THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601110467
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
The Virginia Duals college wrestling tournament will open Friday with a host of good teams but no clear-cut favorite.
``This is probably the most balanced Duals we've ever had,'' said John Graham, college tournament director for the 16th annual tournament beginning Friday at the Hampton Coliseum. ``There's probably six or seven teams capable of winning it.''
Graham's list of potential champions includes Minnesota, which last year became the first team in tournament history to win three straight Duals titles.
The Golden Gophers, currently ranked No. 7 in the latest Amateur Wrestling News/National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, are one of eight Top-25 teams in the 16-team Duals field. Other ranked teams: No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 10 Bakersfield, No. 11 Illinois, No. 13 Michigan, No. 14 Lock Haven, No. 15 Wyoming and No. 23 Lehigh.
Old Dominion (led by fourth-ranked heavyweight Nick Hall), Edinboro, Brown, Missouri, Virginia, Penn and Rider fill the field.
Maryland had also committed to the Duals, before the heavy snow which pelted the Washington area forced the Terrapins to withdraw. George Mason or VMI are possible replacements, Graham said.
The college draw will be made today. First-round action begins at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday. The final, along with the championship matches in the three high school tournaments, commences at Saturday at 9 a.m.
As usual, the action will be called by Hall of Fame announcer Ed Aliverti, whose experience includes several Olympics, world championships and NCAA tournaments.
Aliverti has his work cut out for him. Wrestling will take place on six mats, up from four, and because of logistical problems the names of competing wrestlers will no longer be displayed on the scoreboards.
Individuals of note at this year's Duals include Wyoming 177-pounder Andy Reese, a defending national champion, and top-ranked Lock Haven 134-pounder Cary Kolat.
Two former Western Branch stars, Chris Viola and Byron Tucker, will also be in action Friday. Viola, who handed Great Bridge's Carl Perry his last high school loss in the 1994 Group AAA state 119-pound final, is now a redshirt freshman 118-pounder at Michigan, where he's 8-4 this year.
Tucker, who won two matches for the Bruins at last year's duals en route to a 38-0 season and the state 152-pound title, cracked the Oklahoma starting lineup as a true freshman. Tucker is 11-4 at 158. by CNB