As some others have commented, the NCAA wrestling tournament is a fantastic event. It is one of my favorite events every year and it was great to be back in attendance this year after 2020 being cancelled and 2021 not having fans. Always a great event, and this year was no exception, especially thanks to a strong performance by the Hokies. I’ve shared a few random musings below, but the TLDR version of my thoughts if you want to skip the rest is: “We have a great group of wrestlers and coaches to root for, and they earn every bit of support we give them as fans and more.”

Hokie Fans: There was a strong turnout of Hokie fans and we were one of the louder groups (this has been consistently true since the late Dresser/Robie era into the Robie era). As usual, the Hokie fanbase was very positive and supportive of the team through the inevitable ups and downs of the tournament. Crowd obviously went absolutely nuts when Bryce stuck Gomez and when Mekhi stuck Massa. But there were also supportive cheers for guys after tough losses, including well-deserved standing ovations for Mekhi when he came back through the tunnel after the finals match. As a side note, one of the nice things about the tournament is seeing the appreciative cheers many fanbases give their guys (especially seniors) after their last matches win or lose, and I’m glad our fanbase shows that respect to our guys.

Hokie Wrestlers: Not much I can say that hasn’t been said well by others, but a few quick comments on the guys who wrestled at nationals, and then the rest of the team.

Latona: Really turned it on towards the end of the year, and I look forward to seeing how he does after getting a chance to eat/lift. He also seems like a fantastic teammate -- I noticed him and Bryce waiting in the tunnel to comfort Mekhi after the finals.

Myers: Great wrestler and class act. So glad he transferred to the Hokies, and it is obvious that he has enjoyed being a team leader and part of Hokie Nation. He is going to make a great coach if that’s what he decides to do.

Gerardi: Always wrestles hard and is a great teammate. Glad he got a chance to compete at nationals after having the tournament cancelled the last time he qualified.

Andonian: Hands down the most exciting Hokie wrestler I can remember and up there amongst the most exciting wrestlers from any team. Had several fans from other teams comment to me on how much they love to watch him wrestle, so it’s definitely not a case of wearing Orange and Maroon goggles. I was very impressed with how he wrestled back to take third after a heartbreaking semis loss – really shows his toughness and competitiveness. He also showed a ton of appreciation for the Hokie fan base.

Brady: Glad to see him get a win at nationals and he was so close to getting another one (microcosm of his season). He has a lot of talent and I still believe Brady can accomplish big things if he can put it all together, but he will also have competition next year.

Lewis: What else can you say? Already the VT GOAT and added to that legacy even if he came up a hair short of his goals. His tournament exemplified the roller coaster of emotions that makes this such an amazing event – one night he is jumping into the arms of his coaches celebrating the high of pinning Massa in the semis and the next night he is being comforted by the same coaches after coming a few seconds short of a second title. I hope the latter fuels his desire for another title, but also hope he knows how proud Hokie nation is of him. Since there is not much else to be said about what a great wrestler and warrior he is, let me also say that he is also such a great representative of the team and school in how he carries himself. Several fans of other schools (even NC State) commented to me on how nice and respectful Mekhi is and how they root for him except in head-to-heads.

Bolen: This one is hard to write since I don’t know for sure whether this weekend will be the last we see of Hunter. The coaches really want him to come back, and as we all know they convinced Korbin to come back last year. So, for now, I’ll just say that it has been a pleasure watching Hunter compete and, if he is done, he has left us with some great memories including making AA last year and the multiple wins over Hidlay. It is hard as a fan not to be selfish, and I would love to see Hunter back next year, but I just hope he makes whatever decision is best for him and doesn’t regret it one way or the other.

Traxler: An excellent addition to the team this year and wish he had been a Hokie longer. Won an ACC title and gave Catka a chance to redshirt. He has a bright future ahead of him with a Stanford degree and Tech graduate degree.

Other Guys: This post is already getting super long, so I will just say that although I was not keeping detailed notes, I saw a lot of other Hokie wrestlers in attendance ranging from starters who did not qualify, redshirts, incoming recruits, and backups all cheering on the guys competing. As to that final group (backups), the coaches and starters made a point at the socials of how a successful program and successful team culture depends on all of those guys. Major kudos to the guys who go through all the hard practices to make the team better when many of them know they’re unlikely to ever get the spotlight.

Hokie Coaches: Robie, Frayer, Brewer and Haught are a fantastic staff and the results at nationals speak for themselves. Coaching is a results-oriented business and, if I’m being honest with myself, I wouldn’t be posting about what a great experience nationals was and how great the team is if everyone on the team went 0-2 regardless of how nice everyone was. That said, having a strong team culture and a coaching staff filled with quality individuals who care about the wrestlers makes the team better, makes recruiting easier (perpetuating success), and makes the team so much easier and more fun to support. Although Robie is pretty humble and quick to share credit – and there is plenty of credit to go around – he has done a phenomenal job of putting together a team of positive folks all working together to put the wrestlers in a position to succeed. I can’t wait to see what the future brings and, after recovering from an exhausting few days, will start looking forward to next season.

Go Hokies, and support the SERTC!