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FERRUM, Va. – Virginia Tech swept all three major awards on the 2014 All-State Wrestling Team, as named by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). NCAA runner-up Devin Carter was named Wrestler of the Year, Joey Dance Rookie of the Year and Kevin Dresser Coach of the Year.

Carter was named Most Valuable Wrestler at this year’s ACC Wrestling Championship after winning the 141-pound title and leading Virginia Tech to the team title. Carter had just returned from a severe hamstring injury that required mid-season surgery and forced him to miss two months of competition. He earned a No. 4 seed at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and reached the finals before finishing as national runner-up. Carter closed out the year with an 18-1 record, with a loss to top-seeded Logan Stieber of Ohio State University in the NCAA title match his only setback.

Dance earned All-American honors as a true freshman, the first such honor in Virginia Tech history. He was fourth at 125 pounds at the NCAA Tournament, capping his season with an impressive 28-10 mark. Dance placed third at the ACC Tournament, and was named ACC Freshman of the Year.

Dresser led Virginia Tech to its second consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies placed eighth this season after posting a 10th-place finish last year and an 11th-place finish in 2012. The 2014 ACC Coach of the Year, Dresser’s team went 18-5 in duals, won the ACC Tournament for the second straight year and produced three All-Americans.

Joining Dance and Carter on the All-State first team were Virginia Tech’s Dennis Gustafson (133), Zach Neibert (149) and All-American Chris Penny (197). Virginia landed three on the first team in Blaise Butler (157), Nick Sulzer (165) and Stephen Doty (174). The final two first spots were claimed by Old Dominion University’s Jack Dechow (184) and the Apprentice School’s Ian Jones (285).

Five wrestlers from Old Dominion made the second team: Brandon Jeske (125), Chris Mecate (141), Alexander Richardson (149), Tristan Warner (157) and Billy Curling (174). The Hokies’ Chris Moon (165), Nick Vetterlein (184) and Ty Walz (285), Virginia’s Gus Sako (149) and Zach Nye (197), and Ferrum College’s Justin Zimmerman (133) rounded out this year’s second team selections.

2014 VaSID Wrestling All-State Team

Player of the Year: Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
Rookie of the Year: Joey Dance, Virginia Tech
Coach of the Year: Kevin Dresser, Virginia Tech

First Team
125 - Joey Dance, Virginia Tech
133 - Dennis Gustafson, Virginia Tech
141 - Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
149 - Zach Neibert Virginia Tech
157 - Blaise Butler, Virginia
165 - Nick Sulzer, Virginia
174 - Stephen Doty, Virginia
184 - Jack Dechow, Old Dominion
197 - Chris Penny, Virginia Tech
285 - Ian Jones, Apprentice

Second Team
125 - Brandon Jeske, Old Dominion
133 - Justin Zimmerman, Ferrum
141 - Chris Mecate, Old Dominion
149 - Gus Sako, Virginia & Alexander Richardson, Old Dominion
157 - Tristan Warner, Old Dominion
165 - Chris Moon, Virginia Tech
174 - Billy Curling, Old Dominion
184 - Nick Vetterlein, Virginia Tech
197 - Zach Nye, Virginia
285 - Ty Walz, Virginia Tech

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