After a dominant dual victory in its season opener against North Dakota State, Virginia wrestling was back in action Saturday at the Southeast Open in Roanoke, Va. 14 wrestlers competed in the event, with six competing in the freshman/sophomore division and eight competing in the open division. In all, the Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) came away with five place winners, with freshman Brenan Morgan coming away with a first place finish in the heavyweight division.
The freshman/sophomore division of the open served as a great way for some of the younger wrestlers on the Virginia team to get time on the mat. The Cavaliers took advantage of this golden opportunity, with half of their wrestlers in this division placing in their weight class.
Freshman Anthony Rossi represented Virginia in the 125 lbs class and got right to work. After losing his opening match to Campbell sophomore Cooper Shore, Rossi rattled off five consecutive wins to earn the fifth place spot in the class. Rossi got two of his wins by bonus points during this run, including one by a pin over Franklin and Marshall freshman Vincent Gioffre. Getting pins would be a trend for the Cavaliers at the open, as they secured 14 throughout the tournament, 13 of which came from freshmen.
Another place finisher in the freshman/sophomore division was freshman Jack Lesher, who competed in the 184 lbs class. Lesher started his run in dominant fashion, pinning both of his first two opponents. However, a loss by decision to West Virginia freshman Hoke Hogan saw Lesher drop to the consolation bracket. From there, Lesher went back to his top form, winning his next two matches by a 15-4 tech fall and a 10-4 decision before pinning his final opponent to secure another fifth place finish for Virginia.
Morgan was the final place finisher for the Cavaliers in the freshman/sophomore division but easily had the most incredible run of the day out of anyone on the team. After defeating his first opponent by a 14-2 major decision, Morgan pinned four consecutive opponents en route to winning the heavyweight title.
One standout match from Morgan’s run was the semifinal, in which he pinned Gardner-Webb freshman Mason Blue in just 56 seconds. Morgan’s performance was incredibly promising and it appears that Virginia has a new ace in the hole in the heavyweight class. Coach Steve Garland certainly thinks so.
“Morgan is a stud,” Garland said. “He showed the skills today that made us want him so badly as a high school recruit. He’s a big man that wrestles like a lightweight and I’m here for it.”
The Cavaliers used some of their regular talent in the open division, although most of the guys that competed Friday sat out. It was very clear that Garland and the team did not want to overextend anyone in this open, as four different Virginia wrestlers either forfeited by injury default or lost by medical forfeit.
With the season so new, it will be critical for the Cavaliers to manage their players’ health. Injuries were a key reason Virginia lost duals down the final stretch of the 2023-24 season, so the team will have to avoid them this year to avoid slipping into the same fate.
On a lighter note, two Cavaliers placed in the open division. Sophomore Luke Roberts earned a sixth place finish through winning his first two matches, including one by tech fall, to advance to the 141 lbs class semifinal. Once there, he accepted two losses by injury default or medical forfeit, giving him the sixth place position.
Junior Nick Sanko was also able to place sixth, although his journey to get there was much longer. After winning his first match by injury default, Sanko lost to North Carolina redshirt sophomore Joey Showalter. Once in the consolation bracket, Sanko rattled off a string of three impressive wins, all of which were bonus point wins.
Yet once Sanko got to the consolation semifinals, he too lost by medical forfeit. After doing this twice, Sanko finished sixth place in the 157 lbs class.
The Southeast Open served as a good chance for Virginia’s wrestlers to shake off the rust and get a crack at some action without being in an uber-competitive environment. It will be interesting to see if Garland and the team manage player health in a similar manner the rest of the non-conference season.
The Cavaliers are back in action Friday when they face both Citadel and Gardner-Webb in duals in Charleston, S.C.
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