Feb. 15, 2009

Tech Downs NC State, Duke to Finish ACC Duals Undefeated
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The 14th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad claimed the Atlantic Coast Conference dual-meet title for the second time in school history emphatically on Sunday night at Cassell Coliseum, with a 50-0 victory over NC State and a 28-15 decision over Duke.

With the victory, the Hokies moved to 19-1 and 5-0 in ACC dual meet competitions on the season, marking the second time since joining the ACC Tech has gone undefeated in conference dual meet play. The Hokies went 5-0 in the ACC in 2004-05 as conference dual meet champions. NC State dropped to 4-14-1, 0-4 in the ACC, while Duke fell to 8-5, 1-4 in the conference.

The Hokies were determined to claim the conference dual-meet championship and it showed. Tech dominated the Wolfpack 50-0 in the first meet of the doubleheader, for the school’s largest margin of victory since a 56-0 drubbing of Gardner-Webb in 2000. The Hokies won all 10 matches, five via pins and two by way of forfeits.

Virginia Wrestling Dominates Duke, 35-8
CHARLOTTESVILLE Va. – The Virginia wrestling team won eight of 10 matches in earning a 35-8 victory over Duke Sunday on Senior Day at Memorial Gymnasium. Five of the Cavaliers wins resulted in bonus points, highlighted by pins from Matt Bonson (Fr., Lewistown, Pa.) and Brent Jones (Jr., Burke, Va.) at 133 and 197 pounds, respectively.

The 27-point win marked UVa’s largest margin of victory in an ACC dual under head coach Steve Garland and was the largest in ACC competition since a 37-7 win over Duke on Jan. 29, 1999.

The highlight match of the day was the final one at 165 pounds, where Virginia’s Mike Sewell (Sr., Bothell, Wash.) rallied against Addison Nuding in the third period to send the bout to sudden victory time. Sewell then threw Nuding and scored a takedown 13 seconds into the period to secure a 4-2 decision in his final home contest.