CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Virginia Tech finished as the runner-up at the ACC Tournament for the fourth straight year on Sunday, but saw Mekhi Lewis and TJ Stewart bring home individual titles. Tech finished second with 86.5 points behind NC State, who finished with 116.
The Hokies had seven wrestlers earn automatic qualifier bids for the NCAA Tournament, with eight wrestlers making the podium at their respective weights.
Lewis (174) won his fourth ACC title by dominating NC State’s Alex Faison (5-1) and UVa’s Justin McCoy (8-1). He became the 12th wrestler in ACC history to win four conference titles.
Lewis’ semifinal win over Faison was the 120th of his collegiate career. With Penn State’s Carter Starocci not participating in the Big Ten Tournament, he’s in play to be Tech’s second-ever No. 1 seed at the NCAA Championships, joining Scott Justus (2002).
“I’m pretty determined,” Lewis said on building off the win at the NCAAs in Kansas City. “I just want to go out there, wrestle hard and have fun.”
Stewart (184) began his postseason career with a bang on Sunday night, taking down North Carolina’s Gavin Kane (7-4, SV) and NC State’s Dylan Fishback (8-5) en route to his first career ACC title.
The redshirt freshman has been on a tear this season and owns a 9-1 record since dropping down to 184 pounds.
“Just going out there, competing to the best of my ability,” Stewart said. “A lot of great competition and a lot of good guys like Fishback and the rest of the ACC and across. [I was] just trying to go out there and wrestle my hardest.”
The other five Virginia Tech wrestlers who made the finals in Chapel Hill couldn’t secure championship wins.
After beating Jackson Arrington in last year’s ACC Championship, Caleb Henson (149) lost to the Wolfpack wrestler in OT on Sunday, 4-1. Arrington’s bout-winning takedown was close. The score was challenged by VT and confirmed by officials. Henson’s loss was only his second of the season, and the first of his career against an ACC opponent.
Connor Brady (165) upset Pitt’s Holden Heller in the quarterfinals for the second-straight year, 9-3, but fell in his second finals appearance to UVa’s Nick Hamilton, 7-2.
Following his second career victory over his younger brother Ryan (7-3), Hunter Catka (285) lost to NC State’s Owen Trephan in the championship bout, 4-2. With the score tied at one with under 90 seconds left in the match, Trephan scored on a takedown to put away the Tech heavyweight.
Cooper Flynn (125) finished 1-1 in Chapel Hill, beating Pitt’s Colton Camacho in the semifinals (4-2) before losing to NC State’s Jakob Camacho (4-2) in the title match. He cut the deficit to just two with an escape to start the third period but couldn’t get a shot in for the remainder of the bout.
Sam Latona (133) battled through the quarterfinals to the championship match after entering Sunday as a No. 3 seed. He took down Duke’s Raymond Adams (17-2) in the opening round by tech fall before getting revenge over UVa’s Marlon Yarbrough (3-2) in the semifinals after losing to him in the regular season. Latona fell to NC State’s Kai Orine in the finals, 4-0.
Making his return from injury, Bryce Andonian (157) finished third in Chapel Hill. Following a 14-5 major decision loss in the semifinals to NC State’s Ed Scott, he battled back in the consolation bracket with wins over UVa’s Nick Sanko (8-3) and Duke’s Logan Ferrero (Fall, 1:12) to make the podium.
Both Tom Crook (141) and Andy Smith (197) finished below their seeds in Chapel Hill.
Entering as the No. 3 seed at 141, Crook finished fourth after suffering major decision losses to NC State’s Ryan Jack in the semifinals (14-6) and UNC’s Lachlan McNeil (12-2) in the third-place match.
Smith finished fifth after being assigned the No. 2 seed at 197. The Christiansburg, Va., native lost his first two matches on Sunday to UNC’s Max Shaw (5-2) and UVa’s Krystian Kinsey (9-4). He beat Duke’s Kwasi Bonsu in the fifth-place match by tech fall, 18-2.
Andonian, Crook and Smith hope for at-large bids for the NCAA Championships, which will be announced on Tuesday. Tony Robie and Co. have two weeks to rest and regroup before heading to Kansas City.
Results:
Final Team Standings:
NC State 116
Virginia Tech 86.5
North Carolina 54
Pitt 47
Virginia 35
Duke 4
Cooper Flynn: 125, Second
Decision Colton Camacho (Pitt), 4-2
Loss vs. Jakob Camacho (NCST), 4-2
Sam Latona: 133, Second
Tech fall Raymond Adams (Duke), 17-2 (7:00)
Dec. Marlon Yarbrough (UVa), 3-2 TB1
Loss vs. Kai Orine (NCST), 4-0
Tom Crook: 141, Fourth
Tech fall Christian Colman (Duke), 17-2 (6:39)
Loss vs. Ryan Jack (NCST), 14-6
Dec. Jack Gioffre (UVa), 12-11
Loss vs. Lachlan McNeil (UNC), 12-2
Caleb Henson: 149, Second
Dec. Finn Solomon (Pitt), 8-1
Loss vs. Jackson Arrington (NCST), 4-1 SV
Bryce Andonian: 157, Third
Tech fall Logan Ferrero (Duke), 20-5 (6:57)
Loss vs. Ed Scott (NCST), 14-5
Dec. Nick Sanko (UVa), 8-3
Fall Logan Ferrero (Duke), 1:12
Connor Brady: 165, Second
Dec. Holden Heller (Pitt), 9-3
Loss vs. Nick Hamilton (UVa), 7-2
Mekhi Lewis: 174, Champion
Dec. Alex Faison (NCST), 5-1
Dec. Justin McCoy (UVa), 8-1
TJ Stewart: 184, Champion
Dec. Gavin Kane (UNC), 7-4 SV
Dec. Dylan Fishback (NCST), 8-5
Andy Smith: 197, Fifth
Loss vs. Max Shaw (UNC), 5-2
Loss vs. Krystian Kinsey (UVa), 9-4
Tech fall Kwasi Bonsu (Duke), 18-2
Hunter Catka: 285, Second
Dec. Ryan Catka (UVa), 7-3
Loss vs. Owen Trephan (NCST), 4-2
Print
The Ref was tired from officiating the LSU – USC-East wrestling match at the SEC Women’s Basketball Championship. Tough situation – as it seems poor officiating is everywhere.
I definitely feel like Henson got jobbed. I watch a ton of wrestling and don’t know that I have ever disagreed more with a call. I hope he gets the chance to defeat Arrington in KC. Was really proud of TJ. He is a beast. And Mekhi is simply one of the best! Sure as hell don’t understand why Sam chose bottom in the 2nd period. Orine owned him when he chose bottom at the dual and it was even worse this time. It was good to see Sam get a victory over Yarbrough, though. Good job by Conner getting to the finals. Also want to thank Jack for providing these wrestling articles on Tech Sideline. Much appreciated!
It wasn’t a takedown, not even close… Hensen was robbed. He will avenge in Kansas City. There is now way the Puppies get away with all that stalling at Nationals.
I am a novice at wrestling but in my opinion, you are exactly right. That was no takedown. I thought at the time that I had missed something, but now with the help of the review I think it was just a really bad call. Even in football, with instant replay, the officials still get a call wrong. I don’t understand why a review let this one stand. Again, I am not that familiar with wrestling. Maybe a takedown doesn’t have to be a takedown in any sense of the word.