AT VIRGINIA: Career • Tied for ninth in career dual wins at Virginia with 38
2011-12 • Redshirt season • Went 14-2 while competing unattached in open tournaments • Won the Mat Town Open (11/26) and Edinboro Open (2/11) at 149 pounds • Took runner-up honors at NC State Open (11/13) • Wrestled at Midlands Championships at 157 pounds, went 1-1 2010-11 • Posted 27-15 record in 2010-11, but won 15 of final 19 matches after 12-11 start • Made second straight trip to NCAA Championships and became Virginia's 13th All-American with eighth-place finish at 149 pounds • Went 4-3 at the NCAA Championships - his three losses all came to top-five seeds (two by one point each, one by three points) • After losing to No. 2 seed Frank Molinaro of Penn State in NCAA second round, he rebounded to win three straight matches to clinch All-America status • Defeated No. 12 seed Desi Green of Buffalo, 4-3, scoring takedown with eight seconds remaining to pull upset and avenge regular-season defeat • Defeated Central Michigan's Donnie Corby (6-2) and Michigan's Eric Grajales (9-7) to become All-American • Fell 3-1 on last-second takedown to No. 5 seed Jamal Parks in All-America round, then dropped 5-4 decision to No. 3 seed Kevin LeValley of Bucknell in seventh-place bout • In first season at 149 pounds, he posted 18-7 record in duals, including 4-1 mark in ACC bouts • Runner-up to No. 1-ranked Darrion Caldwell at ACC Championships (lost 6-3) • Ranked No. 19 in final InterMat and WIN national polls • Won his final nine matches of the regular season, including 7-2 upset of then-No. 9 Brian Stephens of Virginia Tech • Also defeated UNC's Nick Stabile, Maryland's Ben Dorsay and Duke AJ. Guardado in ACC competition; lone loss was the NC State's Matt Nereim • Named ACC Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 8 following his win over Stephens • Shared team's Outstanding Wrestler Award with Chris Henrich
2009-10 • Finished season with 24-8 record and earned first trip to the NCAA Championships • Ranked 19th nationally in final rankings by W.I.N. and 20th by InterMat • Placed third at 2010 ACC Championships • Went 17-5 in dual matches and 3-2 in ACC duals • Finished second on team with 10 falls • Posted 1-2 record at NCAA Championships - both defeats came to top-five seeded wrestlers • Earned win over UNC Greensboro's Ivan Lopouchanski in his NCAA opener before falling to No. 2 Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State and No. 5 Zack Bailey of Oklahoma • Defeated Mike Rappo (UNC), Mike Bell (Duke) and Scott Norris (NC State) in ACC action; dropped narrow decisions to Chris Diaz (Virginia Tech) and Alex Krom (Maryland) • Placed seventh at Southern Scuffle (12/30) • Kept his matches close - gave up more than seven points in only one match
2008-09 • Went 24-10 in strong rookie season • Posted four falls, four tech falls and four major decisions • Placed second at Cleveland State Open (12/14) • Notched third place in the freshman/sophomore division at Eastern Michigan Open (11/1) • Placed fifth at Michigan State Open (11/9) • Recorded fall over Bucknell's Adam Healey in dual meet at Northeast Duals (11/29)
KITTATINNY HIGH SCHOOL • 2008 New Jersey state champion • Three-time New Jersey state placewinner • Wrestled for coach John Gill • Took third place at 2008 high school senior nationals • Team captain • All-state • Academic All-League • Involved in Peer leadership and Hudson River Bay Fishing Association
PERSONAL • Son of Rich and Grace Valenti • Has two older brothers, Matthew and Andrew. Matthew was a two-time NCAA champion at 133 pounds at Penn and currently an assistant coach for the Quakers; Andrew also wrestled at Penn
News
Roster
Schedule
