Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the off-season, Wheeling University Head Men's Wrestling Coach Shane Brown went on the recruiting trail, bringing in a mix of young talent and veteran presence on the mat. On Saturday, the team will put that recruiting to the test when they open their 2026-2027 season at the Mount Union Invitational. After taking the program to new heights in 2025-2026, the Cardinals look to continue their climb up the conference ladder, competing for individual and a team conference championship.
Last season, the Cardinals started things strong, setting their best dual meet record since the 2018-19 season, going 6-4 overall and 3-1 in MEC play. Included in that mark was a perfect 4-0 showing on their home mat, and the success would continue into tournament play. Across four regular season tournaments, the Cardinals would pick up two top five finishes, with their best mark coming following their Christmas break. The team would head to the Fairmont State Open, where they finished third in the field, scoring 93.0 team points. As they headed into the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Wrestling Championships, the Cardinals continued their roll, earning a fifth place finish in the conference, and qualifying two wrestlers in MEC Championship matches. They would both earn Second Team All-MEC honors, before the Cardinals wrapped up the year with their second consecutive NCAA DII National Alternate.
As they enter the 2026-2027 season, Wheeling will once again be led by 285-pound heavyweight Gavin Harper. Harper is a two-time All-MEC honoree, earning his highest honors with a Second Team All-MEC mark this past season. He would be the second Cardinal to ever qualify for an MEC Championship match, and was the Cardinal's NCAA DII National Alternate for the first time in his career. Harper would lead the Cardinals last season in wins (25), pinfalls (11), and tech falls (5). The redshirt senior is approaching a Cardinal milestone this season, entering the year with a career record of 40-17, as he needs just 10 more wins to become just the 13th Cardinal to reach the 50-win mark. He enters the year ranked #13 in his weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and he looks to climb the national ladder this season.
The other Cardinal to earn a ranking by the NWCA in the preseason poll was Javien Deleon, who was one of three veteran transfers to join the team this off-season. Deleon comes to Wheeling after spending the last three seasons at Kutztown, where he qualified twice for the NCAA DII Regional Tournament, and qualified for the NCAA DII National Championships a season ago. He was ranked #8 in the NWCA Preseason Poll in the 133-poind weight class, and looks to add a veteran presence to the mat. The Cardinals will also see the return of the first-ever MEC Championship match qualifier in Jaxon Butcher, who is coming off a strong freshman season. He would earn Second Team All-MEC honors after a season that saw him finish 18-14 overall, while tying for the team lead with seven decisions. He earned Second Team All-MEC honors, and looks to continue his growth into his sophomore season.
Saturday will mark the first of two tournaments in the first half for the Cardinals, as part of a schedule that features heavy dual meet action throughout the year. Of their first six events of the season, four of those will be either dual meets or try meets as they work to show off their depth on the mat. The Mount Union Open will give Wheeling a chance to send several wrestlers to the mat across several different weight classes, all vying for one of the top 11 spots when it comes to dual meet action. The Mount Union Open has served as the season-opener for the Cardinals over each of the last two seasons, with the Cardinals finishing seventh overall both in 2024 and 2025. With a more veteran roster with depth up and down the line-up, the Cardinals look to climb the leaderboard and start the 2026-2027 season on the right foot.
The Details
The Mount Union Invitational will begin at 9 AM inside the Peterson Field House on the campus of the University of Mount Union. You can follow along with Live Results by clicking HERE.
