Sam Latona — Hokie Wrestler Looks to Help VT Build Top Program

Ryan Duval

Staff Writer

November 11, 2021

BLACKSBURG — Last February, on a chilly Friday night, where the wind swirled around Cassell Coliseum, one wrestler provided one of the most entertaining matches in recent memory, while establishing a powerhouse along the way.

Then-No. 8 Virginia Tech was down by three heading into the final match of the night against then-No. 3 NC State, and not many were ready for what a 125-pound redshirt freshman was about to do.

Sam Latona, who was the eighth-ranked wrestler in the country at the time, was about to take on the fourth-ranked Jakob Camacho, in a meet that appeared to be all but over. However, Latona worked his way to an upset win at the buzzer, giving Virginia Tech an exciting win and a share of the ACC Dual Meet Championship, showcasing the team’s ability to compete against some of the top programs in the country.

And this was only the beginning for both the Hokies and Latona, who finished his first full collegiate wrestling season as one of the best in the country. The Alabama native was an ACC champion, and named the ACC Freshman of the year, showcasing his prowess on the mat.

Latona went on to be just the fifth No. 2 seed in NCAA Tournament history for Tech, and went 4-3 in the NCAA’s, placing sixth. It garnered the young star All-American status as he ended the season with a record of 14-3.

Overall, the Hokies finished 15th at the NCAA tournament, but Latona says they have much higher expectations for themselves entering the 2021 season.

“We can’t be complacent, there’s always room for improvement, both for the team and myself,” Latona said.

The team has also gained national recognition coming into the season, starting out with high expectations, as they are a consensus top ten team according to FloWrestling, the NWCA coaches poll, and InterMat.

Additionally, nine Virginia Tech wrestlers are ranked in the pre-season polls, with Latona starting off at No. 8 in his weight class. Yet, the redshirt sophomore feels the school still might be disrespected.

“We like the pressure coming into the season as a top ten team, but we still think that might be a little disrespectful,” he said. “As a team we should be ranked even higher and should be competing with some of these bigger schools. We might even be playing with a chip on our shoulder.”

Some of the accolades Latona and the Hokies accomplished in the 2020 season were monumental for the program as a whole, especially his own 12-match win streak and an ACC clinching win, but he credits that to the chemistry the team was able to create over a tough 2020, where the coronavirus impacted a lot of the team’s development.

“It was so cool to be around all the guys, hanging out, traveling together, it was a special season for sure,” Latona continued. “I’m close with a lot of guys on the team, especially my roommates, and Bryce Andonian.”

Andonian, a junior at Tech, had quite a Summer, and could be a catalyst on this rising team. The Ohio native made a name for himself in August, participating in the Junior World Championships, winning a bronze medal for team USA.

With guys like Latona, Andonian and multiple all-americans on the roster the Hokies should be in for a season to remember.

But in a season where a national championship is the goal, there are alot of big matches to be played, especially since there are top programs Tech will have to play, like No. 4 Missouri and No. 8 Ohio State in its out of conference schedule, along with a tough ACC they will have to face during the core stretch of the season.

Latona, however, is accustomed to this, having succeeded in these big matches throughout his young career, as his winning streak lasted through the second round of the NCAA tournament.

When preparing for big matchups Latona says he tries not to do anything too crazy and mostly remains to his usual regiment.

“I try to do the same warmup, same bounce around, hit my chest, same prayer before every match. I just tend to stick to my routine match to match,” Latona said.

Virginia Tech will look for Latona and his teammates to carry their success from last year over to this year as their season starts.

The Hokies will open the regular season on Sunday at NC State in the Wolfpack Open.

Head coach Tony Robie and his team have big expectations for the season as he enters his fifth year at the helm. And maybe even Latona can help him bring an elusive first team national championship to Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech’s passionate fanbase has been waiting for a long time.