Collegiate Times

Hokies during a wrestling match.

The Virginia Tech wrestling team is off to a great start and poised for another run at an ACC championship.

Ranked No. 19 with a 6-2 record in team matches, the Hokies have six grapplers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes.

With that kind of talent, head coach Kevin Dresser is looking for his first ACC title, which has narrowly escaped him the past four years.

“A real successful season would be to get three to four guys on the stand (nationally) — four to five guys on the stand — and win an ACC title; that’s what we’re shooting for,” Dresser said. “I think we’re capable of putting together a top-15 finish if we do all of that.”

One of the most impressive Hokies this season has been freshman Devin Carter, who is currently 16-3 this season and ranked No. 7 in the 133-pound weight class.

A local wrestler from Christiansburg High School, Carter had the opportunity to work out with the Tech club wrestling team, giving him more time than most to adjust to wrestling in college.

“I learned about the toughness of the room and it brought me out to a new level,” Carter said. “Wrestling in a high school room isn’t nearly as competitive as a college room — everyone is going after each other and everyone just wants to win.”

Carter isn’t the only young blood on the team. Sophomores Pete Yates and Brian Stephens are both getting significant time on the mat, while freshman Chris Mears has also been given several opportunities.

With only three seniors and a handful of juniors on the roster, much of the team is still growing. As one of those three seniors, Chris Diaz has been trying to expedite that process.

“I talk to some of the freshmen and hang out with them. Carter is around my weight, so I draw up with him and wrestle, so hopefully having someone that has been here for a while will get them better,” Diaz said. “It’s something I didn’t have when I (started) here.”

In addition to the freshmen that have come in and made an immediate impact, the Hokies have gotten a significant boost from a few grapplers coming back from seasons derailed by injuries.

David Marone has come back strong from shoulder surgery and filled the void in the heavyweight weight class the Hokies were forced to forfeit in team matches much of last season.

Marone is currently nursing a shoulder injury and was held out of the Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 3-4, however once he is back to full health, he will be a key piece to the Hokies run at a conference title.

When healthy, Marone has provided a boost and the return of Pete Yates has given Dresser arguably his best wrestler. Not only is Yates an undefeated 16-0 going into winter break, he is also ranked No. 11 in the nation in the 157-pound weight class.

Even though it is just December, Diaz and company have started to look ahead to nationals and the prospect of placing high at the national level.

“My goal is definitely to be an NCAA champion; I don’t want anything less than that. That’s what I’m here for — I’m here to win it all,” Diaz said. “There is nobody that is a superstar in my weight class, so it’s pretty open.”

On a separate note, the Hokies announced their 2011 signing class on Nov. 17 and it is made up of another group of state champions. Between the four signees, there are a combined seven state titles and three are ranked in the top 60 seniors, according to InterMat.

“That is part of the reason why we’re continuing to go the right direction here — we’ve had some success on the recruiting trail,” Dresser said. “We didn’t sign a lot, we signed five guys, but I think all of them can make an impact here.”

A version of this article appeared in the Dec 7 issue of the Collegiate Times.