The 2005 Virginia wrestling team is green. Green in terms of experience and years of course, certainly not talent.
Entering the 2005-2006 campaign, one thing Virginia lacks is experience at the collegiate level. Four of the team's 10 projected starters are true freshman. In addition, no starter has been in the program for more than three years. Even the two three-year wrestlers, Mike Grogan (174-pounds) and Kyle Narkiewicz (184-pounds) are only red-shirt sophomores.
In addition to being on the young side, the team arguably will be without its top wrestler from a year ago in sophomore Rocco Caponi. Caponi is red-shirting this season to move from the 174-pound weight class to the 184-pound class.
Despite the younger makeup of the team, head coach Lenny Bernstein, who is beginning his 13th season as Virginia's head coach, is confident in the talent and ability of his wrestlers.
"I think that we'll be a team that kind of develops as we go a little bit," Bernstein said. "We have a lot of young guys on the team right now -- guys that are a little green as far as the experience goes. Having said that, they're also a very a talented group of guys."
The team opened its season last Saturday in a dual meet held at the University of North Carolina
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