson It would be funny if he just wrestled the entire season barefoot as a bit of a nod to the sacred tradition of leaving your shoes on the mat as a way of saying goodbye. Then he can still honor tradition while still wrestling. Sort of like a loophole. I also want multiple backflips after every match now. No more leaving us wanting more. It’s the last chance we will get to see the show. Give ‘em the works. These are my terms.
Chambersburg
Penns Valley
Herricks
Family Partnership
Hempfield
Mishawaka
LaSalle
Reading
Brockway
St. John's
