Morgan's Title Leads Five UVA Place Winners At Southeast Open

SALEM, Va. – Freshman Brenan Morgan claimed the title at heavyweight in the Freshman/Sophomore Division to lead a group of five Virginia place winners at the Southeast Open on Saturday (Nov. 2).

Morgan went undefeated, winning all five of his matches with bonus-point victories that included four pins, to claim his title. Also placing in the Freshman/Sophomore Division were Anthony Rossi (125) and Jack Lesher (184). Both wrestlers placed fifth in their weight class.

In the Open Division, the Cavaliers had a pair of place winners with Luke Roberts (141) and Nick Sanko (157) each taking a sixth-place finish.

In all, 14 Cavaliers competed at the event.

NOTES ON THE DAY

• Morgan posted a major decision in his first match before closing his 5-0 performance with four straight pins.
• Virginia wrestlers accounted for 14 pins on the day with 13 of those coming from first year wrestlers.
• In all, the Cavaliers posted 30 bonus-point victories at the Southeast Open.

FROM HEAD COACH STEVE GARLAND
“Brenan Morgan is a stud. He showed the skills today that made us want him so badly as a high school recruit. He’s a big man that wrestles like a lightweight and I’m here for it. I hope the other first year guys can learn from how relaxed and confident he and (Max) Shulaw are when they are preparing and competing. Rossi and Lesher also competed hard today. Both went 4-1 on the day and showed a lot of promise.“

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia hits the road next weekend to compete at the Throwdown on the Yorktown in Charleston, S.C. The Cavaliers will compete on the deck of the U.S.S. Yorktown and face Gardner-Webb and The Citadel in daul action on Friday (Nov. 8).

Freshman/Sophomore Bracket
125
Anthony Rossi – Fifth-Place Finish
R32: Cooper Shore (Campbell) dec. Rossi, 12-5
Conso. R16-2: Rossi pinned Vincent Gioffre (F&M), 1:12
Conso. R8-1: Rossi tech fall Cody Tanner (VMI), 19-4 (3:30)
Conso. R8-2: Rossi dec. Elijah Lowe (UTC), 8-7
Conso. R4: Rossi dec. Easton Cooper (UTC), 11-4
FIFTH-PLACE: Rossi dec. Jackson Parker (F&M), 15-11

133
Aidan Allen
R16: Mason Kernan (WVU) dec. Allen, 11-7
Conso. R16-2: Allen pinned Isaac Sheehan (Morgan State), 2:30
Conso. R8-1: Allen dec. Liam Hickey (Unaffiliated), 10-3
Conso. R8-2: Allen pinned Jonah Paulino (Noke Wrestling Club), 2:31
Conso. R4: Anthony Clem (West Virginia) dec. Allen, 8-3

157
Nathan Rickards
R32: Matt Henrich (VT) dec. Rickards, 5-0
Conso. R16-1: Rickards dec. Topher Tryon (Noke Wrestling Club), 9-5
Conso. R16-2: Rickards dec. Logan Chambers (VMI), 7-3
Conso. R8-1: Lorenzo Alston (Unaffiliated) dec. Rickards, 4-1

165
Braden Blackorby
R16: Gunnar Garelli (VT) dec. Blackorby, 5-4
Conso. R16-2: Blackorby pinned Colin Jackson (Unaffiliated), 4:16
Conso. R8-1: Blackorby pinned Isaac Stoker (Gardner-Webb), 1:36
Conso. R8-2: Blackorby pinned Tyler Shea (F&M), 3:43
Conso. R4: Kendrick Hodge (Campbell) dec. Blackorby, 5-2

184
Jack Lesher – Fifth-Place Finish
R32: Lesher pinned Jake Allred (F&M), 4:06
R16: Lesher pinned. Bryce Phillips (Morgan State), 2:38
QF: Hoke Hogan (West Virginia) dec. Lesher, 5-2
Conso. R8-2: Lesher tech fall Vincenzo Corvetto (Noke Wrestling Club), 15-0 (5:36)
Conso. R4: Lesher dec. Hunter Moore (Noke Wrestling Club), 10-4
FIFTH-PLACE MATCH: Lesher pinned Zaid Marjan (Unaffiliated), 1:17

