Texas native Jake Hart talks about his career at Virginia Tech, how he arrived and why he stuck things out when it was clear he wasn't going to be the starter for the Hokies at 157 pounds. Now focusing on a career in sports media and journalism, Jake's joined up with Fanco Wrestling. He talks about his journey, being selfless, and what's next. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS SUPPORT THE NETWORKAnd if you're a fan of the ex...
Jun 24, 2022•50 min
After representing the United States on six World teams and coming away with a bronze medal in 2015 and a silver medal in 2017, James Green is calling it a career. On Episode 113 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, Green talks about his career, why he’s leaving his shoes on the mat, what’s next with USA Wrestling and he also reflects on his time in Lincoln and Blacksburg, where he closed out his competitive career. Green represented Team USA at six straight World Championships, starting in Las Ve...
Apr 15, 2022•44 min
Recapping the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships with Virginia Tech All-American Bryce “Buckle Up” Andonian. The Ohio native has represented the United States at the Junior World Championships and provided #HokieNation and the wrestling world highlight reel throws and an unorthodox style that makes him a draw to anyone who likes exciting wrestling and bonus points. Andonian talks about growing up wrestling in Ohio, how he ended up wrestling at Ohio powerhouse St. Edward and when he fir...
Mar 25, 2022•45 min
We’ll go weight-by-weight with Hokie head wrestling coach Tony Robie to recap the ACC Championships and see what adjustments need to be made moving forward heading into next week’s NCAA Championships on Episode 111 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS SUPPORT THE NETWORKAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBE...
Mar 09, 2022•37 min
Our final episode from the on-campus visit to Virginia Tech is with athletic trainer Sean Collins. A New York native with nearly zero wrestling experience before coming to Blacksburg, Collins talks about is journey to Virginia Tech and what it’s been like working with the wrestling program and falling in love with the sport. Collins is one of the frontliners when it comes to making sure wrestlers are at their best heading into matches, practice and the postseason. He’s also first on the scene wh...
Feb 23, 2022•35 min
A Sports Information Director has a number of duties when it comes to promoting, covering and disseminating information about a certain sport. For Guam native Ethan Aguigui, his immersion into Virginia Tech’s wrestling culture has come with a number of responsibilities and taking on the role of the team’s SID has been a new challenge. On Episode 109 of Virginia Tech Wrestling, we’ll sit down with Aguigui (pronounced Ah-gee-gee) prior to the Hokies’ win over Duke on February 4 to see what his acc...
Feb 16, 2022•34 min
Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling is on location in Blacksburg of all places as Jason Bryant is in Cassell getting some one-on-ones with the Hokies wrestling staff prior to the squad’s match with Duke on February 4, 2022. Yes, the match is over already, but Coach Robie will talk about the match-day preparation at this point in the season as we are about five hours away from match time and what the non-starters and starters are doing as time grows closer to the match. Coach Robie also offers his per...
Feb 06, 2022•26 min
During the no-fans era of college sports in 2021, one name quickly rose to the forefront of college wrestling - Rock Harrison. During Virginia Tech’s down-to-the-wire criteria win over NC State last season, ACC Network color commentator and former U.Va. wrestler Gerard “Rock” Harrison’s spirited and emotional call was streamed to the computers and living rooms to wrestling fans around the world. As ESPN’s production crew split screened Harrison’s reaction after Sam Latona’s late two-and-two, muc...
Jan 19, 2022•42 min
The Moss Arts Center dual has been a unique fixture on the Virginia Tech wrestling schedule for nearly a decade. On Episode 106 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, we’ll get a look into things on the Moss side of things with the Moss Center’s Executive Director and Virginia Tech’s Associate Provost for the Arts, Ruth Waalkes. In her 12th year in Blacksburg, Waalkes talks about the early discussions that opened the door to wrestling in the facility, what the crossover has been like between arts an...
Jan 12, 2022•27 min
Graduate student Nathan Traxler joins Episode 105 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling to talk about how he’s acclimating to Blacksburg. Before we introduce Traxler to #HokieNation, head coach Tony Robie talks about the first month of the season, the opener against Ohio State and the pair of big wins in Missouri this past weekend against Northern Iowa and the host Missouri Tigers. Traxler then goes into detail about his career at Stanford, the move up to heavyweight after fighting the cut down to 1...
