Virginia Tech wins its second-straight ACC championship

ACC champions interviews

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Virginia Tech won its second-consecutive ACC team title, collecting four individual champions and racking up 81 team points. The Hokies separated themselves from second-place North Carolina State in the final round of action, defeating the Wolfpack by eight points.

“I’m feeling good about this team,” VT head coach Tony Robie said. “We would’ve liked to have had seven champions and take the whole team to nationals. Overall, I feel good about the way the guys wrestled. We won some tight matches. I’m proud of our team, really.”

Highlighting the night for VT was Dennis Gustafson at 133 pounds and Brent Moore at 141 pounds. Both tallied upsets in the championship bouts.

Gustafson earned his second-career ACC title by way of an 11-7 decision over Virginia’s Jack Mueller, ranked No. 7 in the nation. The Hokie’s first conference gold came in 2014.

After getting teched just weeks ago by NC State’s Kevin Jack, VT’s Moore flipped the script, defeating Jack with an impressive takedown in sudden victory, 6-4. Jack is a two-time All-American and two-time ACC champion. For his stunning performance, Moore was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

“Late in the match, I knew he was getting tired,” Moore said. “I stayed in his face and stayed on him. Going into overtime, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I caught him out of position and was able to get the takedown.”

Other Hokies walking away with titles was No. 4 David McFadden at 165 pounds and No. 3 Jared Haught at 197 pounds.

McFadden dominated Duke’s Zach Finesilver, 22-9, while Haught outlasted No. 5 Mike Macchiavello of NC State, earning a 6-3 win in the final tiebreaker.

NC State claimed three individual champions, including Sean Fausz at 125 pounds, Hayden Hidlay at 157 pounds and Pete Renda at 184. All three grinded out tough wins to win the crown.

Fausz and Renda both put up 4-0 decisions against No. 13 Louie Hayes of Virginia and No. 5 Zack Zavatsky of VT, respectively.

Renda stopped Zavatsky from earning his third conference title.

Hidlay, ranked No. 3 in the country, kept his perfect record intact, taking out No. 11 Mitch Finesilver of Duke, 4-2.

Overall, the Wolfpack received the most NCAA automatic bids, advancing nine to the national championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Virginia Tech followed with eight and North Carolina got seven.

UNC earned two champions, counting Troy Heilmann and Ethan Ramos.

Heilmann, who has had a breakout senior season, won the bracket at 149 pounds, besting VT’s Ryan Blees, 3-1.

Ramos goes out with a second ACC title, his first since 2016, holding off VT’s Hunter Bolen, 10-6, at 174 pounds.

The night’s final champion went to Duke, thanks to Jacob Kasper, who fought back to take out UNC’s Cory Daniels, 8-4.

ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.), March 3, 2018

Team scores
1. Virginia Tech – 81
2. North Carolina State - 73
3. North Carolina – 52.5
4. Duke – 47.5
5. Virginia - 34
6. Pitt – 33.5

Finals matchups
125: No. 5 Sean Fausz (NCST) dec. No. 13 Louie Hayes (UVA), 4-0
133: No. 14 Dennis Gustafson (VT) dec. No. 7 Jack Mueller (UVA),11-7
141: Brent Moore (VT) dec. No. 5 Kevin Jack (NCST), 6-4 SV1
149: No. 8 Troy Heilmann (UNC) dec. No. 15 Ryan Blees (VT), 3-1
157: No. 3 Hayden Hidlay (NCST) dec. No. 11 Mitch Finesilver (Duke), 3-2
165: No. 4 David McFadden (VT) MD Zach Finesilver (Duke), 22-9
174: No. 13 Ethan Ramos (UNC) dec. No. 16 Hunter Bolen (VT), 10-6
184: No. 6 Pete Renda (NCST) dec. No. 5 Zack Zavatsky (VT), 4-0
197: No. 3 Jared Haught (VT) dec. No. 5 Mike Macchiavello (NCST), 6-3 TB2
285: No. 4 Jacob Kasper (Duke) dec. No. 20 Cory Daniel (UNC), 8-4

Third-place results
125: LJ Bentley (Pitt) dec. Thayer Atkins (Duke), 3-0
133: No. 8 Dom Forys (Pitt) MD Tariq Wilson (NCST), 11-1
141: No. 20 Nick Zanetta (Pitt) fall Jeremiah Reitz (Duke), 4:41
149: Sam Krivus (UVA) dec. No. 13 Beau Donahue (NCST), 8-1
157: No. 13 Kennedy Monday (UNC) dec. Taleb Rahmani (Pitt), 3-1
165: Andrew Atkinson (UVA) dec. Brian Hamann (NCST), 11-6
174: Daniel Bullard (NCST) dec. No. 18 Matt Finesilver (Duke), 12-6
184: No. 18 Chip Ness (UNC) dec. Gregg Harvey (Pitt), 6-1
197: No. 13 Danny Chaid (UNC) dec. Alec Schenk (Duke), 4-1
285: No. 10 Michael Boykin (NCST) dec. Tyler Love (UVA), 5-1 SV1

Fifth-place results
133: Zach Sherman (UNC) MD Josh Finesilver, 11-3
285: Andrew Dunn (VT) wins by medical forfeit over Ryan Solomon (Pitt)

NCAA automatic qualifiers by school
Duke – 4
North Carolina – 7
North Carolina State – 9
Pitt – 2
Virginia – 4
Virginia Tech – 8