Wheeling, W. Va. - After opening the 2026 portion of their schedule on the road, the Wheeling University Wrestling team (3-1, 2-1) comes home for their final time inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. They will go out with a bang, playing host to tri-meet action against Mountain East Conference (MEC) foe Davis & Elkins and Waynesburg University with first matches at 6 PM. The Cardinals look to keep their momentum going as they continue down the MEC Championship stretch.
Last time out, the Cardinals were back in the tournament circuit when they competed at the Fairmont State Open. The Cardinals would send a total of 13 wrestlers across the 10 weight classes, with six of those ending up as placers on the day. Of those six placers, the Cardinals had three compete in championship matches, with the team going 1-2 in championship match appearances. As a team, the Cardinals would pick up their highest placement of the season, taking second overall scoring 93.0 team points. It was the most placers that the Cardinals have had at a single tournament this season, as their young talent looks to continue its growth as they head towards the 2026 MEC Wrestling Championships.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Jack Dinwiddie, who claimed his first-ever individual weight class title. HE would compete in the 141-pound weight class, going 4-0 on his way to the title, and was one of the few wrestlers to not receive a first round bye. He would start his day with an 11-5 decision and took on West Liberty's Matt Englehardt in the quarterfinals. He would earn a 17-2 tech fall victory, and, in the semifinals, he would add a 4-2 decision to advance to the Championship match. He would take on Fairmont State's Colton Stoneking and won by injury default to claim the title. It improved his season record to 15-6 across 21 matches, tying for the team lead with 21 matches and sitting second with 15 wins. It was his top individual placement in a tournament this season as he continues to push towards the MEC Championships.
The other two Cardinals to make it to championship matches were Jaxon Burcher and Gavin Harper. Burcher was up first in the 197-pound weight class and, after receiving a first round bye, he would start his night with a pin of Rio Grande's Ashton Simison. He would then battle against Erick Brothers to a 4-1 decision to advance to the Championship match, before falling in a pinfall to take second overall. Harper would also earn a first round bye at 285-pounds and, like Burcher, he would pin his first opponent at the 4:56 mark. He would then go on to pick up a Major Decision over Apprentice's Jalen Terry-Winston (14-6) and advanced to the championship match. He would battle against Rio Grande's Bruce Wagers, and would end up being pinned at the 1:25 mark to round out the day. Harper is the Cardinal's leader in win percentage on the season, sitting at .813, and looks to lead them to the conference championships.
As they head down the stretch towards the 2026 MEC Wrestling Championships, the Cardinals will place a big focus on their dual meet schedule. They have a pair of tri-meets before the championship event, including their own home tri meet this coming weekend. It is the second straight year that the Cardinals have hosted a tri-meet event as they continue to re-establish their dual meet schedule success. The other tri-meet will see them travel to Seton Hill where they will battle a pair of schools from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in Seton Hill and Shippensburg. Their lone tournament before the MEC Championship will be the Purple Raider Open on January 18th, where the Cardinals will look to get one more run in the tournament field before heading to the conference championship event.
The Matchups
Davis & Elkins: The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the fourth time in program history on Saturday, with Davis & Elkins leading the all-time series at 2-1. The Cardinals lone win came on their home mat, where they are 1-0 overall, compared to an 0-2 record when they travel to Elkins, West Virginia. The last meeting between the two teams was back on February 7th, 2025, in a dual meet that the Cardinal won 40-16. Brent Bosley would lead the way for the Cardinals, earning a tech fall 19-3 win to start the day. Former Cardinal Austin Hinzman added a tech fall victory, and former Cardinal Isaac Valdez added a pinfall to round out the night.
Waynesburg: The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the second time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 1-0. It is the second time that Waynesburg will travel to the Alma Grace McDonough Center, where the Cardinals scored 26 points in last year's tri meet. The last meeting between these two teams came back on January 10th, 2025, in a dual that the Cardinals would win 26-22. Gavin Harper paced the Cardinals with a pinfall victory at the 1:14 mark, while Isaac Valdez added a pinfall at the 1:39 mark to round out the day.
The Details
Saturday's tri-meet action is scheduled to begin at 6 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE.
