LEXINGTON, Va.- The VMI wrestling program has announced its 2009-10 schedule, one that includes five home meets at the Thunderdome and trips to several prestigious tournaments along the East Coast.
The Keydets kick off the season once again by traveling to Salem, Va. to participate in the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech, on Sunday, Nov. 8. Two weeks later, VMI makes its annual trip to the Keystone Classic, held at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Nov. 22.
The Red, White and Yellow compete in their first dual meets on Saturday, Dec. 5, taking on both Princeton and Rutgers in a tri-meet. The Keydets are slated to square off with the host Tigers first on the day, an opponent they hold a 3-1-1 record against all-time. A match against Rutgers follows and will mark the first time the two have faced one another on the mats.
VMI then returns home for its lone home dual match before Christmas break, taking on Gardner-Webb in what has become an annual, early December tradition. The Keydets have won two of the last three meetings against the Bulldogs, and will look to extend that streak on Friday, Dec. 11.
Following the winter furlough, the Keydets get back to business at the Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro on Dec. 29-30. The action picks up from there, as VMI wrestles eight duals over the next three weeks, beginning with trips to George Mason (Jan. 7) and N.C. State (Jan. 9).
A first-time opponent marks VMI’s second-semester home opener, as Franklin & Marshall comes to town for a Jan. 13 date at the Thunderdome. The Keydets then hit the road just three days later, opening up their Southern Conference slate at The Citadel on Saturday, Jan. 16 before taking on Duke in Durham, N.C. the next afternoon.
A pair of home events wraps up a busy January for the team, starting with a tri-meet on Friday, Jan. 22 against Davidson and Millersville. The Keydets will be looking for revenge after falling to the Wildcats last season, while Millersville represents another first-time opponent for Coach John Trudgeon’s squad. The Keydets then play host to in-state rival Liberty on Wednesday, Jan. 27 in the team’s final non-conference dual of the season.
After a nine-day layoff, the team returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 6 by taking part in the 16th Annual All-Academy Championships, being hosted by Navy in Annapolis. The following weekend brings a pair of SoCon road duals, as VMI goes up against UNC Greensboro (Feb. 13) and Appalachian State (Feb. 14).
The Keydets wrap up the regular season on Friday, Feb. 19, when Chattanooga comes to town for VMI’s Senior Night. The Southern Conference Championships follow two weeks later, and are being hosted by Davidson on March 6. The NCAA Championships, meanwhile, will be held at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. on March 18-20.
For a complete 2009-10 VMI Wrestling schedule, please visit www.VMIKeydets.com.