No. 11 Cavaliers Travel to UNC Friday, Entertain Duke Sunday

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Jan. 17, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Fresh off its highest national ranking in program history, the 11th-ranked Virginia wrestling team travels to North Carolina at 7 p.m. Friday before returning home at noon Sunday to play host to Duke. The UVa-UNC match will be streamed live online via ESPN3.

Admission is free for Virginia home wrestling matches at Memorial Gymnasium. Free parking is available in the Culbreth Road Garage. Live results for both duals will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

A Cavalier Team Shop table will be selling Virginia apparel throughout the match Sunday. Free wristbands will be given away, and a face painter will be on hand from noon-2 p.m.

The Cavaliers (9-3, 0-1 ACC) boast six wrestlers in the latest InterMat national individual rankings: No. 7 Matt Snyder (R-Sr., Lewistown, Pa.) at 125 pounds, No. 13 George DiCamillo (Fr., Highland Heights, Ohio) at 133, No. 20 Derek Valenti (R-Sr., Newton, N.J.) at 149, No. 16 Jedd Moore (R-Sr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) at 157, No. 7 Nick Sulzer (R-So., Mount Vernon, Ohio) at 165 and No. 14 Jon Fausey (R-Jr., Dalmatia, Pa.) at 174.

Virginia took runner-up honors last weekend at the Virginia Duals, marking the Cavaliers’ best finish in its 19 all-time trips to the event. After defeating Bucknell (31-6), Virginia took down Boise State (21-12), which now is No. 25 in the coaches poll. UVa knocked off then-No. 9 Central Michigan, 21-13, in the semifinals, marking the highest-ranked opponent that Virginia has defeated in program history.

Virginia’s highest national ranking previously was No. 16, which the Cavaliers reached in January 2010 and to start the 2012-13 season.

UNC has a trio of ranked wrestlers in the lighter weights, with No. 13 Nathan Kraisser at 125 pounds, No. 18 Joey Ward at 133 and No. 7 Evan Henderson at 141. The Tar Heels (4-2, 0-0) swept three duals last weekend with wins over Michigan State, Clarion and Drexel during a road swing through Pennsylvania.

While UNC owns a 42-29 advantage in the all-time dual-meet series, UVa has won the last three duals against the Tar Heels, including a 24-10 victory last season in Charlottesville.

Duke is 1-4 in dual action this year and 0-1 in ACC action. Under the tutelage of new head coach Glen Lanham, Immanuel Kerr-Brown (157) and Connor Hartman (197) have been the Blue Devils’ top wrestlers this season, each with a 17-8 record.

Virginia has won seven straight duals against Duke and has not lost to the Blue Devils during head coach Steve Garland’s tenure with the Cavaliers. UVa has a 54-6-2 edge in the all-time series.

The Cavaliers’ have a week off after the Duke match before playing host to NC State on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Virginia Probables
125: No. 7 Matt Snyder (11-4)
133: No. 13 George DiCamillo (22-6)
141: Jimmy Nehls (11-5) or Joe Spisak (11-2)
149: No. 20 Derek Valenti (9-6)
157: No. 16 Jedd Moore (23-5)
165: No. 7 Nick Sulzer (17-6)
174: No. 14 Jon Fausey (24-4)
184: Stephen Doty (9-7) or Zach Nye (8-7)
197: Mike Salopek (10-1)
285: Derek Papagianopoulos (1-4) or Patrick Gillen (2-7)

North Carolina Probables
125: No. 13 Nathan Kraisser (22-4)
133: No. 18 Joey Ward (16-5) or Pat Owens (7-6)
141: No. 7 Evan Henderson (24-6)
149: Nick Heilmann (15-10) or Christian Barber (17-10)
157: Jake Crawford (10-5)
165: John Staudenmayer (16-7) or Chris Mears (4-10)
174: Tanner Eitel (3-0) or Frank Abbondanza (7-11)
184: Alex Utley (18-8)
197: Antonio Giorgio (8-5)
285: Cody Klempay (1-7)

Duke Probables
125: Peter Terrezza (1-8)
133: Brandon Gambucci (8-2)
141: Tanner Hough (11-11)
149: Marcus Cain (12-7)
157: Immanuel Kerr-Brown (17-8)
165: Randy Roden (4-11)
174: Trey Adamson (9-11)
184: Diego Bencomo (6-9)
197: Conner Hartmann (17-8)
285: Brendan Walsh (4-9)