LEXINGTON -- For the Virginia wrestling team -- as for most teams -- there are two types of competition: conference opponents and old rivals. The Cavaliers exerted their dominance Sunday over a field of rivals when they dominated the Virginia Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships.
Virginia recorded a total of 94.5 points to give the Cavaliers a decisive win over George Mason, Old Dominion, Apprentice School, James Madison and host VMI. Virginia will look for similar results when it faces ACC opponent North Carolina this weekend.
"It's definitely a positive," freshman Brian Sticca said. "We should be able to carry that momentum into this weekend."
If the Cavaliers can manage to uphold the level of performance they showed on Sunday, the Tar Heels will need to beware. After falling to a determined VMI squad earlier in the year -- and anticipating strong performances out of several wrestlers from other schools -- Virginia rallied its competitive (if incomplete) ranks. The result was five wrestlers in the finals, with four of those winning their weight classes.
Victories came from Sticca, who went 3-0 at 125 pounds, and several teammates. Sophomore Will Durkee went 3-0 at 165, sophomore Zach Freday went 3-0 at 197, and senior Josh Etu went 3-0 in the heavyweight class.
Both Sticca's semifinal and final matches went into overtime; in the finals, persistence paid off and kept alive the notion that Sticca is a true asset for the Cavaliers.
"In the end I just was able to capitalize on his mistake," Sticca said.
But in tournament competition, it was this determination that proved essential for Virginia's effort. The Cavaliers' ability to stay focused gave them the win and a boost in their morale.
"I thought we wrestled very well as a team," Durkee said. "I mean to have five in the finals and four guys win is really great."
Virginia junior Tim Foley was favored at 157, but eventually went 2-1 and took second in the class. The Cavaliers' effort was rounded out with third-place finishes from sophomore Paul Bjorlo and seniors Brian Muir and Andy DeMartino. The win reaffirmed that Virginia remains a strong team, and possibly gave the Cavaliers the boost they'll need going into this weekend's match with North Carolina. Though Virginia is poised among the ACC elite -- along with the Tar Heels and NC State -- the Cavaliers have been unable to secure a win over the elusive Tar Heels recently.
"We haven't beaten them in quite a while," Durkee said. "I know I'll have a guy that will be tough, and it will be a big match."
Yet with several key wrestlers recovering and Sticca, Durkee, Freday and Etu -- who was named ACC wrestler of the week -- continuing to maintain both their health and their competitive edge, the match with North Carolina will prove key in shaping the remainder of the ACC season.
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