THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601110469
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 166 lines
Nearly 450 wrestlers from 32 teams will be in action when the 16th - and most ambitious - Virginia Duals gets underway Friday at the Hampton Coliseum.
A 16-team national high school tournament and two eight-team brackets are on tap, which means for the first time every team in the field has a shot at a Duals title.
The ``Top Gun'' Division features four of the area's top 10 teams and Peninsula powers Denbigh and Gloucester. The ``Black & Blue'' Division, for smaller schools and rebuilding programs, has Norfolk Academy, Maury and Kellam.
Still, the majority of the focus will remain on the national event, which debuted last year with an eight-team format. The event features six nationally ranked teams, including No. 14 Great Bridge.
The national tournament field:
(NU)1 Nazareth (Pa.) Coach: Ray Nunamaker
Credentials: Finished 3rd in last month's Ironman Tournament, an event which included five of the top six teams in the country. Ranked 4th nationally by USA Today.
Top wrestlers: Steven Rohn (125, 4th in state); Andy Cote (130, 6th in state); Rob Rohn (171, Ironman runner-up); Jarret Hoff (189, Ironman runner-up)
Notable: Dual-match record just 4-3 this season, but losses have come to No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.), No. 2 Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) and No. 3 Easton (Pa.). (1994) and are 4-0 in their three Duals appearances.
(NU)2 Grundy Coach: Kevin Dresser
Credentials: Nine straight Group AA state titles. Ranked 11th nationally by USA Today.
Top wrestlers: Stephen Hartford (140, state champion); Brian Shortridge (119, state runner-up); Brandon Matney (189, 3rd in state); Brandon Stevenson (215, 3rd in state); Luke Owens (275, Cadet National runner-up).
Notable: 5-0 dual-match record includes 37-24 victory over Great Bridge last month. . . . Grundy tied eventual NIT champ Parkersburg South in last year's NIT, but failed to advance because of criteria (most individual matches won). . . . Will wrestle without returning state champion Doug Adkins (119), no longer on team.
(NU)3 Great Bridge Coach: Steve Martin
Credentials: Five straight Group AAA state individual and duals titles. Ranked 14th nationally by USA Today.
Top wrestlers: Carl Perry (130, state champion, 63-match winning streak); Jimmy Hawthorne (125, 3rd in state in 1994); Travis Woodhouse (135, 5th in state); Bruce Fowler (119, 5th).
Notable: Wildcats finished 2nd to top-ranked Blair Academy in Mid-Atlantic Classic last month. . . . Finished 3rd in inaugural NIT a year ago after losing by one point in first round to eventual champion Parkersburg South. . . have come at the Duals.
(NU)4 Bakersfield (Calif.) Coach: David East
Credentials: 3rd in 1995 Calif. state section championships. USA Today's No. 16.
Top wrestlers: Kelly Miller (145, 3rd in state, placed in World Team Cadet Trials); Fred Molano (140, 6th in state); Ray Maese (215, 20-0, 1st in 3 tournaments); Steve Elisondo (119, 20-2, 1st in 2 tournaments); Nathan Vasquez (125, 21-1, 1st in two tournaments).
Notable: Have won nine wrestling tournaments the past two years. . . . Nine starters return from a team which went 14-1 in dual matches last year. . . . First Virginia Duals appearance.
(NU)5 St. Mark's (Del.) Coach: Steve Bastianelli
Credentials: 1994-95 Delaware state champions. Ranked 17th nationally by USA Today
Top wrestlers: Bruce Kelly (119, state champion); Cory Frederick (152, state runner-up); Kyle Talley (145, 3rd in state); John Jacob (130, 5th in state); Jason Bastianelli (135, 6th in state); John Testa (275, 6th in state).
Notable: 1995 state title the school's 6th in 10 years. Placed fourth at the Mid-Atlantic Classic last month, one spot behind Great Bridge.
(NU)6 Highland (N.J.) Coach: Ralph E. Ross
Credentials: 1994-95 New Jersey Group 4 state champions. 25th nationally by USA Today.
Top wrestlers: Mike Davidson (135, regional champion); Mike McGinley (145, regional champion); Dave Hale (215, regional champion); Jason Joseph (130, E. Nat't freestyle champ).
Notable: As of Wednesday, team had a 50-match winning streak.
(NU)7 Tri Valley (Pa.) Coach: Barry Adams
Credentials: Nine straight Schuylkill League championships; 4th in District 11 and Southeast Region in 1995.
Top wrestlers: Josh Miller (130, 2nd in PIAA state tournament); Ben Miller (140, 3rd in SE regionals); Chad Harner (112, 4th in SE regionals); Ryan Kehler (275, 6th in PIAA state tourney).
