Virginia Caps Weekend With 44-3 Victory Over VMI
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia wrestling team (7-2) capped its weekend of dual matches with a 44-3 victory over VMI (4-8) on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 18) at Memorial Gym. The Cavaliers won 9-of-10 weight classes and got bonus-point victories from seven wrestlers to power to the win.
Three wrestlers won by fall, including senior Jack Mueller (Dallas, Texas) at 125 pounds, and redshirt juniors Louie Hayes (Orland Park, Ill.) and Robert Scherer (Lower Burrell, Pa.) at 133 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Four more wrestlers won by tech fall, including redshirt sophomores Brian Courtney (Sayre, Pa.) and Denton Spencer at 141 pounds and 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Justin McCoy (New Paris, Pa.) at 157 pounds and redshirt junior Jay Aiello (Chantilly, Va.) at 197 pounds.
“Today was a day when our guys were pouring on points from start to finish, out-attacking our opponents and imposing their will on the match,” said Virginia head coach Steve Garland. “This is as good as we’ve looked all year. Ending the match the way we did with Bubby (Scherer), an unsung hero, getting a pin really sent our team into a frenzy. It was a special day and I’m happy for our guys and hope they enjoy this.”
Mueller, the second-ranked wrestler nationally at 125 pounds, got the Cavaliers off to a quick start with his first-period pin. The senior All-American recorded the victory in 0:58 seconds before Hayes followed it up with a first-period pin of his own at 133 pounds. The No. 19 wrestler nationally at his weight class, it took Hayes only 2:32 to get the victory.
Virginia then rattled off three consecutive wins by technical fall as Courtney, Spencer and McCoy all poured on the points to get the 15-point advantage in their bouts and extend the Cavalier lead in the overall dual to 27-0 over the Keydets.
Redshirt freshman Krystian Kinsey (Havelock, N.C.) continued the scoring for the Cavaliers as he took control late and picked up a 6-1 decision at 165 pounds.
VMI’s lone victory of the afternoon came at 174 pounds as Neal Richards, an NCAA qualifier from a year ago and the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year, broke a tight match open with a flurry of scoring in the third period for a 10-4 decision.
The Cavaliers then closed the match strong with three straight wins, started by a 9-4 decision for Michael Battista (Ashburn, Va.) at 184 pounds before Aiello would record his tech fall and Scherer would record his own first-period pin.
Virginia will return to action this weekend as ACC competition begins. The Cavaliers will hit the road to take on No. 5 NC State at 7 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 24) at Reynolds Coliseum. The match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Virginia 44, VMI 3
125: No. 2 Jack Mueller pinned John McGarry (VMI), 0:58 – UVA 6, VMI 0
133: No. 19 Louie Hayes pinned Clifton Conway (VMI), 2:32 – UVA 12, VMI 0
141: Brian Courtney tech fall Noah Roulo (VMI), 17-2 (4:32) – UVA 17, VMI 0
149: Denton Spencer tech fall Job Chishko (VMI), 16-0 (5:00) – UVA 22, VMI 0
157: Justin McCoy tech fall Will Lawrence (VMI), 23-8 (7:00) – UVA 27, VMI 0
165: Krystian Kinsey dec. Jon Hoover (VMI), 6-1 – UVA 30, VMI 0
174: Neal Richards (VMI) dec. Victor Marcelli, 10-4 – UVA 30, VMI 3
184: Michael Battista dec. Max Gallahan (VMI), 9-4 – UVA 33, VMI 3
197: No. 8 Jay Aiello tech fall. Zachary Brown (VMI), 18-2 (2:36) – UVA 38, VMI 3
HWT: Robert Scherer pinned Robbie Adelstein (VMI), 2:28 – UVA 44, VMI 3