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Nov. 29, 2012

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia wrestling team competes in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thirty-two teams, including nine ranked in the USA Today/NWCA/AWN Coaches top 25, are slated to compete in what is regarded as one of the premier wrestling tournaments in the nation.

Action starts Friday and Saturday at noon ET. Fans can watch the semifinals and finals live Saturday on Flowrestling.com.

The loaded field includes top 25 squads Ohio State (5), Missouri (7), Cornell (8), Nebraska (9), Michigan (14), Oregon State (15), Virginia (17), Wyoming (19) and Kent State (23). Ohio State is the reigning tournament champion.

Virginia is competing in the Las Vegas Invitational for the first time since the 2006-07 season, UVa head coach Steve Garland’s first year at the helm of the Cavaliers’ program.

Six of the Virginia’s 10 wrestlers competing this weekend are ranked in at least one national poll this week: Matt Snyder (R-Sr., Lewistown, Pa.) at 125, George DiCamillo (Fr., Highland Heights, Ohio) at 133, Derek Valenti (R-Sr., Newton, N.J.) at 149, Jedd Moore (R-Sr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) at 157, Nick Sulzer (R-So., Cleveland, Ohio) at 165 and Jon Fausey (R-Jr., Dalmatia, Pa.) at 174. As a team, UVa is ranked as high as 15th nationally this week by Flowrestling.

The Cavaliers (6-2) enter the weekend competition following a 25-6 dual loss at then-No. 12 Virginia Tech last weekend. UVa won at just two weight classes, with DiCamillo and Fausey each capturing wins by decision. Nine of the 10 bouts in the dual were decided by decisions.

Virginia next wrestles as a team on Jan. 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga.

Virginia Lineup at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
125: No. 8/8 Matt Snyder (4-2)
133: No. 17/17 George DiCamillo (10-1)
141: Joe Spisak (4-2)
149: No. 12/11 Derek Valenti (6-1)
157: No. -/18 Jedd Moore (5-2)
165: No. 7/8 Nick Sulzer (4-2)
174: No. 9/9 Jon Fausey (6-0)
184: Stephen Doty (4-2)
197: Zach Nye (2-1)
285: Derek Papagianopoulos (1-3)
* rankings according to InterMat/AWN

Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Schedule (all times Eastern)
Friday

Noon: Pigtail Round, Round 1, Round 2, Consolation Pigtails & Consolation Round 1
9 p.m.: Quarterfinals & Consolation Round 2 & 3

Saturday
Noon: Consolation Round 4
1 p.m.: Semi-Finals and Consolation Round 5, Consolation Semi Finals, Consolation Finals (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th)
6 p.m.: Championship matches

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