Monarchs wrestlers take Hokies to the mat

NORFOLK

This time, the Ted rocked for wrestling.

Usually a hotbed for hoops, Old Dominion's Constant Center became one big wrestling room Thursday night. Face-painted students joined diehard matheads. Many chanted. Most cheered. A few even heckled the referee.

They were almost as animated as frenetic Monarchs coach Steve Martin.

And for the first time in years - perhaps ever - college wrestling was an event in Hampton Roads.

The 20th-ranked Monarchs gave them plenty to cheer about, too, taking down No. 14 Virginia Tech 19-15 in the first battle of top-20 teams in the seven-year history of the building.

When it was over, Martin claimed victory over the entire state.

"We go head-to-head with Tech in recruiting so many times it's ridiculous," said Martin, whose Monarchs also have downed Virginia this season. "We're battling Tech for a kid right now. You don't think I'm going to call that kid tonight?"

But the biggest winner may have been the sport itself.

"We have to wrestle good teams," Martin said. "But when we do, the fans will come out."

Now, a crowd of 1,461 might not impress the folks in Iowa or Oklahoma. But it looked great in Norfolk, especially since all those fans were scrunched into one side of the facility. It was such a big deal that ODU alum and wrestling savant Jason Bryant of wrestling4 11.tv drove 20-something hours from Minnesota to do the announcing.

"No way I was going to miss this," Bryant said.

The fans wasted little time in giving the event a big-time feel.

"Lets-Go-Mon-Archs!" chanted the men of Phi Kappa Tau.

"Ice cream 'n' cake-cake-cake!" shouted a boogying Lady Monarchs field hockey team as the 197-pound match drew to a close.

And then there were the signs.

"Stomp the (Who?)kies!" read one.

Another, from the women of Delta Zeta, was even less subtle.

"If we wanted to date boys, we would pick Virginia Tech wrestlers. But we want a man, so we pick Old Dominion wrestlers!"

"I'm obsessed with wrestling," explained freshman Molly Plummer. "Wrestlers are gorgeous!"

The Monarchs wrestle pretty well, too. All-American James Nicholson got ODU off to a fast start by beating a nationally ranked foe for the sixth time this season at 125. At 141, Ryan Williams won the other battle of nationally ranked competitors in his final home match.

At 174, former Hokie Eric Decker prevailed over his old team. And at 197, 16th-ranked Jesse Strawn delivered a crowd-pleasing 7-5 decision that sealed the Hokies' fate.

But even before the Monarchs pulled out the victory, ODU senior Robert Nixon was already declaring the night a success.

Nixon wrestled for the Monarchs as a freshman before turning his full attention to receiving his engineering degree.

"Back then, we were always determined to get into the Ted," Nixon said as he surveyed the crowd. "Look where we are now."