The No. 10 AU wrestling team marched to a 25-19 win over Virginia Tech on Senior Day Feb. 19 at Bender Arena, earning a strong victory that positioned them well for March.
The Eagles (8-7) honored seniors Corey Borshoff, Glenn Donatelli, Ryan Flores, Matt Mariacher, Ganbayar Sanjaa, Tanner Shaffer and Thomas Williams before the match began. The senior grapplers were a part of AU’s fifth-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships, a program record.
“I’ve been blessed to wrestle here,” Williams said. “All the support has been great [with our] coaches [and] all the students coming out to cheer.”
With both squads boasting multiple nationally ranked wrestlers, each team looked to build momentum heading into the postseason.
The action kicked off at 184 pounds, with the Hokies jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead as Angelo Malvestuto defeated Thomas Barreiro, 10-3.
But AU struck right back, as Daniel Mitchell pinned Nick Vetterlein in the first period of the 197-pound match to make it 6-3 Eagles.
Up next in the heavyweight class, Flores controlled his match from start to finish. The senior quickly earned a pin over VT’s Dan Norwood to give the Eagles a 12-3 lead heading into the lightweights.
The pin moved Flores, the top-ranked heavyweight in the country, to 14-0 on the season.
On the heels of back-to-back wins for AU, Williams battled the Hokies’ Erik Spjut in a fantastic match that was the highlight of the day. At the end of three regulation periods, the score was 0-0 and neither wrestler was giving up.
In the second overtime period, Williams gutted his way to a one-point escape, giving him a narrow lead he never relinquished for the key win.
Virginia Tech bounced back with a solid victory at 133 pounds, when No. 6 Devin Carter defeated Borshoff to cut the AU lead to 15-8.
In the only matchup between ranked wrestlers on the afternoon, No. 20 Zach Neibert took on No. 16 Mariacher at 141 pounds. Mariacher was up to the challenge, earning a crucial pin to give the Eagles a 21-8 lead.
“I felt good coming into the match,” Mariacher said. “I didn’t expect a pin, but it’s always nice. It was nice to get a win here in front of family and everyone.”
After AU’s Kevin Tao dropped a 7-4 decision at 149 pounds, Sanjaa, the No. 3 wrestler in the country at 157, picked up a major decision over VT’s Cameron Hurd. Even though American dropped the final two matches (Sean McCarty and Phillip Barreiro fell at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively), the 25-19 result was a solid victory for the Eagles.
“They’re hungry,” AU Head Coach Teague Moore said of his team. “And that’s a big part of the postseason.”
Listing a top four finish at nationals as the ultimate goal and emphasizing the importance of staying healthy, Moore said his team is ready for a strong postseason performance.
The Eagles compete in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships March 3-4, with the NCAA Championships scheduled to begin March 15.