Dec 08, 2021•50 min
Another season of Hokie wrestling is here and that means another season of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling is kicking off with head coach Tony Robie. Coach Robie talks about getting back to normal in Blacksburg, what the new normal is and what it’s like. Robie also breaks down how the scholarship figures are a bit different in the wake of the extra year, as well as how well Virginia Tech has been able to recruit once the recruiting dead period ended. Other topics discussed include the schedule th...
Nov 04, 2021•32 min
After a morning workout with assistant coach Cody Brewer, 2021 All-American Korbin Myers joins Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling to talk about his recent choice to stay in Blacksburg for another season of eligibility. The Carlisle, Pennsylvania native will also look back at his high school career, answer what he thinks a Bubbler actually is, talk about this battles back in high school with Micky Phillippi and all the things the sports medicine staff at Virginia Tech have done to help him get back o...
Apr 08, 2021•43 min
Tony Robie returns to Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling for Episode 102 as the Hokies are coming off an unbeaten season, finishing 9-0 and winning the ACC regular season championship. Coach Robie breaks down the big performances that pushed the Hokies through the five ACC wins as well as touches on the best things that came from this season with the free year and the extra countable matches. We’ll also get an update on some injuries sustained and what the postseason is going to look like for the sq...
Feb 15, 2021•41 min
Assistant coach Jared Frayer returns to the show to show his allegiance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they head into Sunday’s playoff game with the New Orleans Saints. In actuality, Frayer will recap the competitive actions that went on at home vs. Campbell and in West Virginia against the host Mountaineers, Ohio and Kent State. Frayer will also look at the extra matches situation and how that’s impacting the squad as well as training cycles without having the first two months of the season. B...
Jan 14, 2021•33 min
It’s been a while since Tony Robie has addressed #HokieNation on Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling and what better time than Episode 100! It’s also mildly coincidental this will be the 100th season of Hokie wrestling. On today’s show, Coach Robie talks about his contract extension, the 2020-21 schedule and what it looks like. The Southeast RTC also picked up World teamer, NCAA champion and four-time All-American Nahshon Garrett, so that’ll be a point of discussion as well. Finally, we wrap up with ...
Nov 25, 2020•39 min
James Green, a multiple-time World medalist, four-time Division I All-American at Nebraska and New Jersey native, has joined the Southeast Regional Training Center. On the 99th installment of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, we meet Mr. Green and talk about his expectations with this Olympic cycle and beyond, what he hopes to learn from the staff and athletes in Blacksburg and what it’s been like to move across the country during a global pandemic. Follow James on Twitter @WhoisJamesG and get som...
Aug 24, 2020•37 min
Cody Brewer rejoins the show to talk about his first year on the job at Virginia Tech, some of the impacts he’s felt he’s had and where he believes he can continue to help the program. Brewer also gives his insight on the lightweight situation, the graduation of wrestlers like David McFadden and Cody Hughes and what it’s like to get Mekhi Lewis back in the lineup and James Green into the SERTC. SUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Tal...
Jun 17, 2020•38 min
Four-time NCAA qualifier and 2006 All-American David Hoffman comes on to Episode 97 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling. Hoffman just finished up his second year as the head coach at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, his alma mater. Hoffman talks about coming to Virginia Tech back in the fall of 2001, competing as a true freshman, managing the gap between Keith Mourlam and Tom Brands as well as the changes in the program when the Dresser-Robie era rose to prominence in Blacksburg. Hoffma...
May 01, 2020•45 min
In the wake of the cancelation of the entire 2019-20 NCAA and NAIA college sports seasons, there’s been a lot of chatter about what’s next, especially in wrestling circles. On Episode 96 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, we get to hear from coach Tony Robie for the first time after the landscape of sports changed with the reaction to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Coach Robie talks about the seniors, what’s next and how Virginia Tech responded to the situation. SUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fa...
Mar 28, 2020•27 min
Tony Robie returns for Episode 95 of Inside Virginia Tech wrestling to put the memory away of the last two dual meets of the season and look forward to the 2020 ACC Championships hosted by Pittsburgh on Sunday, March 8. We go weight-by-weight with Robie on the Hokies’ qualifying chances. SHOW SEGMENTS 0:34 - Show Introduction 0:51 - Coach Robie goes to Western Pennsylvania again 1:48 - Finishing up the dual meet season 3:20 - Back to the scene of the crime 4:30 - The allocation procedure 5:44 - ...
