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BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech wrestling team opens the dual meet portion of its schedule this weekend in grand style, taking on a pair of nationally ranked teams as a part of a five-match schedule inside Cassell Coliseum. The 12th-ranked Hokies will host fifth-ranked Ohio State Friday at 7 p.m. and then on Sunday, four matches will take place as part of the Hokie Duals with Tech taking on No. 25 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. and Manchester at 3:45 p.m. Admission to all matches are free.

The big match of the weekend takes place Friday night as the Hokies and Buckeyes meet on the mats in a bout featuring a pair of ranked teams. Ohio State is a powerful squad that features nine ranked wrestlers in the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll, including top-ranked at defending national champion Logan Steiber at 133 pounds. Tech could counter with six ranked wrestlers from that poll. There’s a chance for five matches where both wrestlers are ranked.

Ohio State leads the all-time series with the Hokies, 12-1 after beating the Hokies 21-12 last year in Columbus.. Tech’s lone win in the series came in 2004, a 29-12 win in Columbus. Below is the agate from last year’s match:

#10 Ohio State (4-0) 21, #15 Virginia Tech (1-1) 12 • Nov. 20, 2011 • Columbus, Ohio
174: #4 Nick Heflin (OSU) dec. Chris Moon, 6-2
184: C.J. Magrum (OSU) dec. John Dickson, 12-6
197: Nick Vetterlein (VT) dec. #14 Andrew Campolattano, 4-3
285: Peter Capone (OSU) def. #17 David Marone, Inj. Def.
125: Ty Mitch (VT) dec. Johnni Dijulius, 7-5 (SV)
133: #4 Logan Steiber (OSU) dec. #5 Devin Carter, 6-1
141: #15 Hunter Steiber (OSU) dec. Zach Neibert, 7-6
149: #16 Cam Tessari (OSU) dec. Nick Brascetta, 6-4
157: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) dec. #13 Josh Demas, 7-2
165: #14 Pete Yates (VT) dec. Derek Garcia, 9-3

A link to the live stats for that match can be found here.

On Sunday, Tech will host four matches as part of the Hokie Duals. Campbell will take on Manchester at 10:30 a.m., followed by a match with Wisconsin at 12:15 p.m. Tech will take on Wisconsin and Manchester following those two matches.

Tech leads the series with Wisconsin, 2-1. The last time these two met was in January of 2011 when the Hokies won only four of 10 bouts, but held on to beat the fourth-ranked Badgers 20-19 in the semifinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, held in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Below is the agate from that match, which featured then-Wisconsin 197-pounder Derrick Borlie wrestling for the Badgers. Borlie transferred to Tech this year and is suiting up for the Hokies now.

#12 Virginia Tech 20, #4 Wisconsin 19 • Jan. 9, 2011 • Cedar Fall, Iowa • NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals
125: #11 Jarrod Garnett (VT) maj. dec. Tom Kelliher, 12-3
133: #3 Tyler Graff (W) dec. #8 Devin Carter, 3-2
141: #5 Chris Diaz (VT) tech fall Daniel Arnel, 18-2 (4:32)
149: #10 Cole Schmitt (W) dec. #9 Brian Stephens, 6-5
157: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) fall Kalvin York, 2:05
165: #2 Andrew Howe (W) maj. dec. #14 Pete Yates, 13-5
174: Matt Epperly (VT) tech fall Shawn Perry, 19-4 (7:00)
184: #5 Travis Rutt (W) dec. #16 Tommy Spellman, 2-0
197: Derrick Borlie (W) dec. Chris Penny, 7-3
285: #18 Eric Bugenhagen (W) dec. David Marone, 3-2

A link to the live stats for the Tech/Wisconsin match can be found here.

Manchester is a Division III school in Indiana, but is coached by a familiar name to long-time Tech wrestling fans: Matt Burlingame. Burlingame wrestled at Virginia Tech from 1991-95 and went 72-39-1 for his career. The Russell, Pa., native wrestled at Tech under long-time Hokie coach Jerry Cheynet.

