Wrestler Hoang finishes in third place at West Virginia Open

The lighter-weights led the way for the Blue Devils Saturday in Charleston. Four Duke wrestlers, including three in the lowest two weight classes, posted four wins or more in the West Virginia Open this past weekend. The tournament, which featured perennial top-25 contenders Penn State and Lock Haven as well as ACC rivals Maryland and Virginia, was the first action for the Blue Devils this season.

"I thought we did well, we were well conditioned," 184-pound sophomore Frank Cornely said. Cornely went 2-2 on the day for the Blue Devils. "Most of the guys were a round away from placing. This is some of the toughest competition we'll face all season."

One-hundred-and-twenty-five-pound senior Tommy Hoang, a returning NCAA qualifier, got the team started by posting 5-1 record en route to a third place finish, the highest place for the Blue Devils on the day. Hoang faced Penn State's Adam Smith twice in the tournament, coming away with a 10-4 victory in the championship quarterfinals and then besting Smith again 13-8 in the consolation finals. Hoang's only loss, a 7-3 decision to host West Virginia's Ricky LaForge, came in the championship semifinals. LaForge, a freshman who is considered one of the best lighter-weight recruits in the country, took second place in the high school national championships last spring.

Senior Stuart Holzer (133) went 4-2 on the day including a fall at 3:18 over West Liberty's Jason Basso during wrestle backs. Holzer, who saw limited action at 125-pounds a year ago behind Hoang, will be competing for mat time this season with junior Andy Soliman. Soliman competed at 133-pound class Saturday in Charleston as well, going 4-2 with a 54 second pin.

Junior Mike Mitchell, who was injured all of last season, was one of two Duke wrestlers to place in the deep 165-pound weight class. Mitchell posted a 5-2 mark on the day, with both losses coming to eventual third-place winner Adam Regabato, who wrestled unattached. Senior Matt Hoover took fourth in the weight class, also losing to Regabato in the consolation finals. Hoover won three matches and lost two for the Blue Devils.

"Mitchell and Hoover were amazing. I was really impressed," Cornely added. "Mike wrestled four matches in a 45-minute period. They kept calling his name [to wrestle his next match] and he just wouldn't stop going."

The 133- and 165-pound weight classes should prove to be two of Duke's deepest and most talented. Although neither weight has a returning starter, both have ample substitutes that will help the Blue Devils this season.

Out of the 16 Duke wrestlers that competed this weekend, 12 came away with multiple victories. The tournament is one of several early-bird tournaments that the Blue Devils will compete in this fall. In early-bird and open competition, wrestlers compete either for their school or unattached, but either way their performance has no bearing on the team's record for the upcoming season.