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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The Virginia wrestling team has earned a preseason No. 23 ranking in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Team Rankings. It marks the first time the Cavaliers have been ranked in the InterMat rankings and UVa’s highest ranking in program history, topping the No. 25 mark attained in the Wrestling International Magazine poll in January.
“At the end of the day, a ranking is just that a ranking,” Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. “But it is a big day when you start seeing the program ranked on a consistent basis. We earned a ranking last year and to earn one this year shows the consistency that we want to attain here, and that is exciting. Obviously we have a lot of big goals going into this season.”
In addition to the team ranking, Virginia has three of its wrestlers ranked in InterMat’s national top 25 in their respective weight classes. Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) is ranked No. 9 at 184 pounds, Ross Gitomer (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) stands No. 16 at 125 pounds and Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) is No. 16 at 174 pounds. Caponi, Gitomer and Henrich all advanced to the NCAA Championships last season.
The three also are ranked in two other preseason publications. In the W.I.N. preseason rankings, Caponi is 13th at 184, Henrich is 14th at 174 and Gitomer is 19th at 125. In the d1collegewrestling.net rankings, Caponi is ninth, Henrich 16th and Gitomer 22nd, while Michael Chaires (So., Scotia, N.Y.) is ranked 25th at 165 pounds.
Virginia opens its 2008-09 season Nov. 9 at the Michigan State Open. The Cavaliers face the most challenging schedule in program history, battling six Top 25 teams in dual matches, including top-10 foes Penn State (tie-seventh), Oklahoma State (tie-seventh) and Illinois (ninth).
USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Team Rankings (Preseason)
1. Iowa
2. Iowa State
3. Cornell
4. Ohio State
5. Missouri
6. Nebraska
T7. Penn State
T7. Oklahoma State
9. Illinois
10. Michigan
11. Northwestern
12. Minnesota
13. Wisconsin
14. Boise State
15. Edinboro
16. Indiana
17. Maryland
18. Central Michigan
19. Old Dominion
20. Oklahoma
T21. Navy
T21. Penn
23. VIRGINIA
24. Northern Iowa
25. West Virginia
bold denotes 2008-09 dual-meet opponents