January 30, 2023

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NEWS CRITICAL CARCERAL STUDIES LAB RECEIVES GRANTS TO CONTINUE ABOLITIONIST WORK

Bethany Hansel | News Writer

The lab is devoted to approaching justice without reliance on a prison system.

The Critical Carceral Studies Lab, a prison abolitionist research project within the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies at Virginia Tech, received two grants last November to grow their work advocating for a justice system not centered around incarceration.

Led by Rebecca Hester, an assistant professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society and the associate director of Education for the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, the lab endeavors to imagine a society without prisons and show the myriad of ways systemic justice issues can be addressed at the root, without the dissipation of personal freedom and the suffering of families and communities.

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The center and the lab were officially founded last spring within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Hester was a co-founder of the center and started this project with Yehuda Sharim, a filmmaker and scholar from the University of California Mercer, and Jason Glenn, an associate professor of History and Philosophy of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Today, both undergraduate and graduate Hokies are participating in the lab.

The lab has a few ongoing projects, and more are in the works. The researchers are looking to start a pen pal project between students and incarcerated individuals, but Hester discussed how one of their major current endeavors, funded by the grants, includes creating a film and a mixed media

project based around the collection of incarcerated individuals’ and their families’ stories.

“(We will) talk about incarceration as displacement, what does that experience feel like, to kind of put it into context,” Hester said. “You know it’s not just that people experience the privation of their liberty … but it’s something that whole communities experience and suffer.”

Hester provided some insight as to why this project is deeply relevant to the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies.

migrants often find themselves becoming prisoners themselves.

“Containment and confinement are one of the contemporary responses to population displacement, whether we’re talking about refugee camps, or tent camps at a border, or detention centers,” Hester said.

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“The idea was to kind of think about incarceration as both a form of displacement where people are plucked out of their communities, and pushed around in institutions and sent places that they don’t consent to and their families don’t consent to,” Hester said. “Sometimes it’s very far away, puts a lot (of) hardship (on them), and they experience a lot of the same thing that displaced populations experience, the trauma of it all, and the separation, the uncertainty.”

Aside from conceptualizing incarceration as displacement, the project also reveals how

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Despite the pervasive existence of prisons today, the lab calls attention to the fact that the history of prisons only spans the last 200 years. Today, 3 million people are housed in detention centers in the United States, or 25% of all incarcerated people worldwide, despite the United States only holding 5% of the global population. Furthermore, African Americans and Hispanics make up 32% of the US population but comprise 65% of its inmates. Hester explained what makes the history of the current prison system in the United States racist and exploitative.

“(Detention and policing) have been based on racist foundations, in terms of looking for slaves, and then it was based on using incarcerated people’s labor to do mining or other kinds of profit-generating projects, so it has got a long history of continued on page 3

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continued from page 2

exploitation, particularly among racialized minorities,” Hester said. “We want to reimagine a society that doesn’t depend on those things, which would also be very antiracist, so it’s a very abolitionist endeavor at its core.”

Hester and her colleagues envision a society that has moved beyond the prison system. Hester states that steps need to be taken to address the core issues that lead to detention, including prejudice and lack of adequate societal care and infrastructure, as opposed to simply using carceral punishment to put a Band-Aid on the issues.

“There’s lots of responses that we could

have to immigration that are not about confinement and incarceration. There’s lots of responses that we could have to widespread and growing poverty that are not about incarceration. There’s lots of responses that we could have to mental health, and ways that we could set up our society to prevent a lot of those issues,” Hester said. “But instead of doing those things, we’re using incarceration as a technical fix to deal with all our social, political and economic issues that we just don’t want to have to confront.”

For students who are interested in working to advocate for abolition and incarcerated individuals, there are numerous ways to get involved. Bryan Britt, a professor of religion

and culture at Virginia Tech, usually organizes a Prison Book Wrapping several times throughout the semester, in which students read letters from incarcerated individuals in Appalachia and send them a book based on their specific request. They can also participate in friendly correspondence with incarcerated individuals through the pen pal project that the lab is hoping to launch. The Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies additionally hosts the In Place Podcast, which discusses forcible displacement in Virginia. Students can get involved in the Critical Carceral Studies Lab itself and volunteer to be student researchers helping with various aspects of the projects.

Reimagining a society that is currently built around deeply entrenched systems is no small feat, but Hester encourages others to try to do the same so that a great deal of community and personal suffering can be eliminated.

