Virginia wrestling coach Lenny Bernstein has quietly moved the wrestling program forward for 10 years now. Note to Cavalier fans: Bernstein's boys won't be quiet for much longer.
Virginia is coming off its best season in 28 years and the signs of progress are everywhere. They can be found in the new improvements courtesy of an anonymous donor and in the difficult schedule the Cavaliers face this season. More importantly, they can be found on the faces of Cavalier upperclassmen Tim Foley and Scott Moore, each of whom have national championship aspirations. Virginia wrestling has arrived, and it will be hard to not pay attention this season.
The Cavaliers finished 12-5 last season and went 4-0 in the ACC. They upset North Carolina and N.C. State during the season and sent three wrestlers to compete at nationals last March. Virginia sputtered in the ACC championship, however, finishing a distant third. The disappointing finish has provided Cavalier wrestlers with a clear goal for the 2003-2004 season. "Beyond going 4-0, our goal is to win the ACCs," graduate student Tim Foley said. "To win ACCs, it means everybody has done their jobs."
Virginia received two strong boosts to their title aspirations this past summer. An anonymous donor completely refurbished the wrestling practice facility, providing money for new mats, new cardiovascular machines and top of the line weight equipment. The donation has also had a positive psychological affect on the team.
"The off-season improvements have added a lot of confidence in our system," Foley said.
Perhaps more importantly, the Cavaliers reeled in Penn State star Scott Moore, a wrestler the likes of which Virginia has not seen in recent memory. Moore entered the season ranked third nationally at 141 pounds and has already defeated the wrestler ranked fourth.
"He's the most dangerous wrestler in college right now," Bernstein said."Consequently, he's exciting to watch. He led the nation in pins last year."
Moore has not disappointed the preseason hype. He went undefeated and placed first in Virginia's first two tournaments. At last week's Body Bar Invitational, Moore pinned all five of his opponents, downing three of them in less than 53 seconds.
"He can take you down pretty quickly, or get you so scared that it takes you out of your game," Bernstein said.
Foley agreed that the addition of Moore will help the team greatly.
"He's nuts," Foley said. "He's great for team morale and he's always in a great mood."
Moore's only downside is that he will only be a Cavalier for one year. Yet, Bernstein relishes his opportunity to coach Virginia's best national contender in years.
"I'd like to have him for more, but I'm glad to have him for one," he said.
Moore and Foley should prove to be the leaders of the Cavalier squad. For Foley, the leadership role is something he has earned with consistent success. He won a match at nationals last season and is ranked as high as 12th going into this year. The role of leader should actually provide more challenges than some of his opponents.
"You have to get used to that," Foley said. "It's been more than I thought it would be to get everyone on the same page."
Virginia is a relatively young team aside from Foley and Moore, and Bernstein feels its youth will make it a difficult team to forecast. One of the Cavaliers' best young wrestlers, sophomore Brian Sticca, has yet to wrestle because of injury.
When Sticca returns, Virginia will have three wrestlers who can compete with anyone on the national level. Not bad for a team without a national championship finalist since 1999. Should Moore or Foley win the national title, or should Sticca repeat his brilliant freshman season, it will be a season to remember in Onesty Hall.
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