Burlingame is in his sixth year as the head coach of the Manchester wrestling program. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1995 with a B.S. in Fisheries Science. While at Virginia Tech, he was a four-year starter and three-year co-captain for the Hokies’ wrestling program. He was a Virginia Intercollegiate League State Champion and three-time place-winner, a four-time Colonial Athletic Conference place-winner, and graduated 10th on the Hokies’ all-time win list. Following graduation from Tech, he received a M.S. in biology from Kansas State. Burlingame and his wife, Julie, have three children: Emma, Elijah and Isaiah.

This will be the first contest on the wrestling mat between the Hokies and Manchester. A link to the live stats for the Tech/Manchester match can be found here.

Additionally, Hokies All-Access will broadcast all three matches involving Tech this weekend. You must sign up and pay for access.

Below are the probable lineups for all five teams, as submitted by their respective coaching staffs. For the Hokies, anyone who could wrestle in any of the three matches this weekend is listed.

#12 Virginia Tech (0-0)
125: #9 Jarrod Garnett (3-1) OR Matt Peters (3-4)
133: Erik Spjut (4-1)
141: #11 Zach Neibert (4-1)
149: #18 Nick Brascetta (4-1)
157: #7 Jesse Dong (0-0) OR Lex Ozias (1-2)
165: #4 Pete Yates (5-0) OR David Bergida (2-4)
174: Austin Gabel (4-1) OR Huston Evans (7-3)
184: Nick Vetterlein (4-2) OR Sam Law (7-3)
197: Derrick Borlie (4-1) OR Darren Hankins (4-4) OR Bobby Lavelle (4-4)
285: #19 David Marone (0-0) OR Dan Garwood (2-4)

#5 Ohio State (0-0) - wrestles at Davidson Thursday night
125: #13 Nikko Triggas (4-2)
133: #1 Logan Steiber (4-0)
141: #3 Hunter Steiber (8-0)
149: #8 Cam Tessari (2-2)
157: #13 Josh Demas (5-0)
165: Mark Martin (9-2)
174: #3 Nick Heflin (4-0)
184: Kenny Courts (9-2)
197: #14 [at 184 lbs] C.J. Magrum (2-1) OR #9 Andrew Campolattano (6-2)
285: #15 Peter Capone (4-0)

Campbell (0-3)
125: Eric Montoya (6-3)
133: Tanner Bidelspach (4-4)
141: Gabe Gardner (0-3) OR Jordan Tolbert (0-0)
149: Mark Hartenstine (0-0) OR Ryan Krecker (0-1)
157: Nick Rex (5-2) OR Grant Blumenthal (0-0)
165: Paul Duggan (4-4)
174: Cody Ryba (4-3)
184: Taylor McGiffen (1-2) OR Matt Cox (4-2)
197: John Merickel (2-5)
285: Joe Nolan (0-0) OR Brendan Lindsay (1-2)

Manchester (0-1)
125: Taylor Hart (0-3)
133: Kalib Jackson (0-0)
141: Josh Juarez (0-2)
149: Danny Ginter (1-2)
157: Chuck Holmquest (0-3)
165: Aaron Bullock (0-3)
174: David Stevens (0-3)
184: Chad Ulmer (0-3)
197: Ray Wajada (3-1) OR Jacob Segraves (1-2)
285: Jimmie King (2-3)

#25 Wisconsin (1-0) - wrestles at ODU Friday night
125: Matt Cavallaris (0-1) OR Austin Hietpas (0-0)
133: Tom Kelliher (0-1)
141: #4 Tyler Graff (1-0)
149: Cole Schmitt (1-0)
157: Alex Yde (0-1) OR Kalvin York (0-0) OR Brad Nardick (0-0)
165: Frank Cousins (1-0)
174: Scott Liegel (0-1)
184: Dylan Iczkowski (1-0)
197: Jackson Hein (1-0) OR Timmy McCall (0-0)
285: Cole Tobin (1-0) OR #12 Connor Medbery (0-0)

For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).