Pack Preview: UVA Dual

Sam Speno (133 lbs)

We take on the University of Virginia Cavaliers Sunday in Charlottesville, VA. The Hoos are led by Steve Garland in his seventh season as the head coach. His assistants are Alex Clemsen, Jordan Leen, and Nate Carr, Jr. They have nine of their ten starters ranked in the latest NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings. As a team, they are ranked eleventh in the country with an 11-3 record. They recently finished second at the Virginia Duals. They have an All-American as well as seven other returning national qualifiers in their line-up. Here is a look at their line-up…

125 Pounds – Matt Snyder is a fifth-year senior and two-time National Qualifier. He is currently ranked seventh in the country. He has finished in the top sixteen and top twelve at the NCAA Championships the last two seasons. He is a three-time ACC finalist and was the ACC Champion last season. He has ninety career wins. He placed second at the Southern Scuffle this year. Fun fact: He is also Coach Beasley's brother-in-law.

133 Pounds – George DiCamillo is a freshman who is currently ranked tenth in the country. He was one of the top recruits in the country last season winning multiple Ohio State Championships and Ironman Tournament Titles in high school. He is 24-6 so far this season. He placed fifth at both the Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle this season.

141 Pounds – Joe Spisak is a redshirt sophomore and former national qualifier. He redshirted last season; placing second at the Edinboro Open and winning the Newberry Open. As a freshman, he was an ACC Finalist with twenty-three wins. He is 16-2 on the season and won the Cleveland State Open this season. He is ranked twenty-second in the country.

149 Pounds – Derek Valenti is a fifth-year senior and former All-American. He is a two-time national qualifier and was an ACC runner-up two season ago when he made the All-American podium. He redshirted last season, winning both the Mat Town and Edinboro Opens while finishing as the runner-up at the Wolfpack Open. He was top twelve at the Las Vegas Invitational and is 11-6 on the season. He has eighty-six career wins and is ranked nineteenth in the country.

157 Pounds – Jedd Moore is a fifth-year senior and former National Qualifier. He is having a breakout year after winning nineteen matches last year. He won the Southern Scuffle, the Cleveland State Open, and finished second at the Las Vegas Invitational this season. He is 25-5 so far this season and is ranked tenth in the country. He has eighty-two career wins.

165 Pounds – Nick Sulzer is a redshirt sophomore and returning national qualifier. Last season, he won twenty-seven matches and split four matches at the NCAA Tournament. He is currently ranked seventh in the country with a 19-6 record. He finished third at the Las Vegas Invitational and fourth at the Southern Scuffle this season.

174 Pounds – Jon Fausey is a redshirt junior and two-time national qualifier. He wrestled at 184 pounds before dropping down a weight this season. Last year, he won the ACC Championships and finished in the top twelve at the NCAA Tournament. He already has seventy-eight career wins. He won the Cleveland State Open, finished fourth at the Southern Scuffle, and finished in the top twelve at the Las Vegas Invitational. He is ranked fifteenth in the country.

184 Pounds – Stephen Doty is a redshirt junior coming off of his redshirt year. He has competed anywhere from 174 to 197 pounds over the last few years. Last season, he won both the Appalachian State and Mat Town Opens and finished third at the Edinboro Open. He is 11-7 on the season and finished in the top twelve at the Southern Scuffle. He is currently ranked twenty-eight in the country.

197 Pounds – Mike Salopek is a fifth-year senior and former ACC Champion. He was the ACC Champion and national qualifier in 2010, winning twenty-eight matches. He went just 16-9 over the last two seasons in limited action. So far this season, he is 10-1 and won the Cleveland State Open. He is also ranked twenty-eighth in the country.

285 Pounds – Derek Papagianopoulos is redshirt sophomore and returning starter. He was 11-2 last season before suffering an injury. As a redshirt, he won twenty-two matches and placed in five open tournaments (second at the Wolfpack Open, second at the Shorty Hitchcock Open, third at the Appalachian Sate Open, third at the Edinboro Open, and fifth at the Clarion Open).

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