HWT
Brenan Morgan – Champion
R32: Morgan major dec. Brody Kline (F&M), 14-2
R16: Morgan pinned Sebastien Rivera (Panther Creek), 2:18
QF: Morgan pinned Marko Mihalopoulos (Campbell), 2:23
SF: Morgan pinned Mason Blue (Gardner-Webb), 0:56
FINALS: Morgan pinned Stephan Monchery (App. State), 1:22

Open Bracket
133
Sammie Hayes
R16: Hayes pinned Jaxson Guinn (Unaffiliated), 2:00
QF: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) major dec. Hayes, 10-0
Conso. R8-2: No. 30 Kyle Burwick (NDSU) over Hayes by medical forfeit 

Kyle Montaperto
R16: Montaperto dec. No. 30 Kyle Burwick (NDSU), 9-5
QF: Derek Guanajuato (UNC) pinned Montaperto, 3:53
Conso. R8-2: Montaperto tech fall Caiden Pelc (Newberry), 17-2 (4:22)
Conso. R4: Chad Bellis (App. State) dec. Montaperto, 14-10

141
Luke Roberts – Sixth-Place Finish
R16: Roberts tech fall Shawn Ryncarz (Morgan State), 19-3 (5:25)
QF: Roberts over Jordan Titus (West Viriginia) by medical forfeit
SF: Hunter Mason (VT) over Roberts by injury default
Conso. SF: Bryce Kresho (F&M) over Roberts by medical forfeit

157
Nick Sanko – Sixth-Place Finish
R32: Sanko over Sam Hillegas (VT) by injury default
R16: Joey Showalter (UNC) dec. Sanko, 12-7
Conso. R8-1: Sanko tech fall Matt McLaughlin (Davidson), 21-1 (3:42)
Conso. R8-2: Sanko major dec. Boeden Greenley (NDSU), 13-1
Conso. R4: Sanko major dec. No. 33 Caleb Dowling (West Virginia), 14-5
Conso. SF: Collin Gaj (Unaffiliated) over Sanko by medical forfeit
FIFTH-PLACE MATCH: Jeremiah Price (App. State) over Sanko by medical forfeit

174
Justin Phillips
R32: Phillips tech fall Brian Finnerty (West Virginia), 18-0 (3:44)
R16: Isaiah Estrada (UNC) pinned Phillips, 2:10
Conso. R16-2: Phillips tech fall Noah Bash (F&M), 15-0 (2:49)
Conso. R8-1: Phillips tech fall Edwin Brown (Unaffiliated), 15-0 (2:41)
Conso. R8-2: Phillips dec. Dayton Fields (Newberry), 8-6
Conso. R4: Sabino Portella (UNC) dec. Phillips, 7-2

184
Griffin Gammell
R16: Kamdyn Munro (UTC) dec. Gammell, 8-5
Conso. R8-1: Gammell tech fall James Brown (VT), 19-3 (6:39)
Conso. R8-2: Gammell major dec. Andrew Reed (Newberry), 25-12
Conso. R4: Dominic Solis (Maryland) dec. Gammell, 4-1

Dylan Newsome
R32: Newsome over Sam Fisher (VT) by injury default
R16: Aidan Brenot (NDSU) dec. Newsome, 9-2
Conso. R8-1: Braxton Lewis (VMI) over Newsome by injury default

197
Steven Burrell Jr.
R16: Burrell major dec. Cam Cavins (Noke Wrestling Club), 14-3
QF: Rune Lawrence (West Virginia) dec. Burrell, 14-11
Conso. R8-2: Burrell dec. David Harper (UTC), 10-7
Conso. R4: RJ Moore (F&M) dec. Burrell, 12-7