Four champions highlight 10 UVA placewinners at Mat Town Open

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Four members of the Virginia wrestling team claimed titles at their weight class to lead the Cavaliers in action at the Mat Town Open on Sunday at Lock Haven University. Virginia had 10 wrestlers place in the weekend event overall.

Jon Errico (157), Justin McCoy (165), Justin Phillips (174) and Michael Battista (184) all won their weight classes to secure the four titles for the Hoos. In addition to the champions, Virginia also had four runner-up finishes with Jarod Verkleeen (149), Denton Spencer (157), Hudson Stewart (174) and Ethan Weatherspoon (197) all taking second at their weight classes.

It was a pair of All-Virginia finals at 157 pounds and 174 pounds with Jon Errico edging Denton Spencer at 157 and Justin Phillips winning by injury default over Hudson Stewart at 174 pounds. Virginia also claimed the third-place spot at 157 pounds with Nic Sansone securing that spot.

Evan Buchanan finished fourth at 141 pounds, going 5-2 on the day to close out the placewinners for the Hoos.

Virginia will return to action at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern. The two-day event runs December 29-30.

Head coach Steve Garland: “Overall we had a solid day. Four champions and six finalists is a good day for sure, but we are always critiquing and rightly we recognize we have a lot to improve upon. I’m always happy when we have so many guys competing. It was a fun day to get in the corner of guys who might not be in the regular starting lineup and see them compete so well. It was great seeing our leaders do well also. But again, we have lots we can improve on so we will take the next couple of weeks to stepping back from competing and starting the learning process.”

125

Patrick McCormick
QF: Aiden Lewis (Bucknell) dec. McCormick, 5-4
Conso. R8-2: McCormick major dec. Nick Curley (Binghamton), 16-3
Conso. R4: Jace Schafer (West Virginia) pinned McCormick, 3:58

133

Joe Haynes
QF: Haynes dec. Andrew Lucinski (Buffalo), 5-3
SF: Ivan Garcia (Binghamton) dec. Haynes, 8-2
Conso. SF: Declan Neville (Buffalo) over Haynes by medical forfeit

141

Evan Buchanan – 4th Place Finish
R16: Vince Cornella (Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Buchanan, 5-2
Conso. R16-2: Buchanan major dec. Jack Coulston (Lock Haven), 15-5
Conso. R8-1: Buchanan dec. Christopher Lanciano (Bucknell), 8-4
Conso. R8-2: Buchanan over Vincenzo Napolitano by medical forfeit
Conso. R4: Buchanan dec. Sal Jones (Cornell), 4-2
Conso. SF: Buchanan dec. Aaron Coleman (Bloomsburg), 6-1
3rd Place Match: Drew Munch (Lehigh) pinned Buchanan, 4:33

Kyren Butler
R16: Riley Edwards (App. State) dec. Butler, 10-7
Conso. R8-1: Butler pinned Liam Schibi (Spartan Combat RTC), 1:39
Conso. R8-2: Drew Munch (Lehigh) dec. Butler, 6-3

Luca Errico
R32: Joshua Sanders (Cornell) major dec. Errico, 12-1
Conso. R16-2: Sal Jones (Cornell) major dec. Errico, 14-3

Landen Hacker
R16: Aaron Coleman (Bloomsburg) tech fall Hacker, 15-0 (5:52)
Conso. R8-1: Sal Jones (Cornell) tech fall Hacker, 16-1 (5:20)

149

Jarod Verkleeren – 2nd Place Finish
R16: Verkleeren dec. Matt Ryan (Buffalo), 4-0
QF: Verkleeren dec. Nate Wade (Spartan Combat RTC), 7-2
SF: Verkleeren dec. Brayden Roberts (West Virginia), 3-1
FINAL: Max Brignola (Lehigh) dec. Verkleeren, 6-4

157

Jon Errico – 1st Place Finish
R16: Errico pinned Sean Grant (Penn State Club), 0:39
QF: Errico pinned George Ruiz (Navy), 1:41
SF: Errico dec. Nic Sansone, 6-1
FINAL: Errico dec. Denton Spencer, 2-0

