Rocco Caponi already has left an indelible mark on the Virginia wrestling program. This weekend, he looks to leave his final impressions when he competes in his fourth NCAA Championships, tying a Virginia record. After earning his third-consecutive ACC title at 184 pounds, Caponi – as well as six teammates – will compete in St. Louis this weekend. Today Caponi sits down to talk about his big achievements while looking back fondly on his wrestling career.

Question: You are making your fourth NCAA appearance – that’s quite a feat.
Caponi: It’s impressive. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to qualify four times. My freshman year I took second at conference and the coaches fought for me to get a wild card. It’s a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck rolled in there as well. I was talking to Jim Harshaw after ACCs and he also was a four-time qualifier and it looks like we are the only two at Virginia. It will be fun – this is my third one is St. Louis, and I’ve also been to one in Detroit. It will be fun to go out there for one last time.

Question: What has your experiences taught you about walking out onto that mat in front of 20,000 people?
Caponi: It’s fun. The first time you do it, don’t look up. But after you get used to that many people, it’s good to be warming up next to the mat and look up and see the stands are full and everyone is cheering. Once you get your hand raised – you know everyone isn’t cheering for you – but when your hand is raised, you actually think they all are cheering for you because you won. It’s quite an experience.

Question: There are five Virginia wrestlers going this weekend who have never been to NCAAs. As the veteran, what do you say to prepare them for the experience?
Caponi: I told Nick Nelson the same thing – don’t look up, just focus on the match. The dimensions of the mat are the same, it’s still made of the same material, there’s still a ref out there, you’re still wearing wrestling shoes – it’s not like they put spikes in the mat for nationals. It’s exactly the same.

Question: Talk about your experience at ACCs this year, coming from the three-seed to upset the top two seeds and win your third straight title.
Caponi: That felt good. There were probably about two or three people who really felt I could do it. That was me, my parents and my coaches. I don’t think anyone outside of my immediate radius was having much faith in me. It felt good to avenge the loss to Tommy Spellman (of Virginia Tech) since I never have wrestled very intelligently against him. It was a great feeling. I remember getting the turn and then Coach Garland just yelling at me to stay there. I spent probably a minute and a half just watching the clock and holding him in that position.

Question: It seems like you are really peaking at the right time this year.
Caponi: I don’t think I had a choice but to peak at the right time – I haven’t wrestled that much. The coaches had put a tremendous amount of work into me this year and took it upon themselves to make sure I was doing all the work I could be doing. That tournament would have gone completely different if I didn’t have my coaches behind me.

Question: Are you a little nostalgic this week, knowing this is your last go-around?
Caponi: It is the last week. I was talking to my mom last night, that I started wrestling 19 years ago, my dad throwing me onto the mat with people who knew a heck of a lot more about wrestling than I did, in this tiny little red polyester singlet. Now I’m at Virginia wrestling the best in the country in my orange singlet.

Question: Will your mom and dad make it out to St. Louis?
Caponi: The whole family will be there. My brothers are coming up. I’m the last Caponi of this generation to be wrestling, at least until the next one comes around, which won’t be for awhile. 

Question: What are you looking for this weekend?
Caponi: I’m going to enjoy my last few minutes on the wrestling mat. It’s all about me going out there and leaving it all on the mat, and having a smile on my face while I do it.