The abrupt end to the season couldn’t have come at a worse time for Virginia, as the Cavaliers were picking up quite a bit of momentum.
Overall, three Cavalier wrestlers finished the weekend undefeated: No. 9 197 lbs. junior Jay Aiello, No. 18 133 lbs. junior Louie Hayes, and 149 lbs. junior Michael Murphy.
The hosts, Pennsylvania took first place in the event. The Cavaliers were just 13,5 points behind the hosts, who finished with 152.5.
No. 24 Virginia looked dominant this weekend, cruising past Southern Virginia and Maryland in the Cavalier Duals before placing in the Southeast Open.
The 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships was hosted at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh this past weekend, starting Thursday and wrapping up Saturday.
Of the 10 wrestlers Virginia sent to Blacksburg for the ACC Championships, four secured automatic bids to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
While they competed well, the Cavaliers (12-10, 1-4 ACC) couldn't ultimately defeat the Panthers (13-3, 3-2 ACC) who secured their fifth victory in a row.
Fresh off its first ACC victory last week, the No. 22 Virginia wrestling team was unable to notch two wins in a row, losing to No.14 Virginia Tech Saturday at the Moss Arts Center.
The Cavaliers (12-8, 1-2 ACC) won six weight classes against the Blue Devils (2-7, 0-3 ACC) and took the visitors down 26-17.
Despite wins in four weight classes and a raucous home crowd, the Cavaliers (11-8, 0-2 ACC) fell 23-17 to No. 8 N.C. State (14-2, 2-0 ACC).
Despite strong performances from Virginia's usual standouts, the Cavaliers (11-7, 0-1 ACC) fell 22-13 to No. 17 North Carolina (8-5, 1-0 ACC) in the two programs' 78th meeting.
As Virginia looks ahead to tougher opponents on its schedule, this past weekend should serve as a confidence boost for the Cavaliers.
The Cavalier Daily Sports staff takes a look at how winter sports have performed as the season continues.
While the end of the weekend may have been disappointing, Virginia certainly bolstered its resume and gained some momentum with consecutive victories over ranked opponents earlier in the bracket.
Junior Jack Mueller didn’t drop a single bout all weekend, scoring four wins including three pins.
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