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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Virginia has four wrestlers ranked among the nation’s preseason top 30, including three in Amateur Wrestling News’ Preseason Top 20. The Cavaliers boast the most wrestlers in the AWN preseason rankings of any ACC school, with half of the league’s six ranked wrestlers.

Rocco Caponi (Jr., Uniontown, Ohio) headlines the UVa contingent, with a ninth-place preseason ranking at 184 pounds. He, along with NC State’s Ryan Goodman at 197, are the ACC’s highest-ranked wrestlers in the AWN preseason rankings. Caponi is the defending conference champion at 184.

Eric Albright (Jr., York, Pa.), who along with Caponi competed at the NCAA championships last year, is ranked 12th in the preseason at 133 pounds. Brent Jones (So., Lansdale, Pa.), who redshirted last season, holds a No. 19 ranking at 197.

In addition, Kellon Balum (So., Herndon, Pa.) is ranked 26th at 141 in the Wrestling USA magazine preseason poll. Balum was the ACC runner-up last season.

Virginia opens the season at home Nov. 3 at Memorial Gymnasium with a quadrangular meet that features Anderson, VMI and Wagner.

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