Wheeling, W. Va. - Tomorrow, the Wheeling University Wrestling team will take the mat for the first time in 2023-2024 when they open Mountain East Conference (MEC) play against Frostburg State. Before they take the mat, the MEC released their annual Wrestling preseason poll, and the Cardinals find themselves looking to climb the ladder. The Cardinals were selected to finish tied for 6th in the poll, earning 11 points and finishing tied with Davis & Elkins to start the season.
The 2023-2024 season had its fair share of challenges for the Cardinals, with the team competing in an all-tournament schedule. They wrestled across all three levels of the NCAA, as they prepared their athletes for what they were going to face at the 2023 MEC Wrestling Championships. The hard work would pay off, as the Cardinals had two of their five participants earn top five finishes, with Caden Canning taking 4th in the 141-pound weight class, while Zach Kuneff finished fourth in the 285-pound weight class. It was the highest finish for a Cardinal wrestler in the tournament since the 2019 season, and the first top five finish in the MEC Championships since the 2021-2022 season. The Cardinals then moved on to the NCAA Regional Championships, where their three wrestlers combined to go 5-6 on the regional stage.
As they enter the 2023-2024 season, the Cardinals feature a roster that is almost double the size of the one they had a year ago. Each of the Cardinal's top five finishers from last year's championship event are back in Canning and Kuneff, as they look to return to the top of their weight class this season. For Canning, he will be dropping down to wrestle in the 133-pound weight class after wrestling 141-pound all last season. Kuneff will remain as the team's top heavyweight for the 2023-2024 season as he looks to continue his success in the heavyweight class. To go along with their top returning wrestlers, the Cardinals also fold some top transfer students into the mix, including Zach LaRue from Mount Union and Alex Hinzman from Lake Iowa Community College.
Leading the way in this year's MEC Wrestling preseason poll was West Liberty, who received six first place votes and 36 total points. Behind them was Glenville State, finishing with one first place vote and 31 points, while Fairmont State sits third with 25 Points. The rest of the MEC Wrestling Preseason Poll looks like this:
1. West Liberty (6) - 36
2. Glenville State (1) - 31
3. Fairmont State - 25
4. Notre Dame College - 21
5. Frostburg State - 12
T6. Davis & Elkins - 11
T6. Wheeling - 11
The Wheeling University Wrestling team kicks off the 2023-2024 season on Wednesday when they host Frostburg State with the first match beginning at 7 PM.
