Wheeling, W. Va. - For the first time in 352 days, the Wheeling University Wrestling team will be at home hosting a dual meet. They take on Bluefield State in a match that was originally supposed to take place back on January 7th as part of the Wheeling Quad meet. The Wheeling Wrestling team last hosted a dual meet on February 18th, 2021, against their rival West Liberty.
The Wheeling Wrestling team is coming off an MEC Championship performance where they had three placers in the field. Sophomore Chase Montgomery had the highest finish of the day, placing 5th in the 133-pound weight class, and was followed by sophomore Clarouly Meca (285-pound) and freshman Brennan Reid (157-pound) in their respective classes. Wheeling matched their number of placers from a year ago, in what was an all-around great day for the Cardinals.
Meca had the biggest showing of the day, despite finishing in 6th as he took on a nationally ranked opponent in his opening round match. He took on Fairmont State's TJ Boyd in a rematch of what was his final dual event before the championships. He lost when the two wrestled at Fairmont 3-1 in extra time, but this time he was able to battle his way back for a 3-0 opening round win, to move on to the second round. Unfortunately, that was his only win of the day, but he showed that he can take on some of the best that the conference has to offer.
For Reid, it was his first championship event, and he wrestled in two matches losing in close contests each time. For Reid, it was a learning experience as he continues to grow throughout the season and get involved in more and more big-time matches. Rounding out the field was Chase Montgomery, who wrestled in the 133-pound weight class. He also suffered two losses on the day but received a bye to the fifth-place match where he was able to pick up the title.
With the MEC Championships in the rearview mirror, the Cardinals now turn their attention to the NCAA Super Regionals on February 26th at West Liberty University. Wheeling has three more dual meets in quick succession, and then takes off for a week before the regionals event. The top three finishers at regionals will move on to the National Tournament, and Wheeling is hoping they can get it done and send a representative out to St. Louis March 11th and 12th.
The Matchup
Thursday will mark the first time that Wheeling and Bluefield State have met up in dual action. Both are younger programs trying to make their voices known in their respective conferences. The Cardinals have had tough luck scheduling dual meets this season due to weather and COVID-19 issues, but they have seen wrestlers have success throughout the season.
The Bulldogs enter Thursday's dual with a 2-2 record so far this season and they are coming off a 24-12 loss at the hands of Fairmont State. Both programs are rebuilding from the ground up and have young wrestlers ready to take the mat.
The Details
Thursday's dual between Wheeling and Bluefield State is set to begin at 6 PM in the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE.
