At first glance, it doesn't seem like Virginia senior wrestlers Josh Etu and Bob Seidel have much in common.
Etu, a heavyweight, stands an intimidating 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 258 pounds. His teammate Seidel measures up at only 5-feet-7 -- just more than half the size of Etu -- wrestling in the 141 weight class.
On the mat, however, both wrestlers have measured up equally in their recent accomplishments.
Etu and Seidel claimed back-to-back ACC Wrestler of the Week awards and helped the Cavaliers grab an early-season hold on first place in the ACC after they each registered victories against North Carolina Friday.
The victory was Virginia's first against North Carolina in 28 years, and the two seniors played large roles in deciding the meet.
Etu was able to pin his opponent, Ryan Adams, with only 48 seconds left in his match to pick up six points for the Cavaliers and even the score at 17, setting the scene for freshman Brian Sticca's clinching victory.
Seidel won his decision early in the dual match by a score of 14-4 over Brian Baglio.
"I wrestled one of the tougher guys in my weight class in the ACC at UNC and came away with a big win," Seidel said. "So, I think that will help me a lot confidence-wise going into the conference tournament this year.Hopefully, I'll be the number one seed."
Etu was the first of the two wrestlers to bring home ACC Wrestler of the Week honors, claiming the award Jan. 20 after winning first place in the heavyweight class at the 2003 Virginia Intercollegiate State wrestling Championships. He posted a 3-0 record during the event.
"He's a great guy to have as a heavyweight," Seidel said of Etu. "He can always pin a guy no matter where in the match we are.It's a great thing to have."
Etu, who has amassed a 15-5 record this season, credits his recent success to his ability to retain his girth.
"I've been able to keep my weight up a lot better," Etu said."At heavyweight, the max is 285 and I weigh about 258 right now.At this point in the season I've usually dropped down to about 240."
Seidel won his honors a week later, on Jan. 27, for his three consecutive dual match victories during the previous week.In addition to his victory over North Carolina, Seidel pinned Matt Leonard of Davidson and defeated Mike Martinez of The Citadel, 5-2.
After finishing second place in the ACC championships last year, Seidel has compiled a 17-8 record so far this year, an improvement on last year's 11-13 performance. His stated goal in his decision to return for a fifth, and final, season is to capture the ACC championship that has eluded him throughout his career.
The recent strong performers of the two wrestlers helped the Cavaliers emerge victorious at the VISWC and win three out of their last four dual matches to move the team's record to 3-4, 1-0 ACC.
The two wrestlers, though opposites in physical appearance, have become equals in their recent athletic dominance.Plus, they both enjoy grabbing their opponents by the neck and slamming them down on the mat.
"He does a lot of the same things I do," Etu said of his teammate."The headlock is his big move as well."
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