Neibert earns ACC wrestler of the week

Sophomore recieved the honor  by going 2-0.

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By David Jablonski, Staff Writer 10:44 PM Saturday, February 4, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — Virginia Tech sophomore Zach Neibert wrestles in one of the tougher weight classes (141 pounds) in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he welcomes the challenge.

“The more competition there is, the more amped up I get for the meet,” said Neibert, a two-time state champion at Graham. “The better the competition, the better I wrestle.”

Going into this week, Neibert was 16-7 and ranked 16th in the nation by the Wrestling Report. He was named ACC Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 24 after going 2-0 the previous week.

“He’s doing a great job,” Virginia Tech coach Kevin Dresser said. “It’s a long season. He’s got to grind it out and stay focused. It’s his first time in the lineup, and he’s probably got the toughest weight class in the ACC. This month is important for him. If he has a good month, he has a shot to do some things in the NCAA tournament.”

Neibert went 22-6 as a freshman, filling in at 141 pounds when needed. He lost his first two matches this season, but then won seven in a row.

“It was a tough start,” he said. “I was injured early in the season. That put me out for the first three tournaments. Then I was slow to get back into shape.”

Neibert missed about three weeks of practice because of a knee injury. He said he’s wrestling at about 80 percent now. That’s been good enough to grab some big wins.

Neibert went 5-0 to win his weight class at the Nittany Lion Open in December. His biggest victories were against Penn’s Zack Kemmerer, now ranked 11th, and North Carolina’s Evan Henderson, ranked 17th.

Neibert’s biggest matches are still ahead.

“Virginia Tech has never had a national champion,” he said. “That’s always a goal. I want to be the first to do something.”

The Hokies have three other Graham grads. Freshman Nick Brascetta is  3-2, and freshman Matt Stephens is 4-7.

Junior Brian Stephens, who was 28-11 last year, is injured this year, Neibert said.

Swimming: Ohio University sophomore Lauren Funk (Kenton Ridge) placed second in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.15 seconds and third in the 100 freestyle (53.59) in a dual meet against Ball State. She also swam with the winning 200 medley relay team (1:44.58).

• Ohio Northern junior Drew Keriazes (Springfield) won the 100 and 200 breaststroke with times of 59.56 and 2:11.71, respectively, in a dual meet against Case Western Reserve on Jan. 28. He also swam with the winning 400 medley relay team, along with senior Anders Samuelson (Catholic Central).

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or David.Jablonski@coxinc.com.

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