ndianapolis, IN. - As the first half of the 2024-2025 wrestling season comes to a close, the best of the best in NCAA DII made their way to the University of Indianapolis on Saturday. They competed on day one of the Midwest Classic, and the Wheeling University Wrestling team was looking to show off their young talent. The Cardinals picked up a combined three wins on the day, but their run would come to an end after day one, finishing with 5.0 points as a team.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Gavin Harper, who continued his success in the 285lb weight class. After starting his day with a bye, Harper's first match came against Minot State's Jake Swirple. He battled throughout the match but would fall in a 7-1 Decision that sent him to the consolation bracket. It was here that Harper would hit his run, beginning with Montevallo's Willie Cox. Harper would get his team-leading fourth pin of the season, getting the job done at the 4:12 mark for his first win of the day. He kept his success going against Jacob Telles, from King, and earned a 9-0 Major Decision win. He would be one win away from day two, with Newman's Caleb Wunsch standing in his way. However, the match came to a quick end as Harper was pinned in 10 seconds ending his day at 2-2. Harper moved to 9-9 on the season with the effort, keeping him at the .500 mark.
The other win on the day came from Isaac Valdez, who dropped down to the 165 lb weight class for the first time this season. Valdez would start his run against undefeated Jace Fisher from Newman and fell in an 11-0 Major Decision. When he got to the Consolation round, he received a first round bye before matching up with Seton Hill's Collin Hearn. It was one of the closest matches of the day for the Cardinals, coming down to the third round, but Valdez survived with a 2-1 win to move on. However, his day came to an end in the third round of the consolation bracket, when he fell to Drury's Will Kuster in a 21-6 Tech Fall. Valdez picked up his sixth win of the season in the effort, moving his record to 6-5, with all six wins coming via decision.
Five other Cardinal wrestlers would take the mat on the day, with each of those five wrestlers finishing 0-2. Most notable of the final five contestants was Brady Willman, who was competing in his first collegiate wrestling event at 149Lb. Brent Bosley (125), Caden Canning (141), Hunter Bittinger (174), and Austin Hinzman (197) all wrestled on the day, with each finishing 0-2. Despite not advancing to day two, the Cardinals continued to gain experience on the mat as they move through the season.
The Wheeling University Wrestling team returns to action on Friday, January 10th, when the Cardinals host a tri-meet against Muskingum and Waynesburg.