“That’s part of my vision, to say we don’t need incarceration to deal with our xenophobic fears,” Hester said. “We actually need to see each other’s humanity and allow folks to get the kinds of things that they need so that we don’t have to build all these jails and prisons (and) can actually have healthy and thriving communities.”

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VIRGINIA TECH REACHES HIGHEST RECORD OF APPLICATIONS FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

Jane Park | News Editor

The fall 2023 applicant pool saw more diversity and first-generation college students.

On Jan. 18, President Tim Sands revealed in his annual State of the University Address that the university has broken its record for highest number of first-year applicants. This is the third consecutive year Virginia Tech has achieved this feat.

VTx reported the fall 2023 admissions cycle had 47,128 applicants, which was 4.4% higher than the previous year’s 45,124 applicants.

When comparing the applicant pool academically, the average GPA was also higher. The fall 2023 cycle’s average was 4.06 compared to last cycle’s 4.0.

The fall 2023 cycle also saw an increase in first-generation college applications and applicants from various minority groups, specifically Black or African American, Latino and Hispanic, and Native American.

According to Sands, undergraduate applications have increased 65% over the last five years, while enrollment has increased 12% over the last five years.

“I think it’s great,” said Juan Espinoza, associate vice provost for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions. “It just reinforces that Virginia Tech remains a top destination for our students. Many of the transformational changes we made in 2018 had resulted in this type of success, and those changes were really focused on increased access and affordability. So at that time, we looked at all the barriers in place in our application process, and we did everything we could to remove those barriers, and three years in a row of continuing increasing applications

just validate that was the right move to make.”

In his address, Sands stated Virginia Tech will maintain the undergraduate population at about 30,000 students until the university can “assess and develop our capacity for growth on campus and in the community.”

Espinoza confirmed this but added that both the university and its stakeholders would have to deliberate as to what admissions will look like in the future.

“If that decision is made in the future, that would be more of a mid term, long term decision,” Espinoza said. “Whenever that does takes place, then the appropriate stakeholders would come into play, and discussions will take place on what kind of incremental growth that would look like, but I’m not aware of any of that taking place right now.”

Espinoza attributes much of admissions’ success to students as they spread the word about their experiences at Virginia Tech.

“I give a lot of credit to students because they talk about their experiences with students and friends and family members, and so a lot of this is tied to the success of what our students are doing here, what our faculty and staff are doing here,” Espinoza said. “I think it’s a great compliment to the good work that has been done in Blacksburg.”

ANISHA KOHLI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Fall move in, Aug. 17, 2020.

OPINIONS

LIAM COUGHLAN | OPINIONS COLUMNIST

“Shazam!,” “Fury of the Gods,” “The Flash,” “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” — an era is ending. Finishing this Christmas, the last of the DC Extended Universe movies will be released, and after that, Gunn and Safran’s DC Universe will begin. Director James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War,”

“Avengers: Endgame,” “The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker”) and producer Peter Safran (“Aquaman, Shazam!,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Peacemaker”) were hired in late October to become co-heads of DC Studios at Warner Bros. and there is much to look forward to.

With Gunn and Safran at the wheel, DC Studios will now have firm direction over the coming years. On Jan. 4, Gunn tweeted about his plan for staying with Warner Bros.

“Our slate is 8 to 10 years,” Gunn said.

This is something that Warner Bros. has desperately needed as 2022 has been a fraughtful year for DC Studios. 2022 included Warner Bros. covering for Ezra Miller’s arrests and meltdowns jeopardizing

the Flash sequel; adjusting Amber Heard’s role in the Aquaman Sequel as a result of the case between her and Johnny Depp and shelving the Batgirl movie in post-production which was reportedly a $90 million dollar venture.

Safran is an experienced veteran when working with Warner Bros. superhero property, and Gunn has been extremely vocal about Safran’s appreciation and passion for comics and other superhero source material. Gunn’s passion for superheroes, as well as his understanding of human character, can be seen in both his Marvel and DC accomplishments. Gunn’s palpable passion in his previous movies have had profound, beneficial effects on both the Disney and Warner Bros. cinematic universes.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is one of the movies responsible for changing, and arguably saving, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It, coming alongside “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” saved the MCU after a dismal 2013 with “Thor: The Dark

World” and “Iron Man 3” and reinvigorated moviegoers back into the MCU. And after the underwhelming reception to some of MCU’s phase four movies such as “Eternals,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Black Widow,” much is to be anticipated with Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.”

