Virginia Tech wrestler Mekhi Lewis became the first Hokies wrestler to win a national championship, knocking off two-time defending champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State 7-1 in the 165 pound weight class.
Lewis, just a redshirt freshman and the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeated the No. 1, No. 4, and No. 2 seeds to wrap up the championship. Lewis's performance rightly earned him the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the entire NCAA Championship, which included 330 wrestlers across ten weight classes.
Lewis opened with a fall (pin) over a familiar foe, 25-seed Cam Coy of Virginia. In the next round, Lewis beat 24-seed Cael McCormick of Army, 4-1.
The next round was when the fireworks started. Mekhi Lewis beat No. 1 seed Alex Marinelli of Iowa 3-1 with a late takedown.
https://twitter.com/ncaawrestling/status/1109133754839162880
That advanced Lewis to the next round against No. 4 seed Evan Wick of Wisconsin. Lewis downed Wick 5-2 to advance to the finals against No. 2 seed Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State.
Joseph, a junior, was a two-time defending national champion, and the two wrestlers stood even at 0-0 after an uneventful first period. Early in the second period, Lewis surprised Joseph with a cradle and earned a critical four-point near fall that staked Lewis to a substantial lead.
https://twitter.com/ncaawrestling/status/1109624725360144384
Joseph eventually got a 1-point escape to make it 4-1. Lewis pushed his lead to 5-1, and with just over 30 seconds to go, Joseph got Lewis into a compromising position, with one leg well off the floor.
What Mekhi Lewis did next was amazing, and it locked up the national championship.
https://twitter.com/FloWrestling/status/1109626694812483584
From that point on, it was 25 seconds of Lewis holding Joseph on the mat while Lewis's parents celebrated wildly in the background.
https://twitter.com/TechSideline/status/1109629560767827968
Mekhi Lewis recounted the critical four-point near fall in an interview immediately after the match.
https://twitter.com/ncaawrestling/status/1109626126840664064
It was the third time a Hokie had been in the national championship match of their weight class. Devin Carter (2014) and Jared Haught (2018) had previously come up short, but Mekhi Lewis left no doubt with the win, which was watched by Nation on ESPN. Everyone knows who Mekhi Lewis is now.
Virginia Tech Wrestling Finishes Eleventh Overall
Lewis's national championship wrapped up a solid outing for the Hokies, who finished No. 11 overall, about where they were expected to end up.
- Penn State 137.5 points
- Ohio State 96.5
- Oklahoma State 84
- Iowa 76
- Michigan 62.5
- Missouri 62
- Cornell 59.5
- Minnesota 53.5
- Rutgers 51.5
- Nebraska 51
- Virginia Tech 50
The Hokies had a total of three All-American (top 8) wrestlers, led of course by Lewis. Tech's other AA's were David McFadden, who finished 5th in the 174-pound weight class, and Zack Zavatsky, who came in 8th in the 184-pound class.
McFadden's final match had an exciting finish. Down 3-2 with 13 seconds left, McFadden executed a 2-point reversal with less than five seconds left to secure fifth place.
https://twitter.com/ncaawrestling/status/1109515962166988800
Of the nine Hokies who wrestled in the NCAA Championships, five will return next season.