No. 7 Virginia Tech Gets It Done On Senior Night

By Ryan Duvall

Staff Writer

February 11, 2022

BLACKSBURG — It was a surprisingly nice February day: Sunny, 64 degrees, with a subtle breeze. But Friday night, the most memorable event was No. 7 Virginia Tech (8-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) ’s win over No. 21 North Carolina.

Cassell Coliseum was packed with Hokie wrestling fans — Corps of Cadets and all — who came out to support seniors Hunter Bolen, Jake Hart, Korbin Myers and Nathan Traxler in their final home match.

Myers was the first of the seniors to hit the mat last night, squaring off with a Top 25 opponent, Joe Hellmann. The crowd was loud, chanting Myers’ name and the iconic “Lets Go Hokies” cheer throughout the match.

Myers, the No. 5 wrestler in the country at 133-pounds made quick work of Hellmann, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second period and finishing him off in the third to put the Hokies out to a 6-0 lead that would set the standard for a 23-11 senior night victory.

Virginia Tech (8-3, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) while the Tar Heels now sit at 8-5, with a 3-1 record in the ACC, and could drop out of the top 25.

Friday marked another big win for the Hokies in front of a loud crowd, and while the storyline may have been senior night, both teams had very strong resumes and star studded lineups.

There were a total of 15 ranked wrestlers on the mat, including six ranked matchups, six All Americans, six ACC champions, and two national champions. So, big win for VT, but how did it get it done?

The first two matches put the Hokies out to an early 6-0 lead, with No. 20 Sam Latona (125 lbs) picking up a solid win, followed by the ranked win for Myers (133 lbs).

Then UNC put three on the board after No. 9 Kizhan Clarke outmatched No. 22 Collin Gerardi (141 lbs). The ever so aggressive No. 5 Bryce Andonian (149 lbs) asserted his dominance, getting a major decision win to put VT up 10-3, saluting the crowd in celebration.

Reigning 149 lbs national champion Austin O’Connor, now up to the 157 lbs class, outdueled No. 26 Connor Brady, via tech fall, gaining five points for the Tar Heels, and bringing the score to within two points at 10-8.

The final five matches were essentially all Virginia Tech, with the Hokies going 4-1 with huge, energizing wins to seal the deal.

Some of the more entertaining moments came from No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (174 lbs), who stayed undefeated on the season after a top-10 win, and No. 31 Dakota Howard (197 lbs), who match after match solidifies himself as the fan favorite Hokie, doing a ‘Lambeau Leap’ of sorts into the student section following his victory.

The last of the seniors, No. 14 Nathan Traxler (Heavyweight), who is a grad transfer out of Stanford, culminated the evening with a takedown (that sounded like a tree had fallen), and win.

Following the victory last night, the Hokies have two regular season duals remaining, next Friday against school rival Virginia, and Sunday versus No. 4 NC State. The latter match will not count in ACC standings as the Hokies were forced to forfeit a match against the Wolfpack earlier in the season due to Covid.

Results:

125 – No. 20 Sam Latona (VT) DEC Spencer Moore (UNC), 10-5

133 – No. 5 Korbin Myers (VT) DEC No. 21 Joe Heilmann (UNC), 8-2

141 – No. 9 Kizhan Clarke (UNC) DEC No. 22 Collin Gerardi (VT), 6-2

149 – No. 5 Bryce Andonian (VT) MAJ DEC No. 17 Zach Sherman (UNC), 15-6

157 – No. 5 Austin O'Connor (UNC) TECH FALL No. 26 Connor Brady (VT), 25-4, 7:00

165 – Clayton Ulrey (VT) DEC Isaias Estrada (UNC), 4-3

174 – No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (VT) DEC No. 9 Clay Lautt (UNC), 6-2

184 – No. 18 Gavin Kane (UNC) DEC No. 10 Hunter Bolen (VT), 3-1, SV

197 – No. 31 Dakota Howard (VT) MAJ DEC Mark Chaid (UNC), 13-5

285 – No. 14 Nathan Traxler (VT) DEC Brandon Whitman (UNC), 3-1