The No. 20 Virginia wrestling team travels to Boone, N.C. tomorrow to face Appalachian State (10-3, 4-0 SoCon) with the goal of winning its seventh consecutive dual meet.
The last time Virginia (8-1, 4-1 ACC) took to the mat, the Cavaliers defeated a scrappy Rutgers squad 24-12 even while wrestling without two of their nationally ranked stalwarts, No. 11 redshirt junior Matt Snyder and No. 20 redshirt senior Matt Nelson.
“It was a really rough week for us and I just can’t believe how these guys responded,” Virginia coach Steve Garland said. “Our back was against the wall … we were wrestling a team that’s been ranked in the top-15 at different times, and my kids — whenever they face adversity — they always respond.”
Virginia, without a viable replacement for Snyder, forfeited the 125-pound weight class against Rutgers while freshman Joseph Martinez held down the 133-pound weight class in Nelson’s absence, earning a 7-5 win against Rutgers redshirt junior Joe Langel.
Sophomore Gus Sako, however, was the story of the day, as he upset then-No. 5 redshirt junior Mario Mason 5-3 at the 149-pound weight class. Sako’s win brought the Memorial Gym crowd to its feet and gave Virginia a 9-6 lead the squad would not give back.
“It was awesome seeing the crowd go nuts,” Sako said. “If I can put the team on my back and get a couple big wins like that, that’s perfect for me. I work best under that pressure, and I enjoy it.”
Sako’s upset win earned the 149-pounder his first-ever ACC Wrestler of the Week title, marking the second consecutive week the ACC has recognized a Cavalier matman. Jedd Moore previously achieved the feat following his 5-3 decision against then-No.11 senior Kyle John of Maryland.
Virginia’s other upset against Rutgers came two matches later at the 165-pound weight class where No. 17 redshirt freshman Nick Sulzer scored a 5-2 decision against then-No. 13 redshirt junior Scott Winston.
No. 20 senior Kyle Blevins of Appalachian State narrowly defeated Sulzer 2-0 at the Southern Scuffle in early January this year, ultimately winning third place in the tournament. Sulzer ended the competition in fifth place, so he is particularly eager for a shot at redemption this week against Appalachian State.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the rematch,” Sulzer said. “The first time you wrestle somebody, it’s almost like a feeling-out process in the beginning. You’re kind of apprehensive, but after you wrestle somebody the first time, it’s almost relaxing in a way. You can get down to just wrestling.”
Another Cavalier excited for a rematch with the Mountaineers is No. 14 redshirt sophomore Jon Fausey. Fausey fell 7-3 in his quarterfinals match at the Southern Scuffle against No. 12 senior Austin Trotman, who went on to take fifth place.
Sako also faces a familiar foe in senior Savva Kostis, but unlike Sulzer and Fausey, Sako was victorious in his previous bout. He pinned Kostis in 4 minutes 31 seconds and knocked him out of medal contention. Sako, who placed seventh in the tournament, said he doesn’t anticipate changing his plan of attack for the rematch.
“No matter how much they’ve scouted me or wrestled me before, I’m going to do the exact same thing,” Sako said. “I’m going to bring the pressure.”
Appalachian State, despite the advantage gained from being at home, faces the challenge of wrestling Southern Conference rival VMI tonight with an opportunity to clinch its first regular season conference championship in nine years. Virginia has already completed its conference slate.
Tomorrow’s showdown is the Cavaliers’ last away match of the season before the ACC tournament, which begins March 3.
“I think that’s one thing our team does really well,” Sulzer said. “We’re all looking forward to the NCAA Tournament and being All-Americans and NCAA champions. When we go to practice we think about that rather than the match ahead.”