University of Virginia Men's Wrestling

Garland and his staff have brought in nine straight Top-25 recruiting classes, including a program-best No. 5 ranking for the 2015 class. His 2007 recruiting class, which included UVas first three-time NCAA All-American, Chris Henrich, was ranked No. 5 nationally by W.I.N. Magazine and No. 8 by InterMat. Virginia won its second ACC Championship under Garland in 2015 and earned a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Three Cavaliers made the NCAA Round of 12 and seven qualified for NCAAs, with Nick Sulzer (165 pounds) advancing through to claim All-America honors for the third straight year as he became the second three-time All-American in program history. Virginia rolled to the ACC Championship by 14.5 points over Pitt as Sulzer and George DiCamillo each won titles while all 10 Cavaliers finished in the top four at their respective weight classes. UVa defeated four ranked opponents during the dual season, including a pair of top-10 foes, Edinboro and Pitt. Eight Virginia wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2014, with a program-record five Cavaliers earning national seeds. With a fourth-place finish at 165, Nick Sulzer notched All-America honors for the second straight season. Sulzer and Blaise Butler (157) each claimed ACC championships as well. UVa went 18-3 in the regular season - the second-most dual wins in program history - and reached as high as No. 11 in the national polls. Virginia set program records with nine NCAA qualifiers and four national seeds in 2012-13. Jedd Moore (157 pounds) and Nick Sulzer (165) each earned All-America honors while Matt Snyder (125) and George DiCamillo (133) reached the All-America round. DiCamillo was crowned the ACC champion at 133 pounds, becoming the first UVa freshman to win an ACC title since 1995. The Cavaliers recorded a program-best No. 11 national ranking during the season and defeated then-No. 9 Central Michigan at the Virginia Duals, marking the first top-10 opponent that Virginia has ever beaten. UVa posted a 16-4 record in dual matches before narrowly finishing second at the ACC Championships and taking 21st at the NCAA Championships. Virginia also was honored as one of the top academic teams in college wrestling in 2013 as UVa recorded the fifth-best GPA nationally (3.239), while a national-best eight Cavaliers wrestlers were named to the 2012-13 NWCA All-Academic Team. Matt Snyder was named an Academic All-American for the second straight year. Virginia had another standout year in 2011-12 as three Cavaliers won ACC championships, while the team went 11-1 in dual matches. In recording a 91.7 winning percentage, the Cavaliers set a program record. Matt Snyder (125 pounds), Nick Nelson (141) and Jon Fausey (184) all won ACC titles, while Snyder also was honored as an Academic All-American. A league-high seven Cavaliers were named to the All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team. Virginia recorded a strong 2010-11 season as the Cavaliers posted their second straight Top 25 finish at the NCAA Championships after taking 23th place. UVa produced a pair of All-Americans, as Derek Valenti (149) and Chris Henrich (174) each reached the podium at NCAAs, while seven Cavaliers qualified for the national championships. As a team, UVa won a school-record 19 dual meets during the 2010-11 season, including a victory over then-No. 14 Kent State, which at the time was the highest ranked opponent that Virginia had defeated. Garland won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2010 as the Cavaliers won the ACC title for the first time since 1977. UVa took 15th place at the NCAA Championships the second-best NCAA finish in program history. A school-record eight Cavaliers qualified for the NCAA event. At the ACC Championships, Henrich and freshman Mike Salopek won individual championships but the championship was a total team effort. All 10 competing Cavaliers reached the semifinal round and posted finishes of fourth place or better. Henrich finished 35-3, while Brent Jones earned the Gorrarian Trophy at the NCAA Championships. Virginia qualified seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in 2009, despite an injury-riddled season. Henrich was named an All-American at 174 pounds after taking seventh place at the national championship. He went 40-3 during a dominating season. For the second straight year, Virginia took second place at the ACC Championship, again falling just two points shy of the title. Henrich, Caponi (184) and Brent Jones (197) all earned ACC titles, and Jones was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. In 2007-08, the Cavaliers went 18-5 in dual meets (3-2 ACC) in setting the then-school record for dual-meet wins. Chris Henrich was named ACC Freshman of the Year and joined Michael Chaires on the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team. In January 2008, Virginia earned its first-ever national ranking in the W.I.N. rankings at No. 25. With a young lineup including four freshmen and three sophomores, UVa made major waves at the ACC Championships in taking runner-up honors to Maryland, falling short of the title by just two points. UVa wrestlers finished in the top three in nine of 10 weight classes, with Ross Gitomer (125) and Rocco Caponi (184) earning championships. Both were named All-ACC, as were Henrich and freshman Nick Nelson. Gitomer, Caponi and Henrich all advanced to the NCAA Championships. Garland's Cavaliers notched an 8-10 overall mark in his opening campaign in 2006-07. Under Garland's tutelage, Caponi captured the ACC title at 184 pounds, while Eric Albright was the league runner-up at 133. Both earned a berth in the NCAA Championships, where Albright won three matches. The duo also