Virginia Wrestling Set to Compete in Southern Scuffle

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Dec. 29, 2005

GREENSBORO, N.C.- – The Virginia Wrestling Team returns to action for the first time since Dec. 4 when the Cavaliers take part in the Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday and Friday. Check out all the action at www.SouthernScuffle.com.

Sophomore Rocco Caponi earned a No.6 seeding and is the only Cavalier seeded in the top eight of any weight class. Caponi, who has wrestled unattached at open tournaments for the Cavaliers, is red-shirting this season, but has compiled a 20-4 overall record and captured two tournament titles.

Redshirt freshman Eric Albright has posted a 10-4 overall record on the season at 133 pounds to lead the team in wins. Redshirt sophomore Damian Johnson at 165 pounds and freshman Brent Jones at 197 pounds each are 9-3 on the season while Mike Grogan is 9-4 at 174 pounds.

Virginia recorded its best team finish on the season at the Keystone Classic hosted by Penn. The Cavaliers scored 109.5 team points and placed second at the tournament. Sophomores Nick Smith and Anthony Burke led the Cavaliers each finishing second in their weight classes. Albright, Johnson, Grogan, Jones and Kyle Narkiewicz all placed third in their respective weight classes.

Burke at 125 pounds has compiled a 7-4 record on the season for the Hoos while Smith is 6-5 at heavyweight. Narkiewicz is 7-3 at 184 pounds.

A live webcast will be available for the 2005 Southern Scuffle through UNCGSpartans.com and SouthernScuffle.com.

In-depth coverage of the 2005 Southern Scuffle will be provided both days from start to finish, highlighting numerous matches. In addition, several coaches and wrestlers will provide in-sight throughout the two days of action. Up to ten mats will have action going on simultaneously. However, tournament committee members will be scheduling feature matches on three specific mats in order to accommodate the webcast coverage.

SouthernScuffle.com will also be the sole source of up-to-the-minute results for all 10 weight classes throughout the two days of action. Fans can purchase the two days of webcast for $9.95 through either UNCGSpartans.com or its associate website, SouthernScuffle.com. To purchase, just click on the Spartan All-Access logo on the right side of all web pages on the two pages.

SCUFFLE NOTES- 31 teams and more than 500 wrestlers will compete over two days at the Southern Scuffle. Because of the tournament’s expansion this season, the tournament was moved to the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center. The previous two tournaments, held at Fleming Gym, featured 23 teams. At the Special Events Center, up to 10 mats will be used at one time up through the championship round on Friday night, something that was not possible before the move… According to the the NWCA rankings that are used towards NCAA seeding, of the 54 ranked wrestlers that are expected to appear at the Southern Scuffle, nine are in the Top 5 of their respective weight classes including Ben Askren of Missouri, the top-ranked wrestler at 174 lbs. He was also the 2003 Southern Scuffle champ at 174. The tournament also features Minnesota’s Cole Konrad at 285 lbs., who was the NCAA runner-up last year and currently sits ranked second in his respective weight class. In addition, Lehigh’s Troy Letters is ranked No. 3 at 165 lbs. Letters was the national champion at 165 in 2004 and the runner-up in 2003. Last year, Letters finished third at the national championship meet… The 133 lbs. weight class may be the most highly competitive division of the tournament as four of the Top 10 ranked wrestlers are expected to compete in the tournament. Overall, six of the Top 20 wrestlersat 133 are slated to compete at the Scuffle.. At 141, seven of the Top 20 in both divisions are scheduled to participate in the event… Overall, 19 of the 54 ranked wrestlers are urrently ranked in the Top 10 of their respective weight classes… UNC Greensboro will have four wrestlers who are currently nationally ranked in their respective weight classes. Joe Kemmerer, ranked No. 8 at 125 lbs.; Tyler Shovlin, ranked No. 11 at 285 lbs.; Daren Burns, ranked No. 15 at 197 lbs.; and Kevin Artis, ranked No. 18 at 141 lbs., will wrestle for the Spartans… Tickets for the 2005 Southern Scuffle can be purchased through the Greensboro Coliseum Box Office, on-line through Tickets.com or by calling 1-888-397-3100. Adult tickets are $10, student tickets are $8 and children under age 5 are free. A pay-per-view webcast will also be available through SouthernScuffle.com and UNCGSpartans.com.