No. 11 Virginia Wrestling Splits Pair of Matches at NWCA National Duals
Story Links
Feb. 17, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 11th-ranked Virginia wrestling team split a pair of duals Sunday at the Cornell Regional of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Ithaca, N.Y., falling to No. 13 Nebraska, 28-8, before bouncing back to defeat Hofstra, 21-15. Virginia finished its dual season with a 16-4 record, marking the third-most dual wins in a season and the fifth-best winning percentage (80 percent) in program history.
“Obviously we were disappointed with our results today,” Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. “Our goal all year was to win a regional and we were excited to get out here and do it it. This was a great experience for our guys, but not the result we wanted. We didn’t wrestle well or compete well, and we didn’t meet the standard that we expect the meet here. Now we have three weeks of total healing and training to get ready for the ACC Championships.”
Matt Snyder (R-Sr., Lewistown, Pa.) won both of his bouts Sunday and upped his career win total to 94 as he moved into ninth place in the Virginia career annals. He passed former Cavalier Ross Gitomer (2007-10), who won 93 career matches.
Virginia had its six-match dual winning streak snapped in the opener against Nebraska. After winning the first two matches, UVa was shut out the rest of the way. Snyder dominated in a 16-0 tech fall over Eric Coufal at 125 pounds, and George DiCamillo (Fr., Highland Heights, Ohio) rolled to an 8-2 win over Shawn Nagel at 133 to give UVa an 8-0 team lead, but it was all Nebraska from there.
Nebraska won the final eight weight classes, including at 157 where the Cavaliers were forced to forfeit because of an illness to Jedd Moore (R-Sr., Mount Vernon, Ohio). That allowed the Cornhuskers to bump sixth-ranked James Green up a weight class, where he defeated No. 7 Nick Sulzer (R-So., Cleveland, Ohio), 5-2, at 165.
The Cavaliers bounced back in the regional’s consolation match with a 21-15 win over Hofstra. Snyder started the Cavaliers off fast with a 5-2 win over No. 17 Steve Bonanno, the first of six wins for Virginia. Derek Valenti (R-Sr., Newton, N.J.), Sulzer, Jon Fausey (R-Jr., Dalmatia, Pa.), Stephen Doty (R-Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) and Zach Nye (R-Fr., Enola, Pa.) all scored wins for the Cavaliers.
Doty pinned David Heitman in 4:03 at 184 pounds to break a 12-all team score and give the Cavaliers a lead they would not relinquish.
Virginia now has nearly three weeks off before returning to action March at the ACC Championships in College Park, Md.
No. 13 Nebraska 28, No. 11 Virginia 8
125: No. 10/10 Matt Snyder (UVa) tech fall Eric Coufal (NU), 16-0; UVa 5-0
133: No. 13/12 George DiCamillo (UVa) dec. Shawn Nagel (NU), 8-2; UVa 8-0
141: Ridge Kiley (NU) dec. No. 20/18 Joe Spisak (UVa), 5-0; UVa 8-3
149: No. 10/9 Jake Sueflohn (NU) dec. No. 20/16 Derek Valenti (UVa), 2-0; UVa 8-6
157: Brandon Wilbourn (NU) won by forfeit; NU 12-8
165: No. 6/5 James Green (NU) dec. No. 7/7 Nick Sulzer (UVa), 5-2; NU 15-8
174: No. 4/4 Robert Kokesh (NU) dec. No. 16/15 Jon Fausey (UVa), 7-4; NU 18-8
184: No. 8/7 Josh Ihnen (NU) major dec. Stephen Doty (UVa), 11-3; NU 22-8
197: Caleb Kolb (NU) dec. Mike Salopek (UVa), 8-2; NU 25-8
285: Spencer Johnson (NU) dec. Derek Papagianopoulos (UVa), 8-2; NU 28-8
No. 11 Virginia 21, Hofstra 15
125: No. 10/10 Matt Snyder (UVa) dec. No. 17/20 Steve Bonanno (HOF), 5-2; UVa 3-0
133: Jamie Franco (HOF) dec. No. 13/12 George DiCamillo (UVa), 6-2; tied 3-3
141: No. 17/15 Luke Vaith (HOF) dec. Jimmy Nehls (UVa), 5-2; HOF 6-3
149: No. 20/16 Derek Valenti (UVa) dec. Cody Ruggirello (HOF), 5-3; tied 6-6
157: Tyler Banks (HOF) won by forfeit; HOF 12-6
165: No. 7/7 Nick Sulzer (UVa) dec. Nick Terdick (HOF), 13-6; HOF 12-9
174: No. 16/15 Jon Fausey (UVa) dec. Jermaine John (HOF), 3-2; tied 12-12
184: Stephen Doty (UVa) pinned David Heitman (HOF), 4:03; UVa 18-12
197: Zach Nye (UVa) dec. Tim Murphy (HOF), 4-0; UVa 21-12
285: Zeal McGrew (HOF) dec. Patrick Gillen (UVa), 3-1; UVa 21-15
**InterMat/Amateur Wrestling News rankings