Six Cavaliers Earn Spots in Preseason WIN, AWN Rankings | |||||||
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Six Virginia wrestlers have been tabbed in the Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine preseason rankings. As a team, Virginia is ranked 21st in WIN's preseason Tournament Power Index. Derek Valenti (Sr., Newton, N.J.) was ranked fourth by WIN and eighth by AWN at 149 pounds. A reigning All-American, Valenti took eighth place at 149 at the 2011 NCAA Championships. He finished the 2010-11 season with a 27-15 record and took runner-up honors at the ACC Championships. Valenti rattled off 15 wins in his final 19 matches en route to All-America honors. Matt Snyder (R-Jr., Lewistown, Pa.) was ranked eighth by AWN and 10th by WIN at 125 pounds. Snyder finished one win shy of All-America status last year at the NCAA Championships. The ACC runner-up, Snyder posted a 26-11 record during the 2010-11 season. Joe Spisak (So., Boiling Springs, Pa.) was ranked 18th by WIN at 133 pounds. Spisak was the ACC runner-up and an NCAA qualifier last season, posting a 23-16 record. Nick Nelson (R-Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) was tabbed 16th by AWN and 17th by WIN at 141 pounds. Nelson was sidelined with an injury for most of the 2010-11 season but rebounded to take third place at the ACC Championships to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. He finished the year with an 11-3 record. Jon Fausey (R-So., Dalmatia, Pa.) was ranked 15th by WIN and 20th by AWN at 184 pounds. He advanced to the NCAA Championships last year as a redshirt freshman and scored a pair of wins at NCAAs. Fausey finished the year with a 29-10 record. Mike Salopek (R-Jr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) stood 15th in the WIN rankings and 19th according to AWN at 197 pounds. Salopek was hampered by injuries for much of the 2010-11 season but after offseason surgery he should again prove to be a big factor in the UVa lineup. Salopek 11-6 last season. Virginia opens its season Nov. 5 when it plays host to Anderson and Campbell at Memorial Gymnasium. |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
UVA ranked 21st by WIN Magazine, several wrestlers nationally ranked
Dear Friends,
WIN magazine recently released their annual pre-season preview and rankings. They ranked our program at 21st (tied w/ Northwestern at that spot) and ranked several of our guys in the top 20. Notably missing from their ranking, oddly enough, was one of our newest stars Nick Sulzer. Nick won 4 tournaments last year as a redshirt (and defeated # 10 ranked B. Abdurakmanov of Clarion along the way) and put together a heck of a Spring freestyle season where he defeated #8 ranked Zach Toal (Missouri) and #20 ranked Nick Moore (Iowa). I'm not sure how three wins over nationally ranked opponents and a 24-5 record doesn't get you ranked...but I think this will motivate Nick even moving forward. Sorry for the rant...now on to the article:
Steve Garland
Head Wrestling Coach
The University of Virginia
PO Box 400844
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4844
Work: 434-982-5738
Cell: 434-962-0171
Fax: 434-243-7339
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