Neal Richards Named First-Team All-State

FERRUM, Va. – VMI red-shirt senior Neal Richards added yet another award to his impressive resume Thursday, earning first team all-state honors with the release of the 2019-20 wrestling all state team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors.

Richards was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler for the second-straight year after winning the 174-pound individual championship at the 2020 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships. The South Chesterfield, Va. native qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament for the third time.

"Neal Richards has had an exceptional career here at VMI," said head coach Jim Gibson. "His success has laid the path for others to follow.  He has showed that you can compete and win at the highest level while at VMI."

Richards finished the season with a 38-7 record with six major decisions, seven technical falls and five pins on the year, with victories in 18 of his last 19 matches.