Flashes Begin Virginia Duals Friday with Arizona State & Virginia Tech
1/7/2015 5:37:00 PM | Wrestling
Kent State will take on four different teams over two days at the 35th annual Virginia Duals inside Hampton Coliseum. The Golden Flashes will open their weekend with a 9 a.m. matchup against Arizona State on Friday, followed by an 11 a.m. tilt with No. 6 Virginia Tech.
Format Change
Instead of the traditional dual tournament, this season's competition begins with four pools of three teams on Friday. The top four teams will advance to Saturday's Gold Bracket. There will also be a four-team Silver Bracket and a four-team Bronze bracket, giving each team two dual meets on Saturday.
Live Video and Live Scoring
Live video of the entire tournament can be seen with a subscription to FloWrestling. Live scoring can be followed on TrackWrestling.
Virginia Duals History
Kent State has traditionally been at its best at the Virginia Duals, placing in the top six in each of the previous eight years. Last season, the Golden Flashes placed fourth with victories over The Citadel and Bloomsburg. Mack McGuire and Caleb Marsh each went 4-0 on the weekend. In 2012, Kent State went 4-0, capping off its run with an upset of Missouri.
Dual Success
Since Head Coach Jim Andrassy's third season (2005-06), the Golden Flashes have gone 124-54-1 in dual meets and 38-12-1 in MAC dual meets.
Quick Shots
- Kent State is No. 20 according to InterMat's Tournament Rankings and No. 22 in Wrestling Insider NewsMagazine's Tournament Power Index. The Flashes are also No. 22 according to Wrestling Report.
- Six Flashes are currently ranked in the Top 28 spots according to Wrestling Report.
- Sophomore heavyweight Mimmo Lytle is 7-1 in dual meets this season.
- Senior Tyler Small (25-4) has won three open tournaments this season (EMU, Mercyhurst, Ashland). Small's 121 career victories are tied for fourth among Kent State's all-time leaders.Â
- Junior Ian Miller (157) recorded his 31st career pin at Buffalo. Miller is in fourth place among Kent State's career pin leaders.Â
- Several starters (Cory Campbell, Caleb Marsh, Ian Miller) will be out of action with injuries.
- Junior Mike DePalma leads the squad with 10 bonus-point victories this season.
The Opponents
Virginia Tech is No. 6 according to the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. The Hokies are 4-1 in dual meets, including a 19-18 victory over Ohio State. Virginia Tech's only loss came against defending national champion Penn State. Most recently, the Hokies placed fifth at the Midlands Championships. Sophomore Joey Dance won an individual title at 125 and senior Devin Carter placed second at 141.
Arizona State is 3-3 on the year with victories over West Virginia, Binghamton and Utah Valley. Three Sun Devils are ranked by Wrestling Report. Blake Stauffer is No. 1 at 184 pounds according to The Open Mat. At the Dec. 21 Reno Tournament of Champions, junior 141-pounder Matt Kraus placed third, junior 125-pounder Ares Carpio was fourth and junior 197-pounder Josh DaSilveira was sixth.
History vs. Opponents
Kent State holds a 2-0 all-time series lead over Arizona State, with both victories coming at the Virginia Duals. The Flashes downed the Sun Devils 31-7 in 2011 and 26-12 in 2013.
The all-time series between Virginia Tech and Kent State is tied 4-4. The Hokies have won each of the last four meetings including the last two years at the Virginia Duals. Two of the Flashes' series wins also came at the Virginia Duals (2008, 2010).
Last Time Out
Mack McGuire and Mimmo Lytle each battled back with a strong second day at the Southern Scuffle Jan. 1-2 at Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena.  McGuire won four consecutive matches to start the second day on the way to a sixth place. He never allowed more than two points in each of his five wins. Lytle went 5-2 in a seventh place finish. Tyler Small won four matches, coming up one win shy of placing. The Flashes finished 16th of 31 teams.
Projected Lineup vs. Arizona State
125: Ares Carpio (6-5) vs. Del Vinas (9-13)
133: Dalton Brady (5-1) or Judson Preskitt (0-5) vs. Mack McGuire (17-7)
141: Matt Kraus (9-3) or Mech Spraggins (5-6) vs. Tyler Small (25-4)
149: Christian Pagdilao (6-1) or Preston McCalmon (9-6) vs. Mike DePalma (16-6)
157: Oliver Pierce (6-2) or Joel Smith (11-4) vs. Andrew Candiello (2-6) or Nate Valentine (7-12)
165: Jacen Petersen (6-5) vs. Tyler Buckwalter (14-11)
174: Ray Waters (7-4) OR Anthony Anderson (0-0) vs. Jerald Spohn (18-12)
184: Blake Stauffer (15-1) vs. Mike Vollant (6-12)
197: Josh DaSilveira (12-10) vs. Cole Baxter (11-5)
285: Chace Eskam (8-7) vs. Mimmo Lytle (19-9)
Projected Lineup vs. Virginia Tech
125: Joey Dance (16-2) or Brandon Olsen (10-5)vs. Del Vinas (9-13)
133: Kevin Norstrem (13-7) vs. Mack McGuire (17-7)
141: Devin Carter (17-3) or Jerry Ronnau (8-6) vs. Tyler Small (25-4)
149: Sal Mastriani (15-6) vs. Mike DePalma (16-6)
157: David Wesley (1-5) or Jake Spengler (11-2) vs. Andrew Candiello (2-6) or Nate Valentine (7-12)
165: Chris Moon (1-2) or Chad Strube (5-4) vs. Tyler Buckwalter (14-11)
174: Zach Epperly (12-6) or David Bergida (6-8) vs. Jerald Spohn (18-12)
184: Austin Gabel (9-6) vs. Mike Vollant (6-12)
197: Jared Haught (13-7) or David Reck (10-4) vs. Cole Baxter (11-5)
285: Ty Walz (16-4) or Dan Garwood (12-6) vs. Mimmo Lytle (19-9)
Up Next
Kent State hosts the Grudge Match with rival Ohio University on Friday, Jan. 16 at the M.A.C. Center. After making eight road trips, the Golden Flashes will be hosting the first of four conference dual meets at home this season.
In the Rankings
Amateur Wrestling News
14. Mack McGuire (133)
3. Ian Miller (157)
20. Caleb Marsh (174)
InterMat
13. Mack McGuire (133)
3. Ian Miller (157)
17. Caleb Marsh (174)
W.I.N.
18. Mack McGuire (133)
3. Ian Miller (157)
17. Caleb Marsh (174)
WrestlingReport
13. Mack McGuire (133)
21. Tyler Small (141)
3. Ian Miller (157)
19. Caleb Marsh (174)
28. Cole Baxter (197)
21. Mimmo Lytle (285)
The Open Mat
20. Mack McGuire (133)
5. Ian Miller (157)
18. Caleb Marsh (174)
MAC Coaches Rankings (Jan.)
1. Mack McGuire (133)
4. Tyler Small (141)
4. Mike DePalma (149)
1. Ian Miller (157)
3. Caleb Marsh (174)
4. Mimmo Lytle (285)
2014-15 MAC January Team Rankings
1. Missouri (31.0)
2. Old Dominion (17.0)
3. Ohio (16.0)
4. Northern Iowa (14.0)
5. Kent State (13.0)
6. Central Michigan (3.0)
t-7. Northern Illinois (2.0)
t-7. Eastern Michigan (2.0)
9. Buffalo (1.0)