Gunn’s first project with Warner Bros. was his movie “The Suicide Squad,” a readaptation of the failed 2016 movie with the same name. Although it is considered a box office failure due to the rise of the delta variant during its release in 2021, “The Suicide Squad” still remains Warner Bros.’ second highest-rated film and one of only three DCEU movies to receive a critic score higher than 60%. “Peacemaker,” Gunn’s spinoff sequel show to “The Suicide Squad” still holds a strong 94% critical review on Rotten Tomatoes.

Gunn is a new, fresh take on the superhero genre and something that DC Studios desperately needs. Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing

superhero movies adjusted for inflation, their top movies are still Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” which came in at 7th and 10th overall. The first highest-grossing DCEU movie came in at 12th with “Wonder Woman.” Although Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” did not break records for box office success, it was responsible for the second-highest movie release viewing on HBO Max in history.

This pattern of mediocre movies and a hectic 2022 year for film means that there is no better time for Gunn and Safran to take the lead of DC Studios. Gunn’s passion and knowledge of source material with Safran’s experience in DC projects is a combination that is sure to produce fantastic works, which audiences and critics will undoubtedly appreciate.

THE NEW AGE OF THE DCU ACTIVITIES TO TURN A NEW LEAF THIS SEMESTER

Embracing the spring semester can be difficult in the mountains of Blacksburg when the numbing wind continues to cut through clothes, temperatures consistently drop and snowflakes are not an unusual sight to see as students walk across the Drillfield to classes. Despite the harsh conditions that the town faces during this time of year, a variety of activities to welcome the new season are available to locals, students and anyone who wants to do something out of the ordinary in the New River Valley.

Blacksburg Farmers Market

Located on the corner of Draper Road and Roanoke Street, the Blacksburg Farmers Market is a weekly event that welcomes the spring season and is one of the most beloved traditions this town has to offer. Beginning in the 1980s, the town’s board of directors annually organizes the nonprofit event each Saturday from January through March from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market promotes locally grown food, which benefits the regional vendors and the health of Blacksburg residents while improving the liveliness of

downtown during the day. In addition to sustainable fruits and vegetables, vendors have promoted an assortment of goods, such as handmade jewelry, alpaca socks, artwork and more. If you are interested in engaging in the community, listening to live music and supporting small businesses, make your way down to the Market Square Park this Saturday.

Whitewater Rafting in New River Gorge Park, W.Va.

If you’re seeking mountainous scenery and a thrilling adventure, look no further than the

Whitewater Rafting National Park in New River Gorge, W.Va. If you don’t mind the quick hour and a half drive up north, whitewater rafting is a memorable excursion that does not require any prior experience or knowledge. The park is located 71 miles from campus. The New River is known to be one of the earliest rivers in the world, cutting through the Appalachian Mountains, and consists of unique scenery, including rare wildlife and picture-perfect woodlands. The adventure

continued on page 5

MICHAELA SCOTT | LIFESTYLES CONTRIBUTOR

James Gunn and Peter Safran are at the helm of a promising revival for Warner Bros.

Chase off the winter blues with some relaxing activities and outdoor fun.

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continued from page 4 Reviews have emphasized the tour guides’ expertise of the natural history throughout the region and the skills they prepare you with before your departure. Although this activity is relatively expensive for a college student, this thrilling event can potentially be a core memory of your time here at Virginia Tech. With gas money and the desire to try something new, this can be an experience like no other.

takes place on the park that covers over 70,000 acres of land and includes a six-hour float guided by an experienced rafter. Most attire is not included in the activities expense, so guests must rent a wetsuit, shoes and paddle jackets, but helmets, a life vest and a paddle are provided. In addition, the park provides a catered buffet-style lunch from the Rezan’s at Wood Mountain halfway through the ride.

New River Gorge Zip Line Canopy Tour

If you aren’t afraid of heights, another way to enhance your Spring semester on the weekends is by participating in the New River Gorge Zip Line Canopy Tour. This adventure consists of a half-day, all-inclusive zip lining experience through Mill Creek with platforms that extend up to 640 feet high.

