Fresh off a second straight ACC title and qualifying all 10 starters for the NCAA Championships, Virginia Tech wrestling heads to Cleveland with one of the deepest lineups in the country — and a legitimate shot to push for a team trophy.
Based on seeds alone, the Hokies project right in the mix for a top-five finish, sitting around sixth nationally in pre-tournament projections. That puts the margin thin: a couple of All-Americans or a finalist can swing Tech into trophy range.
Competition in Rocket Arena begins at noon ET on Thursday. ESPN has the coverage over the three days. Here’s the schedule:
- Thursday, March 19: Preliminaries at noon ET
- Thursday, March 19: Preliminaries and wrestle-backs at 7 p.m. ET
- Friday, March 20: Quarterfinals and wrestle-backs at noon ET
- Friday, March 20: Semifinals and wrestle-backs at 8 p.m. ET
- Saturday, March 21: Consolation finals at 11 a.m. ET
- Saturday, March 21: Championship finals at 6:30 p.m. ET
Click here for the NCAA Championships bracket.
Here’s a weight-by-weight snapshot of where things stand for the program entering the weekend.
125 – Eddie Ventresca (No. 2 seed)
Ventresca opens against Drexel’s Desmond Pleasant (No. 31) in a favorable first-round matchup.
As the No. 2 seed, his path is relatively straightforward early, with a likely quarterfinal against a top-10 opponent and a potential semifinal clash with No. 3 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State.
Ventresca is firmly in title contention and serves as a key anchor for team points.
133 — Aaron Seidel (No. 4 seed)
Seidel lands in one of the nation’s toughest brackets, with top-seeded Jax Forest looming on the opposite side. Forest handed Seidel his only loss this season.
Seidel opens against No. 29 Luke Willochell of Wyoming, a wrestler the Hokies saw during the National Duals — though Willochell faced Dillon Campbell in that meeting.
As the No. 4 seed, Seidel is positioned well early but will be tested deep in the bracket.
141 — Tom Crook (No. 25 seed)
Crook enters with a difficult draw after narrowly qualifying out of the ACC tournament. He opens against No. 8 Vance Vombaur, who beat him twice at the National Duals earlier this season.
If Crook advances, the path remains challenging, with a likely matchup against No. 9 Joey Olivieri of Rutgers, who is 19-2 on the year.
149 — Collin Gaj (No. 4 seed)
The recently-crowned ACC champion, Gaj draws a favorable opening matchup against No. 29 Kaden Cassidy of George Mason. He would then face the winner of No. 13 Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) and No. 20 Chace Lamer (Nebraska).
A potential quarterfinal could feature NC State’s Koy Buesgens, whom Gaj defeated for the ACC title just 10 days ago. However, also on his side of the bracket sits Penn State’s Shane Van Ness, the undefeated No. 1 seed and favorite at 149.
157 — Ethen Miller (No. 14 seed)
Miller faces a difficult road as the No. 14 seed. He opens against No. 19 Kai Owen of Columbia and would likely see No. 3 Meyer Shapiro of Cornell in the next round.
One advantage: Miller avoids the top seed until a potential championship bout.
165 — Mac Church (No. 25 seed)
Like Crook, Church draws a steep path as a No. 25 seed. He opens against No. 8 Matty Bianchi of Little Rock.
With an upset, Church would likely meet No. 9 Bryce Hepner of North Carolina — the same wrestler who narrowly defeated him in the ACC championship bout.
174 — Sergio Desiante (No. 25 seed)
Desiante, another No. 25 seed, faces a similar uphill climb. He opens against No. 8 Alex Facundo of Oklahoma, who defeated him 4-1 just over a month ago.
If Desiante can flip that result, he would likely see No. 9 Beau Mantanona of Michigan. Undefeated and No. 1 seed Levi Haines of Penn State would await in the next round, though.
184 — Jaden Bullock (No. 14 seed)
Bullock mirrors Miller’s position as a No. 14 seed. He opens against No. 19 Jared McGill of Edinboro, who finished the regular season 17-3.
A win would likely set up a rematch with No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota, who defeated Bullock twice at the National Duals, including via a technical fall.
197 — Sonny Sasso (No. 4 seed)
Sasso opens against No. 29 Colton Hawks of Arizona State. If he advances, a likely quarterfinal matchup awaits against No. 5 Joey Novak of Wyoming.
Sasso dominated that matchup earlier this season, earning a 12-2 major decision at the National Duals, giving him a favorable outlook entering the bracket. However, he’ll likely have to go through No. 1 seed Josh Barr, who is 19-0 for Penn State this season, to reach the championship match.
285 — Jimmy Mullen (No. 16 seed)
At heavyweight, Mullen faces one of the toughest paths in the field. He opens against No. 17 Vincent Mueller of Columbia, with a likely second-round bout against undefeated No. 1 Yonger Bastida of Iowa State.
If Mullen can navigate that stretch, the bracket opens somewhat before a potential semifinal against No. 4 AJ Ferrari (Nebraska).
With multiple top-four seeds and several wrestlers capable of outperforming their seed, Virginia Tech has the depth to make a serious push. The difference between a solid finish and a team trophy will likely come down to bonus points and how many Hokies can break through into All-American territory, an honor that goes to the top-eight guys in each weight class.