Virginia’s Marlon Yarbrough added to his breakout junior season Thursday by turning in one of the most stunning first-round performances at the NCAA Championships.

Virginia Tech fell eight points short of North Carolina State in the Feb. 23 dual meet season finale, but the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Championships provides the Hokies with an opportunity to put an end to the Wolfpack’s five-year tournament reign.

A college wrestling season flies by so quickly that coaches don’t have time to look back or ahead — they are forced to live in the moment. But Virginia Tech coach Tony Robie took a few minutes to look both ways, and he liked what he saw.

Few are the wrestlers who enroll in college, find immediate success, don’t cut weight and don’t handle a hardship or two.

In a dual meet that was decided by five points and seven of the bouts within it were settled by one or two points, Virginia Tech coach Tony Robie made it a point to review the Hokies’ 18-13 loss to Ohio State on an individual basis.

Preseason conversation about NCAA wrestling team titles always includes Penn State and Iowa, often involves Cornell and Arizona State and recently has pulled Michigan, North Carolina State and Ohio State into the mix. With star power returning, upperclassmen improving and a skilled incoming class, it might be time to talk Tech.

Willie Saylor, Editor