The Virginia wrestling team's victory over Maryland Friday night earned them a spot alongside the Terrapins at the top of the ACC. Ending the regular season with the 24-14 win, the Cavaliers moved into first place with a record of 4-1 in the conference.
The team did not do anything unusual to prepare for the big match, sticking instead to the routine that has worked for them throughout the season.
"We treated it like other matches and went in with a workman's-like attitude," coach Lenny Bernstein said. "We knew what we had to do and feeling that we matched up pretty well with Maryland, we were confident going into the match."
After the first three bouts, Virginia took an early lead 12-0. In the heavyweight category, Virginia's Nick Smith won by forfeit. Then, sophomore Anthony Burke defeated Terrapin James Knox (8-2, 125 pounds).
In the 133-pound weight class, Virginia freshman Eric Albright won 6-2. He has won nine out of his last 10 matches and currently leads the team with 26 wins.
"As a freshman, Eric has stepped into a starting position and I think his record speaks for itself," Bernstein said. "He will probably be the number-one seed in the conference tournament."
Maryland, however, refused to give up their solo claim to first place in the ACC without a fight. They went on an uncontested 14-point streak, winning both the 141- and 149-pound weight classes by the only two major decisions of the night. Maryland also won at 157 pounds and took the lead 14-12 when Adam DeCosmo had a 9-4 decision over Cavalier sophomore Damian Johnson at 165 pounds. It was Johnson's first conference loss.
Virginia reclaimed the lead, 18-14, when red-shirt sophomore Kyle Narkiewick had a 5-2 decision over Maryland's Luke Stauffer. The victory marked Narkiewick's 20th win of the season and swung the momentum back in Virginia's favor.
Freshman Brent Jones secured Virginia's victory when he pinned Jerry Afari 37 seconds into the 197-pound bout. The only fall of the night gave Jones his 20th win of the season and made the final score 24-14 Virginia.
"Brent has beaten top 10- and top 20-ranked wrestlers," Bernstein said. "As he gains both experience and confidence, he is closer to being considered a veteran."
The Cavaliers will compete next at the ACC Championships. According to Bernstein, there are several teams in the conference who could win the title.
"There is considerable parity in the conference," Bernstein said. "We could win; we did not execute well against N.C. State and that is why we have a conference loss. Winning the ACCs will depend on how motivated the guys are and how well they execute."
The conference championships will be held March 4 at VMI in Lexington, Va.
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