I’ve watched Connor wrestle dozens of times and am as excited as everyone else to have him a Hokie! He was one of the most improved wrestlers I have ever seen as he really struggled his first two seasons where we went 15-17 with two NCAA appearances at 141 (went 0-4). But, he was clearly undersized. His junior year, he dropped down to 133 (actually swapped with the Lehigh 133 pounder who went up to 141) . Connor was a completely different wrestler and seemed so much more comfortable at the lower weight. Entering the conference (EIWA) championships in 2023, he was ranked #5 in the country behind RBY, Fix, Arujau and McGee (who he lost a heartbreaker to 8-6 in a late season dual meet). He was 11-2 in duals with his only loses to Fix and the aforementioned McGee. He had wins over Phillippi (Pitt) and Orine (NC State). He had a very realistic shot at AA. But, in the first period of the EIWA quarterfinals, he blew out his knee with one of the most gruesome injuries I have ever seen. It was gut wrenching. He had to be carried off in the arms of one of the assistant coaches. And, as mentioned, he couldn’t beat out Ryan Crookham last year and I suspect Crookham is set at 133 for years to come. Connor is ferocious on top and has improved a lot on his feet. I felt so bad for him in March of 2023 as he was wrestling so well….hoping he can finish out his career in style in March of 2025!