MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead wrestling is set to embark on a sizable road trip to Hampton, Va., in preparation for the 45th annual Virginia Duals. The Dragons will compete in four duals across Friday and Saturday inside Hampton Coliseum. 

Live video and results will be available at msumdragons.com. Please note that FloWrestling (used for live video) is a pay-per-view service. The Dragons open the tournament against NCAA Division III Marymount on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. Moorhead will then take on either (RV) Newberry or Muhlenberg at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's opponents will be determined following Friday's competition. The Dragons are seeded sixth in the 16-team bracket. 

Moorhead has not wrestled since before the Holiday break, dropping tough duals to #13 St. Cloud State and #3 Parkside on December 18 and 20. 

In The Rankings...Senior 141-pounder Pedro Velazquez finished the month of December with a flawless 6-0 record. The performances for Velazquez earned him a spot in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) individual rankings with the senior listed 15th in his weight class. Velazquez is also ranked 15th in the weekly Open Mat rankings, holding an 8-2 overall record this season. The Victoria, Minn., native was named MSUM's Student-Athlete of the Month for his efforts in December. 

Check The Benz...Redshirt junior Parker Benz collected an impressive victory in MSUM's dual against 13th-ranked St. Cloud State on December 18. Benz claimed a high-scoring affair with Jayce Luna, 15-13 to collect three team points. 

It's Been Awhile...This weekend's competitions in Virginia will not be MSUM's first trip to the Old Dominion in program history. The Dragons competed at the Virginia Duals during the 2015-16 season to great success, winning two of three duals. Moorhead defeated The Apprentice School in the quarterfinals before securing a spot in the championship dual with a win over Ferrum College. The Dragons were defeated by nationally-ranked Kutztown in the championship, but Dragon great Blake Bosch was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. 

How The Bracket Looks...The 16-team Virginia Duals bracket is made up of eight seeded teams and eight unseeded teams. A seeded team will compete against an unseeded team in the first round with teams primed to wrestle a total of four duals. The seeded teams include #10 Glenville State (1), #11 Kutztown (2), (RV) Newberry (3), #21 Frostburg State (4), (RV) East Stroudsburg (5), MSUM (6), (RV) Findlay (7) and Averett (8). Unseeded teams include Johns Hopkins, Centenary, Liberty, Washington & Jefferson, Muhlenberg, Marymount, The Apprentice School and Greensboro. 

Sizing 'Em Up...Heading into the Virginia Duals, the Dragons are led in the win column by heavyweight Liam Babitt, who holds 10 wins to just three losses so far this season. Velazquez and true freshman Gunner Hostetter are close behind with eight wins each this season. Wyatt Powell and Edon Davis have each earned seven wins in 2025-26. Babitt leads the roster with four wins via pin while Powell holds a team-best three technical falls. Velazquez has racked up four wins by major decision so far this season. 

Kris Nelson is in his 17th season as MSUM's head wrestling coach. 

The Dragon Probables*
*Subject to change based on availability

125- Clayson Mele (5-8)
133- Brody Toledo (3-8) or Matthew Mitchell (0-0)
141- #15 Pedro Velazquez (8-2)
149- Parker Benz (2-6)
157- Jacob Reinardy (0-0) or Gunner Hostetter (8-8)
165- Mason Gode (0-0) or Damon Ferguson (2-11)
174- Anthony Sykora (4-3) or Edon Davis (7-7)
184- Kish Eberline (6-10)
197- Wyatt Powell (7-12)
285- Liam Babitt (10-3)