Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2025-2026 home schedule came to an end for the Wheeling University Wrestling team (5-1, 3-1) when they hosted their annual Tri-Meet inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Despite being two weight classes short due to injury, the Cardinals were able to send the home crowd happy, picking up a pair of wins to improve their dual meet record to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. The night started with a 40-12 MEC win over Davis & Elkins, before the Cardinals closed things out with a 41-15 win as they honored their senior Gavin Harper on senior night. 

Dual #1: Wheeling 40, Davis & Elkins 12 

After Davis & Elkins and Waynesburg battled it out to start the night, the Cardinals would begin their tri-meet action against MEC foe Davis & Elkins. After earning their first six points on a forfeit win, Leroy Stegall would take the mat to start the night at 133-pounds. He would take on Davis & Elkins's Nicholas Daniels, and needed just two periods to earn a 17-2 tech fall. He wrapped up the match at the 5:35 mark and the Cardinals found themselves ahead 11-0 after two bouts. The 141-pound weight class would be the most competitive bout of the night with Jack Dinwiddie battling Benjamin McComas. Dinwiddie would have the lead throughout the match and, heading into the third period, it was a 3-1 lead for the freshman. He would start the third quarter with a big takedown and it was enough to earn him the 6-2 decision and give Wheeling  14-0 lead in the match.  

As the midweight bouts began, Bradley Spencer would get his big day started on the mat against Davis & Elkins's Jeston Showalter. Spencer would put on an offensive display, scoring a career-high 22 points in the match, and he would earn a 22-7 tech fall win to add five more points to the team scoreboard. Jake Taylor would follow at 165-pounds, looking to keep his recent string of success alive. He would shutout the Senator's Liam Young, and earned Wheeling's third tech fall of the night with an 18-0 victory. It would push Wheeling's team lead to 30-12, and back-to-back forfeits would bring the score to 30-12 with two more bouts to go on the night. With three tech falls already through four matches, the heavyweights would keep the success going. 

Jaxon Burcher would be next on the mat in the 197-pound weight class as he went up against the Senator's Gavin Hardister. Burchr would get a pair of late takedowns in the first period and found his groove in the second period. He would add 11 more points over the first minute and a half of the period, and earned a 17-1 tech fall at the 4:58 mark to make it a 35-12 Wheeling lead. Gavin Harper would be the final Cardinal to take the mat at 285-pounds, and would round out the day with the fastest tech fall of the night. He would battle Davis & Elkins's Aidan Maldonado and finished out a 19-2 tech fall victory in just 1:24. He would add five more points to the team score, bringing the final score for the dual to 40-12 in favor of the Cardinals. Wheeling would finish with five tech falls across six bouts as they moved to 3-1 in conference play. Match results are listed below: 

125: Neal Krysty (WU) win by Forfeit WHL 6, D&E 0 

133: Leroy Stegall (WU) over Nicholas Daniel (D&E) (TF 17-2 5:35) WHL 11, D&E 0 

141: Jack Dinwiddie (WU) over Benjamin McComas (Dec 6-2) WHL 14, D&E 0 

149: Logan Powell (D&E) win by Forfeit WHL 14, D&E 6 

157: Bradley Spencer (WU) over Jeston Showalter (D&E) (TF 22-7 6:25) WHL 19, D&E 6 

165: Jake Taylor (WU) over Liam Young (D&E) (TF 18-0 3:22) WHL 24, D&E 6 

174: Xander Kartes (WU) win by Forfeit WHL 30, D&E 6 

184: Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro (D&E) win by Forfeit WHL 30, D&E 12 

197: Jaxon Burcher (WU) over Gavin Hardister (D&E) (TF 17-1 4:58) 

285: Gavin Harper (WU) over Aidan Maldonado (D&E) (TF 19-2 1:24) 

Dual #2: Wheeling 41, Waynesburg 15 

After earning the MEC win to start the night, the Cardinals would round things out in non-conference play against Waynesburg University. Wheeling would get six points right off the bat with Neal Krysty and Leroy Stegall each earned forfeit wins to give the Cardinals a 12-0 lead. Jack Dinwiddie would have the first bout of the day at the 141-pound weight class as he took on Waynesburg's Brayen Barbao. He would go on the offensive early and often and needed just 2:13 to earn a 19-4 tech fall victory. It was Wheeling's sixth tech fall of the event, but a forfeit win at 149-pounds got the Yellow Jackets on the board. With Wheeling leading 17-6, the midweights would help secure the win with two big matches. 

It started at the 157-pound weight class as Bradley Spencer had one of the quickest matches of the night. He would take on Waynesburg's Kaleb McCamick and he would secure the pinfall in just 19 seconds, securing his fastest pinfall of the season. He would extend Wheeling's lead to 23-6 and a forfeit win for Jake Taylor at 165-pounds would make it a 29-6 lead for the Cardinals. Xander Kartes would take the mat in the 174-pound weight class and he would take on Jesse Orbin for Waynesburg. Orbin would get some early takedowns and Kartes was able to stay alive. However, in the end he would take a 9-6 Decision loss and Waynesburg would cut into the Cardinals lead at 29-9. 

Waynesburg would earn six more points in the 184-pound weight class as AJ Tomaino earned a forfeit victory, and Wheeling would get six more points with a Jaxon Burcher forfeit win at 197. The final bout of the night would come at 285-pounds as Gavin Harper took the mat for the final time on his home mat. He would battle Waynesburg's Boastas Kwabiah and had several big takedowns early. However, he was able to wrap it up at the 2:30 mark as he earned the pinfall to give his team six points and close out the 41-15 win. Match results are listed below: 

125: Neal Krysty (WU) win by Forfeit WHL 6, WAY 0 

133: Leroy Steagall (WU) win by Forfeit WHL 12, WAY 0 

141: Jack Dinwiddie (WU) over Brayden Barbao (WAY) (TF 19-4 2:13) WHL 17 WAY 0 

149: JT Hollyfield (WAY) win by Forfeit WHL 17, WAY 6 

157: Bradley Spencer (WU) over Kaleb McCamick (WAY) (Pin 0:19) WHL 23, WAY 6 

165: Jake Taylor (WU) win by Forfeit WHL29, WAY 6 

174: Jessie Orbin (WAY) over Xander Kartes (WU) (Dec 9-6) WHL 29, WAY 9 

184: AJ Tomaino (WAY) win by Forfeit WHL 29, WAY 15 

197: Jaxon Burcher (WU) win by Forfeit WHL 35, WAY 15 

285: Gavin Harper (WU) over Boastas Kwabiah (WAY) (PIN 2:30) WHL 41, WAY 15 

The Wheeling University Wrestling team returns to action on Sunday, January 18th, when they compete at the Purple Raider Open.