Wheeling, W. Va. – The 2025-2026 Wrestling season kicks off Saturday, with all nine Mountain East Conference (MEC) teams making a push for the MEC Wrestling Championships in January. On Friday, the conference announces their annual Preseason Wrestling Poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches. The Wheeling University Wrestling team was picked in a tie for 4th, receiving 28 points and tying with MEC rival Fairmont State to start the year.
The 2024-2025 season saw the Cardinal wrestlers make a big step on the mat, guided by Head Coach Shane Brown. They finished with their best dual meet record since the 2019 season, going 4-1 across five dual meets, and had several top performances at tournaments throughout the year. When it came to the MEC Wrestling Championships, the team sent a total of eight wrestlers to at least fifth place matches on the day, with six of those ending up in the top five of their weight class. Wheeling also would see their first-ever All-MEC wrestler and took that momentum with them to the postseason run. At the 2025 NCAA Super Regional 1 Tournament, the Cardinals would have their first National Alternate wrestler since the 2019 season, putting a capper on a historic season on the wrestling mat.
Wheeling enters the season with a lot of unknowns, thanks to the biggest recruiting class since 2019, but one spot that has been solidified is the heavyweight division. Redshirt junior Gavin Harper leads the group, after finishing just two wins shy of the program's single-season wins record a season ago. Harper would finish the year with 31 wins, and led the Cardinals in almost every single category, including wins, pins, and tech fall decisions. After becoming the program's first-ever All-MEC wrestler a season ago, Harper made some more history as he headed into the 2025-2026 season. He was one of 14 wrestlers across the MEC to be ranked nationally by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), taking #13 in the country in the heavyweights. He is the Cardinal's first ranked wrestler since the 2019 season, and looks to be a leader for the Cardinals on the mat.
Over his first three seasons, Wheeling University Head Wrestling Coach Shane Brown has been working to build the program up both in terms of numbers and success. This season, he took another big step in the right direction, bringing in a class of 22 wrestlers, with 18 of those being true freshmen. As they get set to take the mat this weekend for their opener at the Mount Union Invitational, Brown is looking for his guys to just go out there, have fun, and play lose on the mat. Many will be taking it for the first time as a collegiate athlete, and he is hoping that they can learn their lessons early and make the necessary adjustments when they come down the stretch.
Leading this year's MEC Wrestling Preseason Poll are the defending MEC Champions Glenville State, who received five first place votes and 47 points overall. Behind them was West Liberty, receiving three first place votes and 45 points, while Frostburg State rounded out the top three with 34 first place votes. The rest of the 2025 MEC Wrestling Preseason Poll is below:
1. Glenville State - (5) 47
2. West Liberty - (3) 45
3. Frostburg State - 34
4. Fairmont State - 29
4. Wheeling - 29
6. Salem - 20
7. Davis & Elkins - 12
8. Point Park -
The Wheeling University Wrestling team kicks off their 2025-2026 season on Saturday, when they travel to Mount Union with first matches beginning at 9 AM.