Relax Blacksburg

As the semester kicks into full action, it is easy for students to get caught up in harmful outlets to relieve their stress. Depending on students’ majors, sometimes it’s hard to have a fun-filled adventure on the weekends, but that doesn’t mean self care has to be left behind. Located on South Main Street, Relax Blacksburg encourages physical and

mental nourishment and provides a variety of massages that reduce anxiety, support circulation, boost digestion, lower blood pressure and enhance your mental health, along with many other benefits included on its website. The massage therapists are licensed and trained in a wide range of unique massages that are shown online to ensure you will receive the service that is necessary for your personal well-being. In addition to the spa’s typical treatments, Relax Blacksburg also includes a special remedy throughout January and February which incorporate a hot stone massage using decadent organic cocoa butter massage oil.

Winter can seem like an endless cycle when living in Blacksburg — blizzards have even been reported during May in the New River Valley region. Despite the bitter

coldness, springtime activities throughout the area can brighten up your semester, and make these next few frigid months a little more bearable. These unforgettable outings are an ideal way to take your mind off academics, make time to see your friends and enjoy the moment before the semester comes to a close.

COLLEEN HENNEBERRY/COLLEGIATE TIMES

Customers roaming about the farmer’s market, Oct. 20 2021

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TRAVELING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE: MY WINTER STUDY ABROAD

OLIVIA FERRARE | LIFESTYLES EDITOR

Lifestyles editor Olivia Ferrare shares her experience studying abroad in Austria and Germany with fellow Hokies.

I don’t know what made me log on to the study abroad website and window shop through the different winter experiences after a long night of working through math homework. There were many different opportunities for all types of students. The Germany and Austria (MGT 3954) trip caught my attention, so I filled out the short application and forgot about it. Next thing I knew, I was going to Germany.

I never thought I would get to study abroad. As an industrial and systems engineering major, courseload can be pretty strict and requires a lot of credits to graduate, so fitting in an overseas trip seemed like a challenge. I’ve also never been much of a traveler, and before this trip I had only left the country two or three times.

The trip took a small group of students and two professors, professors Margaret Deck and Ron Poff of the management department, across Germany and Austria over the course of 15 days. We were led by a knowledgeable tour guide who stayed with us throughout the entire trip, guiding us into each new city and explaining the culture and history of each city

and site we visited. Some of the most educational moments of the trip were when he led us around Berlin or Munich for hours, stopping at specific cultural sites and making sure we felt acclimated to each new place. His food and drink recommendations were always perfect, too. Because we were there around New Year’s, we enjoyed a traditional dinner of fondue and raclette with a variety of meats and cheeses that we cooked on the table in front of us.

In each city, we would share a meal with someone who would give insight into the business culture of the city and the companies that are headquartered there. One of the best conversations was with a Virginia Tech alumni who moved from the United States to Munich to work in the electric vehicle industry. Getting a first-hand account of moving to Germany without speaking the language or understanding the culture was refreshing and opened my eyes to the possibility of living and working abroad.

We started in Berlin, the most populated city on the trip for the introduction to German culture. We walked around for hours and there

was still more to explore. The group spent New Year’s there, which was such a special holiday to be surrounded by tourists and citizens of Berlin alike.

Munich was my favorite city on the trip. It was much smaller than Berlin, but it was still bustling and full of things to see and do. In our free time, we would walk around the downtown area called Marienplatz and spend hours exploring. The day trips to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof castles were mesmerizing, and the pictures we took couldn’t do them justice.

Salzburg was a smaller city that gave the group time to relax and enjoy the culture of Austria. One excursion included going up in a cable car into the mountains 5,000 feet above the ground to get a 360 degree view of the Alps.

The train ride from Salzburg to Vienna illustrated how beautiful Austria was to us. Vienna was busier, yet so exciting. The group was exhausted, but we used the last couple of days to shop and soak in our last moments in Europe.

Professor Deck was one of the professors that accompanied the group on the trip. She recounted how the trip affected not only the

students, but also the professors.

“One of the things I enjoy most about study abroad trips is seeing the students bond so quickly and make life-long friendships,” Deck said. “I also really like how much everyone, including me, learns so much about other cultures and how it helps us better understand life and business from a global perspective.”

The trip opened my eyes to the possibility of traveling for fun and expanding my horizons when it comes to going out of my comfort zone. I had never been comfortable planning trips for myself or going to places I didn’t know much about, but getting the opportunity to plan my own events during the free times on the trip made me feel much more confident about my traveling abilities. Studying abroad, even for just a short period of time, forced me to grow and learn about myself and explore places I would never normally discover. For more information on study abroad opportunities, visit the Global Education Office’s website at globaleducation.vt.edu.

