No. 8 Virginia Tech Heads to Detroit For NCAA’s

By Ryan Duvall

Staff Writer

March 15, 2022

Eight is a common number for the Virginia Tech Hokies wrestling team.

The Hokies (9-4, 4-1 ACC) are ranked eighth in the NWCA coaches poll and are sending eight wrestlers to Detroit, Mich. for this week’s NCAA wrestling championships.

However, Virginia Tech would like to come into the Little Caesars Arena swinging for a higher placement than eighth, preferably on the podium.

A top-three finish at the NCAA’s would put the Hokies in uncharted territory as a program, considering their highest finish was fourth place in the 2016 tournament, when fifth year head coach Tony Robie was still an assistant for Tech.

In 2022, four years removed from their last top-10 finish, the Hokies are looking to win big in Detroit. However, with this being a national tournament, Virginia Tech will not only have to outperform NC State (who bested the Hokies in regular and postseason play), but the Big Ten, too.

Virginia Tech’s eight competitors were all automatic qualifiers, after placing in the top four of the ACC championships. However, the remaining Hokie starters, Clayton Ulrey (165-pounds) and Dakota Howard (197-pounds) were unable to garner at-large bids from the NCAA.

So, without further to do, let's run through the Virginia Tech grapplers going at it this week:

How could you not start with Mekhi Lewis, one of three Hokies to claim an ACC championship in Charlottesville?

The 2019 national champion has moved up from 165 pounds to 174 pounds after returning from a shoulder injury that cut his 2020-2021 season short and hasn’t lost a step. Lewis is 20-1 this season, using a mix of speed and strength to not only outwill opponents, but dominate them.

Lewis was awarded a No. 2 seed in the 174-pound bracket after going 3-0 in the ACC championships, making him the most favorable Hokie to go all the way.

Not too far behind Lewis is Korbin Myers (133 pounds), who drew a No. 4 seed in his weight class after going 18-1 and taking home his second ACC championship.

Myers has a fair chance to make a deep run in the NCAA’s, but potentially facing top seeded Roman Bravo-Young out of Penn State could mark the end of the his championship aspirations.

While those two are probably Tech’s best shot at individual winners, there are three Hokies who could cause some ruckus in their brackets.

No. 10 seed Nathan Traxler (285 pounds), No. 11 seed Bryce Andonian (149 pounds), and No. 15 seed Hunter Bolen (184 pounds) are all capable of getting Virginia Tech a plethora of team points.

Traxler, a transfer from Stanford, was Tech's third ACC champion and has bullied almost all his competition on the mat this season, finishing with a 19-2 record. Meanwhile, the ever-aggressive Andonian and Hunter Bolen came up just short in the conference tournament, finishing second and third respectively.

The next Hokie participant is 2021 All-American Sam Latona (125 pounds), who placed second in the ACC Championships in 2022.

Latona didn’t start the season out the way he might’ve liked, but since the calendar turn he has been terrific, closing out the season on an 8-1 run. He’ll be a No. 24 seed in the 125-pound bracket.

Rounding out the Virginia Tech wrestlers will be two No. 28 seeds, Collin Gerardi (141 pounds) and Connor Brady (157 pounds).

The 2022 NCAA wrestling championships kick off Thursday morning and run through Saturday night. ESPN will provide live coverage of the event each day.