ACC Weekly Release
NWCA Division I Coaches Poll
InterMat Rankings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Two top-25 showdowns highlight Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling this weekend, with three ACC dual matches on the docket.
 
Friday night, Feb. 16, will see No. 8 NC State host No. 9 Cornell for a top-10 matchup in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 7 p.m. on ACCNX, while No. 13 Virginia Tech will travel to No. 22 Pitt for an ACC dual on Friday at 7 p.m. on ACCNX. Virginia will host North Carolina in Charlottesville, Virginia, for week four of ACC’s Friday Night Duals on ACC Network at 8:30 p.m.
 
Following its final non-conference dual match on Friday, NC State will hit the road for an ACC in-state showdown versus Duke in Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. on ACCNX.
 
The ACC once again has three teams ranked in the latest NWCA Division I Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll (Feb. 13), led by NC State at No. 8 overall. Virginia Tech remained at No. 13, while Pitt came in at No. 22. North Carolina also received votes.
 
A total of 37 ACC wrestlers were ranked in this week's InterMat NCAA Division I individual rankings, including 11 grapplers ranked in the top 10 across the 10 weight classes. Leading the way is Virginia Tech's Caleb Henson (22-1) at No. 2 overall at 149 pounds, fellow Hokie Mekhi Lewis (11-0) at No. 2 nationally at 174 pounds, and NC State’s Trent Hidlay (19-0) at No. 2 nationally at 197 pounds. NC State's Jackson Arrington (15-1) is No. 3 overall at 149, while the Pack's Kai Orine (11-2) at 133 pounds and Ryan Jack (14-3) at 141 pounds join Virginia Tech’s Cooper Flynn (12-2) at 125 pounds at No. 4 nationally in their respective weight classes.
 
Recent Results
Friday, February 9
North Carolina 22, #19 Pitt 12
#8 NC State 38, Virginia 3
#13 Virginia Tech 45, Duke 0
 
Saturday, February 10
#13 Virginia Tech 42, George Mason 5
 
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, February 16
#13 Virginia Tech at #22 Pitt, 7 p.m. | ACCNX
#9 Cornell at #8 NC State, 7 p.m. | ACCNX
North Carolina at Virginia, 8:30 p.m. | ACC Network
 
Sunday, February 18
#8 NC State at Duke, 2 p.m. | ACCNX
 
ACC Wrestling Takedowns
• The fourth week of ACC’s Friday Night Duals continues this week on Feb. 16, as Virginia will play host to North Carolina at 8:30 p.m. on ACC Network. Pitt will host Virginia Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. on ACCNX, while NC State will step out of conference competition for a top-25 showdown with Cornell in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday at 7 p.m., also on ACCNX. NC State will return to ACC dual-match competition with a road match at Duke on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. on ACCNX.
 
• No. 13 Virginia Tech (8-3, 3-0 ACC) wrapped up its home schedule in dominant fashion last weekend, downing Duke 45-0 (Feb. 9) and defeating George Mason 42-5 (Feb. 10). The Hokies have won five straight matches and are 3-0 in ACC competition this year. VT will look to defeat No. 22 Pitt this weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to improve to 3-2 in road duals this season and set up a showdown at No. 8 NC State next Friday, Feb. 23, in Raleigh, North Carolina. However, Pitt is the last ACC team to hand the Hokies a conference loss, defeating VT 26-12 last year in Blacksburg, Virginia (Jan. 27, 2023). The Hokies have dropped just four matches - one each at 133, 141, 165, and 184 pounds - over their last four dual matches, while recording one pinfall win, 15 technical fall victories, and six major decision wins over those contests.
 
• No. 22 Pitt (8-7, 1-2 ACC), which is 1-3 on its home mat this season, will look to bounce back from a 22-12 conference loss at North Carolina (Feb. 9) last weekend. The Panthers fell behind 12-3 early despite another top-five individual victory from senior captain Cole Matthews at 141 pounds and could not battle back in the loss. While Matthews (141), Holden Heller (165), and Reece Heller (184) all posted wins versus the Tar Heels, the Panthers were undone with upset losses at 133, 149, 174, and 197 pounds. The Panthers will look to hand No. 13 Virginia Tech its first ACC dual-match loss since last year, when Pitt downed the Hokies 26-12 last year in Blacksburg (Jan. 27, 2023).
 