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SPORTS GRANT BASILE PUSHES HOKIES MEN’S BASKETBALL PAST SYRACUSE

sam mostow | sports staff writer

Basile’s 25 points led Hokies in an exciting victory over Orange.

For whatever reason, Syracuse can’t stop Grant Basile this season.

The graduate forward led Virginia Tech men’s basketball (13–8, 3–7 ACC) with 25 points throughout more than 34 minutes on Saturday, on the way to an 85–70 victory. Basile previously scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Orange (13–9, 6–5 ACC) on Jan. 11.

The Hokies led approximately 38 minutes of the game, going up by as much as 22 in the second half. They shot 53.3% from the field and 38.9% from behind the three-point arc.

The Orange, on the other hand, struggled all evening as they shot 46.9% from the field and 38.9% from three. Tech’s defense managed to prevent guard Joseph Girard III from creating many scoring chances.

“Remarkable job (guarding) Joe Girard from (senior guard Hunter Cattoor) and our team,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young.

“Note, not one person can guard him; that’s got to be a five-person proposition.”

Tech rebounded from an 82–72 loss at Syracuse on Jan. 11, in which the Hokies shot three for 19 from behind the three-point arc. In that game, Girard scored 24 points and Cattoor was unavailable with an elbow injury.

“Hunter Cattoor helps our team a little bit,” Young said. “Anybody who knows our team would recognize that.”

Along with Basile, senior forward Justyn Mutts created problems for Syracuse, scoring 11 points along with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Although he didn’t total a career-high in scoring, Mutts proved invaluable to the team.

“Having Justyn Mutts as a passer is fantastic,” Basile said. “He puts us in an open spot.”

Cattoor, still recovering from an elbow injury he suffered on Dec. 21 at Boston College, shot six for 10, all from three, in nearly 36 minutes. Young checked in with Cattoor before the

game to gauge the condition of his elbow.

“He said, you know, I think 80 to 85%,” Young said. “I said I’ll take you wherever I can get you.”

Junior guard Darius Maddox was unavailable against Syracuse due to a family matter. As a result, redshirt freshman forward John Camden recorded 27 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds. Young complimented Camden’s adversity after missing some early shots.

“(Camden has) got some moxie to him,” Young said. “I think if I’d have missed my first three shots, I may have crawled into a hole, but he kept plugging.”

After seven consecutive losses during the first half of Tech’s schedule, the Hokies have strung together an ACC win streak for the first time all season. Going forward, they will travel to No. 20 Miami on Tuesday and host No. 10 Virginia on Saturday.

As the Hokies reflect on the first half of the season, Basile noted that they can’t become complacent during games.

“We obviously can’t get comfortable,” Basile said. “We let (Syracuse) back in the game, I think they (cut Virginia Tech’s lead) to 12 or 14 at the 11 minute mark (in the second half) ... We have two really good opportunities to go on the road against Miami and come back and play Virginia, which are really good opportunities to go get some really good wins.”

Cattoor also noted the importance of the next two games.

“Miami and Virginia are two great teams,” he said. “We’re going to have to play really good ball against them. So I think we’ll be excited for it and we’ll be ready for them.”

The Hokies travel to Coral Gables, Fla. on Tuesday to face the Hurricanes at 7 p.m.

ANDREW RODGERS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Hunter Cattoor (0) stretches out to contest a shot vs Syracuse, Jan 28, 2023.

MEN’S TENNIS GO 1-1 ON ROAD TRIP TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

javier mico-crump | sports staff writer

Tech tops ODU and falls to Wisconsin for first loss of the season.

Old Dominion

The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team (3–0) continued their hot start to the season on Friday night, beating Old Dominion (3–2) 4–2 in Norfolk.

The action started as the two teams contended in doubles, where the Hokies were able to score the first point of the night. Ryan Fishback and Jordan Chrysostom won 7–5 on court one, and the Hokies sealed the deal when Matt Harper and Alberto Orso won a tiebreaker to win 7–6 on court three. The Hokies held a 1–0 lead heading into singles action.

The singles matches were significantly more competitive, and Old Dominion struck first. The Monarchs won the first two matches

in straight sets 6–4, 6–1, and 6–2, 6–4. With the remaining four matches heading into decisive third sets, the Hokies continued to fight. The first strike was landed by Fishback, who won his match 6–1, 2–6, 6–2 to tie it up at 2–2. Shortly after, Alvaro Saez-Rovuela Ariza won his match after a late surge, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5. With two singles matches remaining, the Hokies only needed one point to seal the win. Despite dropping the first set, Manuel Goncalves came back to win 7–5 and 6–1, clinching the match for the Hokies. With three singles wins and the point from doubles, the match was over.