earned All-ACC honors, as did freshman Kellon Balum. PRIOR TO VIRGINIA Garland was appointed to his post on April 20, 2006, after serving the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at Cornell, where he helped the Big Red to four-consecutive top-11 finishes at the NCAA Championships. He spent his final four seasons at Cornell as the top assistant under 2005 NCAA Coach of the Year Rob Koll. Garland was named the 2005-06 NCWA Assistant Coach of the Year after helping the Big Red to a top-five finish at the NCAA Championships. During his six seasons at Cornell, Garland helped the Big Red wrestling program move into the national spotlight. He coached 17 All-Americans, four NCAA finalists and 46 NCAA qualifiers. The Cornell wrestling team finished in the top five at the NCAA Championships two years in a row (2005-06) and the top 11 at the NCAA Tournament for four straight seasons. The Big Red won the Ivy League title in five of Garland's six seasons. He worked closely with and was integral in the development of four-time All-American (2001-05) and two-time NCAA Champion Travis Lee and true freshman NCAA finalist Troy Nickerson (2006). As the recruiting coordinator his last four years, Garland helped bring in two top-five recruiting classes, which included three high school national champions, four junior national champions and numerous state champions. His 2005-06 class was ranked second nationally and included the No. 1 recruits at their weight classes in Nickerson (125 pounds) and Adam Frey (130 pounds). Garland, a 2000 Virginia graduate, was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference finalist and winner of the ACC championship at 125 pounds in 1997. He qualified for the NCAA championships in each of his three years of competition. At the 2000 NCAA Championships, Garland earned All-America honors, falling in the national title match after he upset the top seed, Jody Strittmatter of Iowa, 9-7 in overtime, in the quarterfinals. Garland currently is tied for 14th all-time in career wins at UVa (91). In 2000, Garland was named the ACC Wrestler of the Year. In his career, he compiled 91 wins, including a 30-5 mark during his senior season, when he competed in the NWCA All-Star meet. He also was a member of the 50th Anniversary Atlantic Coast Conference Team. Garland is currently on the Board of Directors for the National Wrestling Coaches Association and has served on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Rules Committee. Garland and his wife, English, are the proud parents of two daughters, Sarah and Grace. Virginia got wins from Ray Bethea, George DiCamillo and Jack Mueller on Sunday at No. 17 Central ... Virginia continues to wrestle on the road this weekend, taking on No. 17 Central Michigan at 1 p.... The Virginia wrestling team went on the road Friday night, dropping an early back-and-forth... The Virginia wrestling team travels to face No. 11 Michigan on Friday at 7 p.m. in the first of... Four wrestlers claimed titles, while 10 more wrestlers placed, as Virginia opened the season at... Virginia senior George DiCamillo picked up his first win of the season, defeating No. 15 Brock... Virginia begins the 2016-17 wrestling season on Sunday morning, competing at the Clarion Open... Senior George DiCamillo opens his senior season on Saturday, wrestling in the undercard at the...

Gavin has been hired as an assistant coach for the Virginia wrestling program, as announced Wednesday by UVa head coach Steve Garland. "We are thrilled to welcome Keith Gavin as an assistant coach," Garland said. "Not only was Keith an NCAA champion, and thus has a very high level of wrestling knowledge himself, he also has been mentored by some of the best coaches in the nation. He has traveled the world learning and wrestling, and I am excited to have our kids now learning from him." A two-time All-American while wrestling at the University of Pittsburgh, Gavin has extensive international experience and currently is a member of the U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Team, where he is ranked No. 1 nationally at 86 kilograms (189 pounds). "I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Virginia wrestling program," Gavin said. "Coach Garland and his staff have done a great job building this program, and I look forward to doing everything I can to contribute to future success at UVa." Gavin wrestled from 2003-08 at Pittsburgh, earning All-America honors in 2007 and 2008. He was the NCAA champion at 174 pounds during an undefeated campaign in 2008 (27-0 record) and was the national runner-up in 2007. He finished his career with a 120-37 record. Gavin is a member of the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame and was the EWL Wrestler of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Gavin has wrestled internationally since graduating from Pitt in 2008 and has been part of the U.S. national team for each of the last five years. He placed third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then won U.S. national championships in 2013 and 2014. He also competed for the United States at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Gavin was the runner-up at the 2010 and 2014 U.S. World Team Trials and placed third at the 2011 World Team Trials. He also was the runner-up at the 2011 Pan-American Championships. Since February 2012, Gavin has trained at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio, while working toward the world championships and Olympics. He trained at the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club in Bethlehem, Pa., from 2009-12. After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 2008 from Pitt, Gavin remained at his alma mater from April 2008 to August 2009 as an assistant