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24 CAVALIER CORNER wrestle each other, especially at this com- petitive a level," Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. "It's almost always going to end up with somebody throwing fists." The Gioffres come from a wrestling family — their older brother Logan is on the team at Missouri. They grew up in a state rich in athletic talent and attended one of the top high schools for wrestling in California in an area Garland described as "the best wres- tling area in the entire state." The twins are no stranger to high-level competition, having helped Buchanan High School claim six straight state titles. Each of them also claimed a state title as a senior — Jack at 132 pounds and Michael at 138. The journey to Virginia wasn't one that was initially on the radar for the brothers, not only because it wasn't a program they were heavily familiar with, but also because they knew that the likelihood of finding a program that had room for two guys at the same weight was not high. "We talked about how it probably wouldn't happen and we probably wouldn't end up at the same college, but if it hap- pened that would be awesome," Jack said. "I wasn't dead set on going to the same col- lege, but I wanted to if it all worked out and was possible." "I didn't really think about it much until later in high school, but I always thought we would go to the same college," Michael said. "I knew there was a chance we wouldn't if things didn't work out. I know Jack was talk- ing about going to Stanford. That didn't work out, but that would have been the only way it wouldn't have happened." Enter the Cavaliers and Garland who had already been exposed to Buchanan wres- tling through the recruitment of the Gioffres' teammate Rocco Contino and then got on the trail of the twin brothers. The conversa- tions began and then they came on a visit and the rest is history. The twins arrived in Charlottesville for the 2022-23 season as part of the ninth- ranked recruiting class in the nation. Jack was the No. 57-ranked recruit overall and the seventh-ranked prospect at 132 pounds, while Michael was No. 64 overall and the third-ranked recruit at 138 pounds. The plan was always to redshirt, but a change in the NCAA rules allowed for more opportunities to compete without either wrestler losing a year of eligibility. So, in- stead of simply traveling on their own to compete in open tournaments unattached to the team, they were able to compete in some duals and major tournaments for the Cavaliers over the course of the year. Jack was hindered due to a couple of injuries. He separated his shoulder and in- jured the AC joint in a scooter accident early in the year and then broke his hand in Janu- ary to effectively end his season. Between those injuries, he posted a 4-2 record that included a win in his debut in a dual with No. 15 Northwestern and a 3-2 record at the prestigious Southern Scuffle. Michael saw more action, going 12-5 on the year in a mixture of dual competitions and tournaments — including a fifth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle after opening the event with an upset of top-seed and 16th-ranked Jaden Abas of Stanford. He also competed in duals with individual vic- tories against Kent State, Navy and Ohio at the Virginia Duals. Jack wrestles at 141 pounds, while Mi- chael competes at 149 pounds. Both are Michael went 12-5 last year in a mixture of dual competitions and tournaments — including a fifth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. (Photo courtesy UVA)