Wheeling, W. Va. - After opening Mountain East Conference (MEC) play a week ago against Notre Dame College, the Wheeling University Wrestling team (0-1) returns to the mat this week when they face Davis & Elkins at 6 PM. After being postponed last Saturday, the Cardinals are looking for their first dual win since February 8th, 2019, when they defeated Seton Hill 26-19. It will be the second dual event of the season for the Cardinals, as they continue to gain experience on the mat.
Last time out, they competed in their first dual of the season against Notre Dame College and ended up falling 44-6. The lone team win of the night came when sophomore Chase Montgomery picked up a win via forfeit. The Cardinals had three other wrestlers get the chance to compete in matches, with one making his season debut. Things started off and ended strong for the Cardinals, but it was problems in the middle of the match that led to their demise.
The night started with the 125-pound match where the Cardinals' Christian Zickefoose made his season debut against Jake Arnold for Notre Dame College. Early on, Zickefoose was in control, leading 6-4 by the end of the first period. However, he had to forfeit for medical reasons towards the end of the second round, and Wheeling ended up falling behind 6-0 in the dual. After Montgomery's forfeit win, Austin Mele was up next in the 165-pound weight class, and fell via pinfall in 29 seconds.
Wrapping up the day was Clarouly Meca, who has been a leader for the Cardinals since the football season ended. Meca had five wins over his first three events of the year, and had a big match-up with Michael Viramontes to finish the night. Meca got himself out to a 4-2 advantage over the first two periods, but was outscored 5-0 over the final minute, and ended up dropping the match 7-4. Meca fell to 5-4 on the season, and is the only Cardinal wrestler with a winning record so far this season.
During the 2022 portion of their schedule, the Cardinal wrestlers have fallen victim to several postponed matches. Their dual meet against Notre Dame has been the lone wrestling match they have competed in since the calendar turned, and they are looking to get some momentum going before next week's MEC Championships. Friday's dual meet will be their final tune-up before the big match, and they are hoping to get some momentum on their side against one of the better teams in the conference.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators have only wrestled one other time in the team's history, with that match-up coming back on January 9th, 2021. It was the first dual meet of the season last year and represented the revival of the program for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. Wheeling ended up dropping the dual meet 46-6 but got some valuable experience for its young wrestlers as they began the process of rebuilding the program from the ground up.
The lone win on the night for Wheeling came in the 285-pound weight class when Clarouly Meca defeated Joshua Sanders via pinfall at the 2:05 mark. Chase Montgomery and former Cardinals Norman Richmond and Deshawn Mercadel all took losses on the day, wrapping up the first event for Wheeling Head Wrestling coach Daniel Ownbey.
The Details
Friday's match is scheduled to begin with the 125-pound match at 6 PM on the campus of Davis & Elkins. Check back after the match here at wucardinals.com for a full breakdown of the day's action.