Nic Sansone – 3rd Place Finish
QF: Sansone dec. Luca Frinzi (Lehigh), 5-3
SF: Jon Errico dec. Sansone, 6-1
Conso. SF: Sansone dec. Logan Sanom (Bucknell), 8-4
3rd Place Match: Sansone dec. Luca Frinzi (Lehigh), 4-1

Denton Spencer – 2nd Place Finish
QF: Spencer pinned Trenton Harder (Bloomsburg), 3:49
SF: Spencer major dec. William George (Lock Haven), 15-1
FINAL: Jon Errico dec. Spencer, 2-0

Anthony Steinmeyer
R16: William George (Lock Haven) dec. Steinmeyer, 9-6
Conso. R8-1: Steinmeyer tech fall Ruben Cruces (Unattached), 16-0 (2:26)
Conso. R8-2: Luca Frinzi (Lehigh) dec. Steinmeyer, 7-4

165

Ray Costa
R16: Tyler Megonigal (Lock Haven) dec. Costa, 10-6
Conso. R8-1: Costa dec. Cody Harrison (Bloomsburg), 5-4
Conso. R8-2: Costa dec. Ethan Wiant (Clarion), 8-5
Conso. R4: Jack Janda (Drexel) major dec. Costa, 14-3

Loudon Hurt
R16: Ethan Wiant (Clarion) dec. Hurt, 4-0
Conso. R8-1: Dimitri Gomkreilidize (Binghamton) dec. Costa, 10-8

No. 20 Justin McCoy – 1st Place Finish
R16: McCoy tech fall Jack Janda (Drexel), 19-4 (6:16)
QF: McCoy major dec. Brody Oleksak (Spartan Combat RTC), 16-4
SF: McCoy dec. Tyler Megonigal (Lock Haven), 7-1
FINAL: McCoy pinned Ryan Weyandt (Unrostered), 2:48

174

Krystian Kinsey
R16: Kinsey major dec. Zander Manuel (Navy), 8-0
QF: Christian Hanson (Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Kinsey, 13-7
Conso. R8-2: John Stawinski (Cornell) dec. Kinsey,  4-1

Justin Phillips – 1st Place Finish
R16: Phillips dec. Evan Canoyer (Spartan Combat RTC), 2-0
QF: Phillips dec. Peyton Craft (Cornell), 10-7
SF: Phillips dec. Christan Hanson (Spartan Combat RTC), 6-5
FINAL: Phillips over Hudson Stewart by injury default

Hudson Stewart – 2nd Place Finish
R16: Stewart pinned Andrew Merola (Cornell), 5:00
QF: Stewart major dec. Nolan Springer (Bucknell), 10-1
SF: Stewart dec. Tyler Stolzfus (Lock Haven), 10-8
FINAL: Stewart injury default to Justin Phillips

David Veltri
R16: Peyton Craft (Cornell) major dec. Veltri, 19-7
Conso. R8-1: Evan Conayer (Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Veltri, 8-2

184

Michael Battista – 1st Place Finish
QF: Battista dec. Jack Wilt (Lehigh), 6-1
SF: Battista dec. Andrew Berreyesa (Cornell), 5-3
FINAL: Battista major dec. James Lledo (Pittsburgh), 14-5

197

Ethan Weatherspoon – 2nd Place Finish
QF: Weatherspoon major dec. Logan Flynn (Bloomsburg), 16-5
SF: Weatherspoon major dec. Jace Bradbury (West Virginia), 15-5
FINAL: Kolby Franklin (Unattached) tech fall Weatherspoon, 18-3 (7:00)

285

Jessie Knight
R16: Knight dec. Robbie Unrah (Buffalo), 4-1
QF: Isaac Reid (Unrostered) major dec. Knight, 17-4
Conso. R8-2: Collin Burns (Binghamton) dec. Knight, 6-4

No. 25 Quinn Miller
R16: Miller tech fall Max Harar (Bucknell), 15-0 (3:10)
QF: Miller major dec. Karam Chakif (Lehigh), 11-1
SF: Isaac Reid (Unrostered) dec. Miller, 6-4
Conso. SF: Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) over Miller by medical forfeit