• No. 8 NC State (13-2, 3-0 ACC) will step out of ACC competition to host No. 9 Cornell on Friday (Feb. 16), in a top-10 matchup. Cornell is 10-3 overall on the season and has posted wins over nationally ranked teams such as Little Rock, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and Missouri, while their three losses have all come to nationally ranked teams in Iowa State, Ohio State and Lehigh. The Wolfpack enter the week on a four-match winning streak, which includes back-to-back wins over North Carolina (Feb. 2) and Virginia (Feb. 9). Following the dual match versus Cornell, NC State will return to ACC duals at Duke on Sunday, Feb. 18. The Wolfpack have won eight straight duals over the Blue Devils, while Duke's last win over the Pack in Durham came back in 2013.
 
• Duke (4-11, 0-3 ACC) will look to snap a six-match skid this Sunday, Feb. 18, as the Blue Devils host No. 8 NC State in a conference matchup. Facing its third-consecutive top-20-ranked opponent, Duke is 0-4 versus nationally-ranked top-25 teams this year. The Blue Devils will also look to score their first dual win at home this season as well, entering the contest at 0-4. Senior Logan Agin (125) and Connor Barket (285) continue to lead the way for the Blue Devils, with 10 and 14 wins on the year, respectively.
 
• North Carolina (9-7, 1-2 ACC) is coming off a 22-12 upset win at home over then-No. 19 Pitt last Friday (Feb. 9) to secure its first ACC win of the season. However, it will not be easy for UNC this weekend, as the Tar Heels hit the road to take on Virginia on ACC's Friday Night Duals on ACC Network where they are 0-4 in true dual-match road contests this season. UNC has won six straight over the Hoos on the mat and will look to ride the momentum of three-straight wins from Tyler Eischens (174), the emergence of Derek Guanajuato (133), Jayden Scott (149), and Sonny Santiago (157) in the middleweights, and the consistency of nationally ranked grapplers Spencer Moore (125) and Max Shaw (197).
 
• Virginia (7-4, 1-2 ACC) will host North Carolina Tar Heels on Senior Day in only its second home dual of the season on Friday. The Cavaliers will look to end a two-match losing streak, both of which have come on the road in ACC competition versus top-15 teams. The Hoos have three wrestlers ranked in the latest InterMat rankings - Marlon Yarbrough is ranked No. 28 at 133 pounds, Dylan Cedeno remained at No. 27 at 157 pounds, and Justin McCoy is No. 13 at 174 pounds.
 
• Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 ACC Wrestling Championship, set for Sunday, March 10, at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Tickets are priced at $10 and can be purchased online at theacc.com/tickets. Children 2 years of age or younger are free as are students from ACC institutions with a valid school ID. All seating for the championship is General Admission. For more information about the championship visit: https://theacc.com/feature/wrestling-championship.

2023-24 ACC Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 7 – Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech | Mac Stout, Pitt
Nov. 14 – Jakob Camacho, NC State
Nov. 21 – Dayton Pitzer, Pitt
Nov. 28 – No competition
Dec. 5 – Kai Orine, NC State
Dec. 12 – Cole Matthews, Pitt
Dec. 20 – Cooper Flynn, Virginia Tech | Ed Scott, NC State
Dec. 26 – No competition
Jan. 2 – Justin McCoy, Virginia
Jan. 9 – Cooper Flynn, Virginia Tech
Jan. 16 – Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina
Jan. 23 – Connor Barket, Duke
Jan. 30 – Tom Crook, Virginia Tech | Cole Matthews, Pitt
Feb. 6 – Sonny Santiago, North Carolina
Feb. 13 – Cole Matthews, Pitt