The Virginia wrestling team kicked off its 2009 season Saturday with two home victories against Anderson and Campbell. Entering the season ranked No. 17, the Cavaliers claimed the opening contest against Anderson, 37-9, and finished the afternoon with a 36-6 triumph against Campbell.
The first match featured the debut of redshirt freshman Matt Snyder in the 125-pound class. Snyder, a transfer from Bloomsburg University, posted a technical fall in his first bout as a Cavalier. All-American junior Chris Henrich, ranked third in the country, followed suit in the 174-pound division, needing only part of the first period to do so.
"That was what I came here to do," Henrich said. "It was what I expected. I really wasn't as concerned with how I wrestled as much as how I felt. I was happy with the way I wrestled and the way I felt."
One of the most exciting moments in the Anderson match came in the 197-pound bout, when ninth-ranked senior Brent Jones pinned Luis Audelo only 29 seconds in. The fall was Jones' 35th of his career, breaking the school record.
Other highlights from the first match included sophomore Derek Valenti's pin in the 141-pound class, followed by another technical fall executed by senior Kellon Balum in the 149-pound division.
The Cavaliers continued to fight strong in the second match, recording a victory in eight of 10 bouts against Campbell. Both Snyder and Henrich pinned their opponents to continue their successful season debuts, while Valenti also continued his strong afternoon with a technical fall to start the season 2-0.
"It's definitely nice, especially in front of the home crowd," Valenti said. "It's nice to get pins and tech [falls] for the team, putting up some points on the board. It's also a good way to start my season, and hopefully it will keep going, for me and the team."
The highlight of the Campbell match came in the 165-pound bout, with sophomore Michael Chaires returning to action for Virginia and posting a decisive 8-3 victory against Camel senior Chris Mazzatta. After suffering an injury in the opening match of last season, Chaires was forced to sit the entire winter.
"That was [Chaires'] first match back in about a year," coach Steve Garland "He tore his labrum this time last year, at the Michigan State Open. He hasn't competed in a year, and it was big for him to get back out there and get the blood flowing again, to feel what that was like."
Virginia finished the afternoon with wins in 16 of the 20 total matchups Saturday.
Though the Cavaliers had a successful first outing, the team did have its setbacks, including Campbell junior Parker Burns' narrow 9-5 victory against Jones.
"The setback at the end with Brent Jones was unfortunate," Garland said. "At the same time, it was a good learning lesson for him. He was sick all week and he only practiced one day. The lesson for him is that no one is going to feel sorry for you. He was healthy enough to go today, and that is going to happen out there sometimes."
Nevertheless, the Cavaliers as a group emerged from their season-opening victories feeling good about the future, as they look to climb the national ranks.
"This is definitely what we expected," Henrich said. "I think overall we wrestled pretty well, but there is still some room for improvement. We've just been so wound up beating on each other for so long now, and we really needed a good weekend to get out and wrestle others."
Moving forward, Virginia will look to hone its skills on the mat and avoid some of the injuries that have derailed previous seasons' efforts.
"It is a long season," Garland said. "Our team has a lot of potential. We just need to keep working hard and keep the team together."
Virginia will return to action Sunday at the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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