Wisconsin

The Virginia Tech Men’s tennis team’s hot

start to the season (3–1) came to a screeching halt on Saturday afternoon as they were swept 5–0 by the Wisconsin Badgers (3–0) in Norfolk, Virginia.

From the very beginning, it was all Wisconsin as the Badgers won the doubles point. Despite Fishback and Chrysostom winning their match 6–1, the Badgers won the remaining two to take the point. It was the first doubles point the Hokies had lost all season, and they were unable to bounce back in singles.

The Badgers won four singles matches in straight sets to clinch the win for the day. The speed at which Wisconsin won meant that Alvaro Ariza and Michael Shepheard were unable to finish their matches, despite

both being in close battles. Most surprisingly, Virginia Tech’s No. 32 singles player Fishback was upset 6–4, 6–3 by Jared Pratt.

It certainly wasn’t the way the Hokies wanted to end their road trip, but they will have a week to reset and prepare for Feb. 3, when they will play St. Bonaventure and Davidson in a double-header in Blacksburg.

NO. 24 PITT SHOCKS NO. 7 HOKIES WRESTLING IN CASSELL

ethan owens | sports staff writer

Panthers upset Hokies with seven match wins.

The No. 24 Pitt Panthers (8–2, 2–0 ACC) came to Blacksburg on Friday night with an upset on their mind, and they were able to pull it off. The Panthers defeated the No. 7 Virginia Tech Hokies (7–3, 1–1 ACC) by a score of 26-12 while winning seven of the 10 matches.

The Panthers led the Hokies from the first match to the last, never easing up. Their domination started at the 125lb bout. Colton Camacho pinned Tech’s Cooper Flynn in only 44 seconds, immediately putting Pitt up 6–0.

In the next two matches, Pitt did not let up. In the highest-ranked match of the night, at 133 pounds, No. 7 Micky Phillippi earned a decision over No. 5 Sam Latona. This match went all the way to riding periods, where Phillippi was able to come out victorious 3–2.

In the following match at 141, No. 3 Cole Matthews added three more points for the Panthers, defeating No. 12 Tom Crook by

decision 6–2. Pitt, through the first three matches, already had a 12–0 lead on the hometown Hokies.

The Hokies,who were coming off their biggest dual win of the season, needed bonus points. That is exactly what they got from true freshman No. 9 Caleb Henson. Henson picked up a major decision over No. 29 Tyler Badgett by the score of 14–2. This was Henson’s sixth victory over a top-30 wrestler this season. Pitt then led by a score of 12–4.

No. 5 Bryce Andonian was up next for the Hokies, and he showed why he and Henson are one of the best one-two punches in the nation. Andonian won by a major decision again this week, this time over No. 33 Dazjon Casto by a score of 14–1. However, the Hokies still trailed by four in the team score.

At 165 pounds, the wrestlers came in within three rankings of each other. Connor Brady of the Hokies ranked 25th in the nation, while

Holden Heller of the Panthers came in at 23rd. The match was about even as it could be, until the third period. Heller, who was leading 1–0 going into the period, rode out the entire period to never give Brady a chance and won by decision 2–0.

No. 3 Mekhi Lewis picked up the final Hokies’ victory of the night, once again by major decision. He had no problem putting away Luca Augustine by a score of 14–4.

The score was 15–12, Pitt still leading, when No. 19 Reece Heller picked up an upset over No. 7 Hunter Bolen, and nearly put the victory away for the Panthers. Heller was able to pin Bolen in the second period at roughly the four minute mark. Bolen was attempting to pin Heller when Heller niftily turned and pinned Bolen in a blink of an eye. This put Pitt up 20–12, it would have been 21–12, but Heller was deducted a point for unsportsmanlike for throwing his headgear in the joy of his massive

upset.

If any Hokie fans still had hope, No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi officially put the dual away with a decision over No. 22 Andy Smith 3–1. No. 5 Dayton Pitzer also was able to pick up a notable win in his freshman season over No. 23 Hunter Catka, 5–3.

The Panthers are now in the lead for the ACC dual title, only they and North Carolina remain undefeated. Those two teams will dual each other on Feb. 3.

The Hokies will be back in action again as well on Feb. 3 when they travel down to Durham to dual with Duke.