Mar 05, 2020•35 min
Tony Robie returns for Episode 94 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling. We'll recap the events since the loss at home to North Carolina, which includes the wins at Virginia and ODU before beating Duke comfortably at the Moss Arts Center. Coach Robie will break down the NC State dual weight-by-weight as there are as many as eight possible toss-up matches and six weights where athletes are meeting for the first time in college. SHOW SEGMENTS 0:38 - Introduction 1:00 - Recovering from Carolina. 2:00 -...
Feb 12, 2020•36 min
Since the last time we met, Virginia Tech's wrestling program has improved to 8-0 and risen to No. 3 in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. On Episode 93 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, head coach Tony Robie returns to talk about the lineup changes as a result of Brent Moore's injury and the trip up to New York and the subsequent wins over Binghamton and Cornell. The heavy focus on this episode is with Friday's home dual at Cassell Coliseum against No. 12 North Carolina. We go weight-...
Jan 23, 2020•35 min
Jared Frayer will bring Mekhi Lewis and Ty Walz to the USA Wrestling Senior Nationals this coming weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. The pair will try to qualify for April's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pennsylvania in April. A top five finish will be needed to assure them a shot at the Trials. On Episode 92 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, Frayer will briefly review the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and touch on his relationship with UTC head coach Kyle Ruschell heading into the ...
Dec 18, 2019•34 min
Tony Robie and 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis will go to Washington. On Episode 91 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling talks with Robie about the upcoming trip to the White House as part of NCAA Champion Day, where numerous NCAA team and individual champions will have the opportunity to meet the President along with representatives from Penn State, Northern Iowa and Cornell, who also accepted the invitation to come to the White House. Robie will then breakdown the win over Ohio State, a win that's...
Nov 21, 2019•31 min
Episode 90 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling is an exciting one as head wrestling coach Tony Robie finally gets to talk about his incoming recruiting class. With #SigningDay here, five Hokie commits have put pen to paper and have joined the family. Coach Robie will talk about the first five signees and then talk about the performance at the recent Mat on the Mount held at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park, the home of Hokie baseball. John Borst's victory at heavyweight gave the Hokies th...
Nov 13, 2019•37 min
It’s wrestling season time! That’s right, we have Hokie wrestling coming to Cassell Coliseum this weekend and more wrestling up in Roanoke at the Southeast Open. Welcome back #HokieNation to another episode of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, as you heard in the intro, I’m Jason Bryant and on Episode 89, we’ll talk with head coach Tony Robie about this weekend’s competition, but first, we’ll get to a guest spot with Missouri head wrestling coach Brian Smith – This is Inside Virginia Tech Wrestlin...
Oct 30, 2019•38 min
It’s Episode 88 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, welcome back again #HokieNation, I’m Jason Bryant and today we are talking about the 2019-20 wrestling schedule with head coach Tony Robie. Before we get to that, a few updates to make you aware of. Mekhi Lewis finished fifth at the Continental Cup in Russia, his first senior-level freestyle tournament at 74kg, while Ty Walz finished with a bronze medal at 97kg at the same event. Thoughts on both Mekhi and Ty’s performance in Russia while repres...
Oct 16, 2019•35 min
Jared Haught, a three-time All-American and past NCAA finalist returns to the show and more importantly, he returns to the Hokie program as the new volunteer assistant coach. On Episode 87 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, Haught talks about his year away from wrestling and "adulting" in the real world and what drew him back to the wrestling room. We also give you a quick hit on Giving Day's Drive for 25 Blitz, which you can contribute to by clicking here. We close out by grilling Haught on fam...
Sep 26, 2019•32 min
Episode 86 fires up as Coach Tony Robie returns to fill Hokie Nation in on the summer happenings around the wrestling program. Among the topics discussed are Mekhi Lewis' redshirt and the impact of the lineup as well as numerous questions answered regarding the Southeast Regional Training Center and the differences between contributions and funding. Coach Robie will also touch on some scheduling nuances as well as fill us in on some early dates and tailgating events around Hokie home football ga...
Aug 27, 2019•37 min
Episode 85 of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling visits with new assistant coach and 2019 U.S. Open champion Cody Brewer. The four-time All-American from Oklahoma and 2015 NCAA Division I champion talks about growing up in Kansas City, his choice to go to Oklahoma and what competition was like in college. Brewer will also share about his time at Northwestern before coming to Blacksburg and what he knew about the program prior. We'll also get some insight into Brewer's future plans on the mat. SUBSCR...
Jun 05, 2019•36 min
