Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 4 | March 2021

inside.hokiesports.com 25 1290 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • 540-382-7500 • www.gandhappliance.com Find us at G&H Appliance It’s grill season!! Best selection and best price is now!! Since 1969, Nobody Does it Better!!! “We felt really comfortable with Joey Prata and what he could do for our team and it allowed Sam to redshirt,” Robie said. “It was a win-win for both guys and ultimately was in the best interest for Sam. Great to know that Sam’s going to be here for a long time.” The decision did not deter Latona. He looked at it as another year to improve his craft and be prepared for his time to come. Competing as an unattached wrestler at open tournaments was the only way for him to get experience against other wrestlers. “I would watch my film after all the opens with Coach Brewer, and we would go over what I needed to work on,” Latona said. “The very next tournament, I would work on that stuff technically.” The work seemed to pay off as Latona went 20-2 during his redshirt year, winning the 2019 Southeast Open, the 2019 ARMS Software/GMU Patriots Open and the 2020 Appalachian Open, while placing third at the 2019 Wolfpack Wrestling Club Open and at the 2020 Southern Scuffle. It was the Southern Scuffle where heads began to turn when Sam Latona was wrestling. The unattached freshman went 6-1, including a win over 2020 ACC Freshman of the Year Jakob Camacho of NC State. Latona’s only loss came to Oklahoma State’s Nick Piccininni, a three-time NCAA All-American, in a close 6-4 decision. “I think it opened a lot of people’s eyes to how good Sam was. Even me as a coach, it was something that validated where he’s at,” Robie said. “Some guys are great in the room. Some guys are great in competition. Sam’s really good in both.” After two years of putting the work in, Latona was rewarded with the starting 125-pound spot to begin the 2020-21 season. It was a moment that he’d been waiting for and he finally got it in the Hokies’ first dual of the season vs. Campbell. “It was so cool, I’ve been waiting to wear that VT since my senior year of high school,” Latona said. “I was ready to go out there and compete wearing a Virginia Tech singlet. It was one of the best moments I’ve had here.” Sunday, Feb. 28, Latona completed his perfect ACC season with the 125-pound title at the 2021 ACC Championships. He will be considered for a Top-5 seed at the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, with his sights set on the program’s second individual national championship. “He wants our team to be great as much as he wants to be great,” Robie said. “He’s the kind of kid that can change your program and take it to another level.”