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WRESTLING
2016
F
or the past several seasons, the Virginia
Tech wrestling program invested its time
and work into “raising the bar”—a team
motto that has morphed into the program’s
identity.
After three straight top-10 finishes at the
NCAA Wrestling Championships, the program
reached new heights this past March when
the Hokies made it to the podium at Madison
Square Garden in New York City, coming in
fourth place. The finish marked the program’s
best and the best ever by an ACC team.
To raise the bar this season means finishing
in the top three—or even win a national
championship.
Kevin Dresser is down for the challenge.
“I’m one of those guys who always wants
more and I’m an optimist, so our goal is to win
a national title,” Tech’s coach said two weeks
before the Hokies started workouts for the
upcoming season. “That’s what we’re here to
do. That’s the goal of the staff and I think that’s
the goal of the team. We’ll know more when
we start competing, but I hope they have that
sense of urgency.
“I’ve always said that the ultimate goal is
to be a top-five program year in and year out.
When you make that statement, you better be
in it to win it all.”
The ascension to the throne certainly will
not be easy. No team outside of the Big Ten
has taken home the crown in the past decade,
and Penn State dominates collegiate wrestling
these days, having won five of the past six
national titles.
But of all the teams nationwide, the Hokies
certainly appear on paper to be in the best
position to break the Big Ten’s dominance.
Tech lost three-time All-American Nick
Brascetta to graduation, but the Hokies return
the remainder of their lineup. Seven of the eight
who qualified for the NCAA Championships
THE BAR
Again
The Tech wrestling team returns six wrestlers who
have earned All-America honors at some point in their
careers, and the Hokies think they can improve on last
season’s program-best fourth-place finish at the NCAA
Wrestling Championships
by
Jimmy Robertson
40
Inside Hokie Sports
TY WALZ
SOLOMON
CHISHKO
ZACH
EPPERLY