Joe Spisak

2013, 2014, 2015 NCAA Qualifier – 141 pounds
2011 NCAA Qualifier – 133 pounds

AT VIRGINIA: 2014-15
• Became eighth four-time NCAA qualifier in program history
• Earned automatic NCAA qualification after third-place finish at ACC Championships (3/8)
• Was 1-2 at NCAA Championships – recorded 11-2 major decision over Rider’s Chuck Zeisloft, sandwiched between losses to No. 3 seed Lavion Mayes (Missouri) and Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin)
• Went 6-8 against 2015 NCAA qualifiers
• Ranked No. 13 at 141 in final InterMat and TheOpenMat rankings; also ranked No. 14 by Flowrestling, No. 15 by WIN and No. 18 by AWN
• Champion at Hokie Open (11/9)
• Placed seventh at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Open (12/5-6)
• Wrestled in just one ACC dual because of injury suffered on Jan. 1 at Southern Scuffle; returned to action on Feb. 15 at Iowa
• Earned master’s degree in higher education administration in May; secured bachelor’s degree in public policy and leadership in 2014
• Named to NWCA All-Academic Team for third straight year
• Named to All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll

2013-14
• Qualified for NCAA Championships for third time while going 19-14 against strong schedule
• Went 11-7 in duals, including 3-3 mark in ACC
• Placed fifth at ACC Championships to earn automatic berth into NCAA Championships
• Defeated three returning All-Americans in 2014 (Minnesota’s Chris Dardanes, The Citadel’s Ugi Khishignyam, UNC’s Evan Henderson)
• Posted wins over Dardanes and Khishignyam en route to runner-up honors at Southern Scuffle
• Took runner-up honors at 141 at Southern Scuffle with 5-1 record; lost in sudden-victory time to Penn State’s Zane Retherford in championship match
• Picked up six wins over 2014 NCAA qualifiers, including pair of wins over national seeds (Dardanes, Henderson)
• Named to NWCA All-Academic Team for second straight season

2012-13
• Finished with 21-7 record
• Topped Maryland’s Frank Goodwin in 141 conso final at ACC Championships to take third place and earn automatic berth to NCAA Championships
• Named to ACC Academic Honor Roll for third straight year
• Went 0-2 at NCAA Championships; took top-seeded Logan Stieber (Ohio State) down to wire before falling 8-5 in opener
• Went 17-6 at 141 pounds after starting season at 133 (moved up to 141 on Nov. 16)
• Was 3-6 against 2013 NCAA qualifiers
• Earned ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week honors on Feb. 5 after pinning Maryland’s Shane Arechiga in a dual
• Missed nearly three weeks of action in January because of injury
• Had 15-match winning streak snapped on Feb. 10
• Won the Cleveland State Open and Shorty Hitchcock Tournament at 141 pounds
• Missed nearly three weeks in January because of injury

2011-12
• Redshirt season
• Went 7-1 while competing unattached in open tournaments
• Placed first at 133 pounds in Newberry Open (2/4)
• Took second place at Edinboro Open (2/11)
• Defeated NCAA qualifier Scott Festejo of Old Dominion, 13-6, at Edinboro Open

2010-11
• Posted 23-16 record during freshman season
• Went 16-10 in duals, including 3-2 in ACC action
• Earned at-large berth to NCAA Championships, where he went 0-2
• Fell 5-1 to Levi Mele of Northwestern and 5-4 to Tyler Small of Kent State at NCAAs
• One of five wrestlers nationally named to NWCA All-Academic True Freshman Team
• Named to Academic All-ACC Wrestling Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll
• Scored bonus points in 13 of his 23 wins
• Earned two wins over 2011 NCAA qualifiers – Small of Kent State and T.J. Mitchell of Liberty
• Took runner-up honors at 133 at ACC Championship
• Knocked off No. 2 seed Lou Ruland of Maryland in ACC semifinals, avenging a Ruland pin in the regular season
• Nabbed wins over NC State’s Conor Hovis (tech fall), UNC’s Pat Owens and Duke (forfeit) during ACC regular season
• In last regular-season match, he nearly pinned No. 12 Kyle Hutter of ODU and held lead for majority of bout before falling on late takedown, 10-8
• In his second college bout, he recorded 14-2 major decision over then-No. 18 Jimmy Kirchner of Rider
• Earned team’s Freshman Academic Achievement Award
• Placed third at Cleveland State Open (12/11)

BOILING SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
• State champion at 130 pounds in 2010
• Four-time state placewinner
• Posted 167-12 career record
• Four-time All-Sentinel Team and All-Conference
• Three-time Patriot News Big 14 Team
• Holds school records for most wins, pins and technical falls
• Won sectional, district and regional titles en route to state crown his senior year
• Won sectionals, districts and regionals as sophomore (112 pounds) and junior (119)
• Placed second at state in 2008 and seventh in 2009
• As freshman, won sectional and district titles and took sixth at state (103 pounds)
• Runner up at 2010 Dapper Dan (130 pounds) and Disney Duals with team MAWA
• Team captain his junior and senior seasons
• John Travers Scholar Athlete finalist
• Coached by Rodney Wright at Boiling Springs
• Also played football as sophomore and junior (tailback/inside linebacker/kick returner)
• Led team in touchdowns his junior year before suffering a broken ankle in fifth game
• Class Historian in 2008 and Class Treasurer in 2010

PERSONAL
• Parents are Steve and Kim Spisak
• Has three sisters, Anna, Mary-Kate and Emma
• Earned bachelor’s degree in public policy and leadership in May 2014

*denotes redshirt season