Notable: Tiny school, typical graduating class 80-85 students. . . . Team has no 103-pounder. . . . 5-0 this season includes victory Friday over 1995 NIT runner-up Line Mountain (Pa.).
(NU)8 Woodford (Ky.) Coach: Rusty Parks/Joe Carr
Credentials: 1994-95 Kentucky state runner-up.
Top wrestlers: Chris Valentine (103, 25-0 as of Jan. 6); Joe Carr (140, 24-0); Ian Horn (145, 24-0); Rick McClain (189, 23-0).
Notable: Ranked No. 1 in Kentucky...Scored 324 1/2 points in winning a 26-team tournament two weeks ago. Also has won a 14-team tournament this year.
Cox Coach: Jud Stokes
Credentials: 1994-95 Beach District champion, Eastern Region dual tournament runner-up.
Top wrestlers: Andy Simons (119, 1995 state qualifier); Brad Pond (103); Jesse Correll (145); Mohammed Yousoffi (171); Shelton Viola (125).
Notable: Falcons split two matches in ``Battle of the Best'' segment of 1995 Duals. . . . Simons the team's only returning state qualifier.
Hayfield Coach: Roy Hill
Credentials: 1994-95 Patriot District runner-up.
Top wrestlers: Ron Blunt (160, 13-1 record in '95); Brent Lancaster (189, 11-2); Doug Vazquez (103, 6-3); Danny Rhodes (130, 8-2)
Notable: Ranked 5th in Northern Region by Fairfax Journal. . . . 3 returning state qualifiers. . . . Dual-match record in 1995-96: 1-3. . . . Accepted NIT berth when South Lakes pulled out.
Herndon Coach: Karl Spinnenweber
Credentials: 1994-95 Northern Region runner-up.
Top wrestlers: Matt Gallagher (103, undefeated, freshman); Andrew Abrams (119, region runner-up); Casey Brown (140, 4th in region); Seaver Miller (160, region runner-up); Jason Christian (171, 6th in region at 275 last year).
Notable: Finished 14th in Group AAA state tournament last year. . . . Won 32-team Northern Virginia Classic. 4-2 in dual matches this season.
Lake Taylor Coach: Russell Flynn
Credentials: Three straight Eastern District titles.
Top wrestlers: Paul Jimenez (103, 5th in state); Kenny Hessler (4th in state); Lionel Davis (130, 7th in state); Termaine Baker (125, 5th in region).
Notable: Will open in NIT against Grundy for the second straight year. . . Grundy last year. . . . Will forfeit 215 and 275.
Overton (Tenn.) Coach: Ralph Gabriel
Credentials: 4th in 1994-95 state tournament.
Top wrestlers: Casey Brewster (103, 2nd in national folkstyle tournament, freshman); Charles McTorry (171, 1994 state champion, 1995 state runner-up); Tim Drinkwine (112, 4th in state); Derrick Jordan (145, 4th in state); Eric Jordan (152, 4th in state)
Notable: Ranked 2nd in state. . . . Team features 12 returning state qualifiers, five regional champions and four state placewinners. . . . As of Wednesday, team had already a 19-1 dual-match record.
Poquoson Coach: Billy Ruff
Recent accomplishments: 2nd in Group AA state tournament, behind nine-time champion Grundy.
Top wrestlers: Wesley Backus (145, 3rd in state); Shawn Gillespie (119, 5th in state); Brandon Fitzpatrick (112, 6th in state); Chris Thompson (171, 5th in state); George Gori (135, 6th in state).
Notable: Finished fourth in 32-team Northern Virginia tournament, 6th at 12-team Hornet Holiday Classic. . . . Have won every Bay Rivers title, since 1990. . . . Upset nationally ranked McEachern (Ga.) at last year's NIT.
Tallwood Coach: Don Robertson
Credentials: 6th in 1994-94 Group AAA state tournament
Top wrestlers: Mike Mercado (112, state champion); Frank Lucero (119, 3rd in region); Winston Escalante (103, 6th in region); Alvin Wilson (189); Chris Brashers (171).
Notable: Streaking Lions have won eight dual matches in a row, and had seven wrestlers place among the top three at the recent Hornet Holiday Invitational despite have just one seeded among the top four. . . . Mercado, who owns a 39-match winning streak, is expected to bump up to 119 to take on St. Mark's state champ Bruce Kelly.
Western Branch Coach: Terry Perdew
Credentials: 1994-95 Group AAA state runner-up.
Top wrestlers: Sean Sanderlin (152, state runner-up); Richard Slocumb (119, 5th in state); Cory Bauswell (160, region runner-up); Chris Mendez (140); Matt Viola (103).
Notable: Bruins won their own invitational in early December, then won 8 of 10 dual matches during two-day Rio Mesa (Calif.) Invitational. by CNB