coach, working directly with the middle to upper weight classes. Gavin and his wife, Carrie Foster Gavin, recently welcomed their first child, Nora. Aug. 6, 2014 Twitter | Facebook | Instagram CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Former NCAA champion and current U.S. National Team member Keith Gavin has been hired as an assistant coach for the Virginia wrestling program, as announced Wednesday by UVa head coach Steve Garland. "We are thrilled to welcome Keith Gavin as an assistant coach," Garland said. "Not only was Keith an NCAA champion, and thus has a very high level of wrestling knowledge himself, he also has been mentored by some of the best coaches in the nation. He has traveled the world learning and wrestling, and I am excited to have our kids now learning from him." A two-time All-American while wrestling at the University of Pittsburgh, Gavin has extensive international experience and currently is a member of the U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Team, where he is ranked No. 1 nationally at 86 kilograms (189 pounds). "I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Virginia wrestling program," Gavin said. "Coach Garland and his staff have done a great job building this program, and I look forward to doing everything I can to contribute to future success at UVa." Gavin wrestled from 2003-08 at Pittsburgh, earning All-America honors in 2007 and 2008. He was the NCAA champion at 174 pounds during an undefeated campaign in 2008 (27-0 record) and was the national runner-up in 2007. He finished his career with a 120-37 record. Gavin is a member of the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame and was the EWL Wrestler of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Gavin has wrestled internationally since graduating from Pitt in 2008 and has been part of the U.S. national team for each of the last five years. He placed third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then won U.S. national championships in 2013 and 2014. He also competed for the United States at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Gavin was the runner-up at the 2010 and 2014 U.S. World Team Trials and placed third at the 2011 World Team Trials. He also was the runner-up at the 2011 Pan-American Championships. Since February 2012, Gavin has trained at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio, while working toward the world championships and Olympics. He trained at the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club in Bethlehem, Pa., from 2009-12. After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 2008 from Pitt, Gavin remained at his alma mater from April 2008 to August 2009 as an assistant coach, working directly with the middle to upper weight classes. Gavin and his wife, Carrie Foster Gavin, recently welcomed their first child, Nora.

Leen's first year in Charlottesville in 2011-12, three Cavaliers won ACC championships, and the team posted an impressive 11-1 mark in dual matches. In recording a 91.7 winning percentage, the Cavaliers set a program record for a single season. Matt Snyder (125), Nick Nelson (141) and Jon Fausey (184) all won ACC titles, while Snyder also was honored as an Academic All-American. A league-high seven Cavaliers were named to the All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team. A 2009 graduate of Cornell, Leen earned his first coaching job an assistant coach at Duke for the 2010-11 season and worked closely with the middle weights. He recorded a strong career at Cornell and was recruited to the school by Garland, who was a Big Red assistant coach at the time. Leen made four straight appearances in the NCAA tournament for while wrestling for Cornell at 149 and 157 pounds. The 2008 national champion at 157 pounds, Leen posted a career record of 118-29 and was a First-Team All-Ivy League selection three times. Leen went 27-3 during his redshirt junior season (2007-08) en route to winning the national championship at 157 pounds. He also was the team captain for the Big Red team, which recorded a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Leen upset three higher-seeded foes on the road to his championship. Leen qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman, going 25-16 and taking third place at the EIWA tournament to earn an automatic bid to NCAAs. He also was named the 2005 Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Leen redshirted the 2005-06 season before posting a big season in 2006-07, as he recorded 37 wins and notched All-America honors after taking eighth place at the NCAA Championships. In his final season with the Big Red (2008-09), Leen won his second EIWA Championship and took third at the NCAA tournament at 157 as he again earned All-America honors. He posted an overall record of 29-3. Leen worked with ESPN as a commentator during the 2010 NCAA Championships. He was one of three former All-Americans selected to provide analysis during the semifinal bouts. Virginia got wins from Ray Bethea, George DiCamillo and Jack Mueller on Sunday at No. 17 Central ... Virginia continues to wrestle on the road this weekend, taking on No. 17 Central Michigan at 1 p.... The Virginia wrestling team went on the road Friday night, dropping an early back-and-forth... The Virginia wrestling team travels to face No. 11 Michigan on Friday at 7 p.m. in the first of... Four wrestlers claimed titles, while 10 more wrestlers placed, as Virginia opened the season at... Virginia senior George DiCamillo picked up his first win of the season, defeating No. 15 Brock... Virginia begins the 2016-17 wrestling season on Sunday morning, competing at the Clarion Open... Senior George DiCamillo opens his senior season on Saturday, wrestling in the undercard at the...