The Cavalier wrestling team has had one of their best seasons to date, qualifying seven wrestlers — the most in program history — to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo.
The Cavaliers (11-11, 2-3 ACC) qualified six matmen for their performances at the ACC Championships: sophomore Nick Nelson (141), junior Kellon Balum (149), freshman Jedd Moore (157), sophomore Chris Henrich (174), senior Rocco Caponi (184) and junior Brent Jones (197). Freshman Matt Bonson (133) became the seventh Virginia selection by earning an at-large bid after finishing 17-7 and defeating two wrestlers in the top 12 in the nation at the time of the matches.
After starting at No. 23 in the polls, the highest ranking in school history, Virginia has been flying under the radar for most of the season. The Cavaliers’ record may be lackluster, but much of that can be attributed to injuries throughout the year, including a season-ending injury to junior Ross Gitomer, the 2008 ACC Champion at 125 pounds. The team’s second-place finish at the ACC Championships this season showed the team’s talent; even without anyone in the 125-pound class, Virginia finished just two points behind Maryland for the second straight year.
The Most Outstanding Wrestler of the match was Jones, who was the No. 3 seed at 197 pounds. Jones won three bouts to capture the individual title and earn a bid to the NCAA Championships. His performance against the No. 1 seed Maryland junior Hudson Taylor was one of the highlights of ACCs; Jones pinned Taylor in an impressive 38 seconds.
“If Brent Jones pinning Hudson Taylor didn’t prove to the rest of the guys that you can beat anybody on any given day, then nothing ever will,” Virginia coach Steve Garland said. “That was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It was emotional, I cried like a baby afterwards. I’ve coached guys into national championship matches, I’ve coached guys to a fourth-place team finish, I’ve been at the top of our sport, and that was right up there with any match I have ever been a part of.”
With the bids to NCAAs, Virginia has several contenders who could win individual titles and become All-Americans. Every Cavalier who qualified has shown that he can beat top-notch competition, knocking off several top-ranked wrestlers throughout the season. Moore won the Eastern Michigan Open at the beginning of the season, taking five straight matches to win the tournament. Bonson had several key wins this season, including victories against junior Danny Mitcheff of Kent State Jan. 10 and junior Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State Nov. 29, who were each ranked No. 11 in the country at the time of the matches. Nelson also has proven he can beat top-notch competition, defeating No. 11 senior Drew Lashaway of Kent State and senior Joe Caramanica of North Carolina State.
“We are at that point now where teams straight up fear us for having the U.Va. singlet on,” sophomore Chris Henrich said. “They know we are a team that they don’t want to go toe to toe with on the mat.”
Caponi will be making his school-record fourth NCAA appearance, and Henrich will be making his second straight trip to the national championships. Henrich said he is confident the team will finish in the top 15 or even the top 10, which would be its best performance since 1957 when the grapplers finished the season tied for 10th.
“Once you step on that mat, you just have to stick to your training and stick to what you know,” Jones said. “A lot of people freeze and lose the mental battle out there and crumble under the pressure. We have had the training to go the distance.”
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