The Cavalier wrestling team will begin its conference schedule this weekend against North Carolina in Chapel Hill Friday before squaring off against non-conference opponent Campbell Saturday.
Virginia (7-7) will have to contend with a North Carolina team (6-6) that finished ahead of it at the Southern Scuffle hosted by UNC-Greensboro earlier this season, earning a fifth-place finish to the Cavaliers’ seventh. Meanwhile, the Campbell Camels finished a dismal 27th out of 28 teams at the same invitational.
Virginia and North Carolina have shared four opponents this season. While both squads suffered losses in three of the four matchups, Virginia managed a 23-15 victory against a Michigan State team that defeated the Tar Heels 18-12. On the other hand, Virginia dropped its recent match against Rutgers, 15-28, even though the Tar Heels pinned the Scarlet Knights by the count of 33-3 in November.
The Cavaliers started the season on the road, facing five top-25 programs away from the friendly confines of Memorial Gymnasium. They were unable to record a victory in the matches but nevertheless gained valuable experience that might aid them in the ACC and National tournaments.
“My ultimate priority is to get the best competition possible,” Virginia coach Steve Garland said.
By wrestling top-notch competition, the Cavaliers have built confidence that could help them in their quest to secure the program’s first ACC title since 1977 — a firm goal since the beginning of the season. Several injuries to the squad during the year, though, have required that a number of grapplers step up and assert themselves.
“There is a lot of fight left in this dog,” Garland said. “Even though we are maimed, hurt and limping, we are still tough, and our kids aren’t giving up.”
The Cavaliers have had several key performers, including redshirt junior Brent Jones, senior Rocco Caponi and sophomore Chris Henrich. Jones and Caponi surround Henrich in what Jones called the Cavalier mat men’s “death row trio,” and each has made significant individual contributions this season. Jones has posted a 20-4 record and a No. 19 national ranking in the 197-pound weight class, while Caponi earned ACC Wrestler of the Week honors for his performance during the weekend, specifically for reaching the century-mark in wins for his career. This is the fourth time Caponi, now 102-30 for his career, has earned the conference honor during his time at Virginia and it also is the fourth time a Cavalier has earned the accolade this season. “We’ve had some guys do some great things,” Garland said. “We have also had some major setbacks because we cannot get that momentum going without our full lineup in.”
Henrich, meanwhile, perhaps has contributed the most. The sophomore, ranked 10th in the country at 174 pounds, has gotten off to a near-perfect start, posting a 26-1 record with his only loss coming in the title match at the Southern Scuffle. He also is the only Virginia wrestler to hold an unblemished dual record with 14 wins this season.
“My goal is to not lose a match for the rest of the season,” Henrich said. “I said the same thing last year and I believe this year I can actually do it. I believe very strongly that I can win out the rest of the season and become a national champ.”
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