Does at large spots get announced today?
45 Replies
H
HokieRat
1y
** Edited by HokieRat at 3/11/2025, 5:34:32 PM
(In response to this post by texashokie1)
Didn't earn it on the mat this year
Hopefully he can work in the offseason to get better
(In response to this post by TartanHokie)
T
TomA
1y
(In response to this post by TartanHokie)
1y
For whatever reason(s), he didn't have a deserving resume this year. For whatever the reason(s) he didn't have a deserving resume this year. I hate it for the team points/standing but honestly the thought of a motivated, determined (maybe even pissed off?) TJ is scary to think about next season.
(In response to this post by TartanHokie)
You can't lose to unranked starters and backups.
(In response to this post by vthokiebrotha)
1y
Get healthy, and get some payback next year. He'll be a contender with Carter and Parker gone. Wish he had tried for a medical and we had just rolled with Fisher.
(In response to this post by TartanHokie)
1y
I think it's mostly because some of their better guys had a disappointing tournament.
(In response to this post by TheStateGuy)
1y
wasn't the 1st alternative either. The #17 guy on the Coaches Panel Rankings didn't make it either, one guy not in the coaches panel top 33 ranking did make it.
(In response to this post by TheStateGuy)
V
VTDante
1y
even when you're relatively healthy. Sounds like he gave it a go this season in part for his teammates despite the preseason MCL injury.
(In response to this post by hokietony)
1y
I would assume it's significant. I guess TJ didn't have enough quality wins to point to when vying for a bid. Hopefully he can get healthy and come back strong for next year. We all know he's talented enough to beat anybody and 184 clears out next year.
(In response to this post by hokietony)
1y
walking a few times this year and he got beat in matches he should have won. His best win all year was against the #60 wrestler Ty Monterio of Stanford and he lost to everyone else ranked higher than that. The sense of urgency needs to start in July so he shows up ready to go for the season and keeps the foot on the gas instead of trying to just get ready for March. Easier said than done, but that is what it takes. Hopefully, this is a wake up call for him...he has all the talent in the world and he just needs to focus it.
(In response to this post by Hokiemacho)
D
donjfs3
1y
rehabbing a significant portion of the year. I agree he didn't earn a bid this year but all signs point to him gutting out an injury to try to get one and be ready to go for the postseason. Unless you have knowledge that the public doesn't I would discourage making these claims about somebody who stepped up and toed the line for us with a clear injury.
(In response to this post by VPIGUY)
1y
Pretty common knowledge he had MCL injury that didn’t to work like he needed early enough. It was due to lack of committment
I have no idea if he totally healed
(In response to this post by Hokie Flyer)
That would be poor coaching to send out an injured guy at 184
especially when we have a guy like Sam Fisher on the bench.
(In response to this post by texashokie1)
1y
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
Then you can't use injury as an excuse
** Edited by AirborneHokie96 at 3/12/2025, 1:42:24 PM
(In response to this post by GreenvilleVT)
1y
Using it as an excuse but maybe I missed that.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
1y
It helped alot of posters understand what might be going on.
But as I said I don’t recall the coaches or TJ using it as an excuse.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
D
donjfs3
1y
It's wrestling, guys push through injuries all the time. TJ has a higher ceiling than Fisher to the point where it's worth the risk to give it a shot. Fisher is solid and a great team guy but he's not a point scorer at nationals.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
In 2024-2025, TJ and Sam will score the same amount of points
** Edited by AirborneHokie96 at 3/11/2025, 11:33:46 PM
(In response to this post by donjfs3)
D
donjfs3
1y
Sam was never going to score any significant team points, TJ had the upside to do so. If we go with your policy and strictly sidelined guys who want to wrestle through injuries Bryce would have missed out on an AA season last year, Henson wouldn't be a national champion, and we would have lost all of their team points and had to burn Mac's RS at 149. That's just one year.
Not to mention the best coaches in the sport routinely wrestle guys who are fighting through injuries. Cael has tons of depth but that didn't stop Nolf, Molinaro, Carter, Ed Ruth, and plenty of others that don't get publicized from competing in the postseason.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
Sam would have had better wins in his belt...better than the #60th ranked
wrestler at the weight class.
Sorry, I know TJ's dad posts here and folks walk on eggshells but if you are a returning AA and your best win is the #60th rated wrestler, something is really, really wrong.
(In response to this post by donjfs3)
Agree... I think several want to enable or remain obtuse.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
1y
TJ's a stud and he's capable of placing highly at nationals, but something went wrong and it didn't pan out this year.
The problem is that you don't know what went wrong. You're just filling in the gaps in your knowledge with inferences, and based on those inferences, you're publicly insinuating that there are issues with TJ's character, dedication, or discipline. That's a dick move, and it says more about your biases and your character than it does about TJ.
It's entirely possible that TJ reaggravated the injury or that it didn't heal as fast as the trainers expected, such that the opportunity to get a medical redshirt had passed and the best remaining option was to send him out there injured and hope that he would qualify and heal up sufficiently to score some points at nationals. As others have noted, that scenario unfolds fairly often with college wrestlers.
But you do you. It's evident that you'd rather be confidently and loudly wrong than thoughtfully and quietly right, as long as you get to make snide posts about TJ.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
Speaking of "dick move", try not to swallow and wipe your chin
If you ever want to say that to my face, try it $hit stain
(In response to this post by samistone)
D
donjfs3
1y
He also probably wasn't beating Kane, Fishback, or Heller. A recovering TJ with the hopes of him getting him back healthy was our best shot at scoring points at 184. I agree something was clearly wrong but sometimes those issues get fixed, in this instance it didn't happen in time.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
1y
of the injury he was dealing with this year, how it affected his training, amd the effort he put in over the off-season, you should probably "focus" your self-righteous BS on something you actually know about. Your insinuations about TJ's focus and effort and urgency say a lot more about you than they do about TJ.
(In response to this post by VPIGUY)
1y
...especially since what I was told was 2nd hand. Not being self rightous and no BS. I wish TJ all the best and want nothing more than for he (and ALL VT wrestlers) to suceed and fulfil their full potential. I think we can all agree that TJ fell short of that this season and there are many reasons for that. I hope he can get all of them sorted out next year as he has the potential to win it all.
** Edited by VPIGUY at 3/12/2025, 11:40:55 AM
(In response to this post by samistone)
Ignore him. He is too busy swallowing
(In response to this post by VPIGUY)
1y
And didn’t recover as quickly as expected. Not sure it was due to lack of effort
(In response to this post by VPIGUY)
E
EDGEMAN
1y
...conditioning back. Not sure how long he went before he was 100% physically, but I think it was well into the season.
(In response to this post by texashokie1)
...and maybe focus less on how marketable you can be here or somewhere else
And just win matches against people that you are better skilled.
(In response to this post by VPIGUY)