Virginia Tech Wrestling’s Sam Latona Has A National Title On His Mind

In a back-and-forth dual between Virginia Tech and NC State, Sam Latona stepped up to the mat with the Hokies needing him to win to beat the Wolfpack. It was 2021, and the redshirt freshman craved the pressure that came with the situation.

“I literally remember him saying, ‘Man, I hope [the match] comes down to me,’” former Virginia Tech wrestler Korbin Myers said.

Facing returning ACC champion Jakob Camacho in Cassell Coliseum, Latona displayed veteran poise and kept the bout within reach through the first six-and-a-half minutes. That gave him enough time for one final strike.

Trailing 4-3 with two seconds on the clock, he drove Camacho to the mat, securing the match, the dual and the ACC dual meet title.

UNBELIEVABLE IN BLACKSBURG 😱@HokiesWrestling is the only undefeated team left in the ACC! pic.twitter.com/un1O7KjDYH

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 6, 2021

On that February night in Blacksburg, Latona made his name known around the sport, and he’s continued to cement himself as one of the top wrestlers in the country ever since.

As he begins his fourth season as a starter for the Hokies, the two-time All-American has his sights set on the biggest feat in the sport — a national championship.

“I want to win an NCAA title so bad and I believe in myself, and every time I step on the mat, I believe I’m going to reach my goal,” Latona said. “I’m confident in myself, my abilities and how hard I work compared to the rest of the country.”

Determination has been a theme throughout the Alabaster, Ala., native’s life. 

Given the scarcity of big name wrestlers in the Southeast, his coaches emphasized that he needed to work harder than those north of him in order to have a shot to wrestle in college.

When that opportunity eventually came from VT, Latona didn’t wait until he graduated high school to join the program. He moved to Blacksburg during his senior year and started taking online classes.

“From a maturity standpoint, he was leaps ahead of most of the kids his age,” Tech head coach Tony Robie said. “He was focused, he knew what he wanted to accomplish and he was willing to do what it took to get to where he wanted to be.

“[There’s] a tremendous amount of discipline in the way he lives his life too, and that’s a big part of his success.”

Latona completed his first year as a starter in 2021 with an undefeated regular season, an ACC title and finished sixth at 125 pounds at the NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, he had another solid season, finishing undefeated in conference meets.

While the wins on the mat over the course of Latona’s first two years were impressive, the work he was putting in behind the scenes made them even more so.

As he continued to grow and develop, it became harder and harder to stay at 125 pounds. Latona persevered, sacrificing for his teammates, which helped shape him into the competitor he is today. Competing at 125 pounds as a redshirt sophomore allowed Myers to compete an additional year at 133 pounds and earn All-American honors at the NCAA tournament. Latona moved up to 133 a year later.

“I think it was a testament to who I am and what I believe I stand for and that’s doing something for the team,” Latona said. “Being a hard worker, doing something the right way, and dedicating yourself to something that’s not easy. It wasn’t easy and it took a toll but at the end of the day it was my choice and I decided to do it. It was definitely tough, but I do believe it kind of molded me into the person and the wrestler I am today.”

Latona isn’t alone in possessing that mentality — it’s one that resonates throughout the entire wrestling room at Virginia Tech. Now one of the senior wrestlers on the roster, he wants to continue the hard-working culture in the program.

“I’m going to continue to do the right, necessary things,” Latona said. “Try to be a leader to the new young guys and some of the older guys on the team.”

That mindset in the program has produced 14 All-Americans and one national champion over the last five years. Latona owns two of those All-American honors, but enters his final two seasons in Blacksburg with a national championship on his mind.

Last season, he beat Cornell’s Vito Arujau, the eventual national champion at 133 pounds, 3-2 in the regular season, proving he has the skills to climb to the top of the weight class.

“If he can wrestle focused for seven minutes, I think he’s proven that he can beat anybody in the country,” Robie said.

While the national title remains the ultimate goal for Latona, he reminds himself to enjoy the process and continue to be a vehicle for the culture that’s been developed during his time in the program — and he knows that mindset will take him as far as he wants to go.

“It’s more about the journey and the process than anything. I’m competitive and I always want to win, and I probably struggle with that too, too much at times, but it’s more about enjoying the process.”