Wheeling, W. Va. - After a strong showing at the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Wrestling Championships, the Wheeling University Wrestling team gets right back on the saddle on the road to the NCAA DII Super Regional I Championships in March. The run will kick-off with the first Quad event of the season, with the Cardinals traveling down to Salem University Thursday night with first matches beginning at 5 PM. It will be the first Quad that the Cardinals have competed in since the 2018-2019 season, as they look to battle through injuries and continue gaining experience down the stretch.
The Cardinals last took the mat back on Saturday, January 31st, when they took the mat for the MEC Wrestling Championships. The Cardinals covered all 10 weight classes, with eight of those 10 weight classes being covered by freshmen competing at the event for the first time. Despite the inexperience on the conference championship stage, the Cardinals came out strong, advancing five through the first round of the championship bracket. They would end up having five different athletes finish in the top five of their respective weight classes, with three of those being in the top three. As a team, the Cardinals finished fifth overall, with 67.5 points, but continued to build off last season's history. The Cardinals had their first two wrestlers to ever qualify for finals matches on the day and, despite dropping both of those finals bouts, the Cardinals were represented on the conferences biggest stage in each of the heavyweight classes.
The first official Wheeling wrestler to qualify for a finals match was freshman Jaxon Burcher, who competed in the 197-pound weight class. The freshman entered the tournament ranked as the #3 seed in the 197lb weight class, earning him a bye in the first round of competition. He would compete for the first time on the night in the championship semifinals, where he battled Salem's Iran Love. It was a back and forth match throughout the three periods, but a late takedown was enough to lift Burcher to a 6-4 Decision. He would move on to the 197LB Championship match, where he took on Glenville State's Nick Johnson. Johnson sat as the #2 ranked wrestler in the country and, after Burcher kept him scoreless through the first minute, he would end up falling in a pin at the 2:42 mark to round out his day. The freshman would finish 1-1 on the day, and earned his 22nd win of the season as he continues his strong freshman campaign.
The other wrestler to advance to a finals match was redshirt junior Gavin Harper at the 285LB weight class. Harper was the Cardinal's first-ever All-MEC wrestler a season ago, and made quick work of his first two opponents on the night. He would pin Salem's Mikey Lyttle in 5:34, and picked up a 16-1 Tech Fall over Frostburg State's Gavin Bage to advance to the championship. There, he would be locked in a tight battle with Glenville State's Colby Whitehill, allowing just four escape points before falling in a 4-0 decision. The other Cardinal to earn a top four finish on the day was Jack Dinwiddie in the 141-pound weight class. Dinwiddie would wrestle across four matches on the day, finishing 2-2 to bring his season win total to 21. He started his day with a slim 2-1 victory over Frostburg State's Chase Bell, and would get to the third place match with a 15-0 tech fall over Davis & Elkins's Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro. He would take on West Liberty's Khyvon Grace in the third place match, but would fall in an 11-1 decision to round out his day.
The road to the NCAA DII Super Region 1 Tournament kicks off Thursday, with many of the Cardinal wrestlers experiencing the road for the first time in their careers. Of the Cardinals starters, only two have ever competed at the Regional Championship event, with only one of those wrestlers having ever placed above the top four. The Cardinals will look to build off their strength in dual meets this season, where they currently sit at 6-2 through eight matches. It is the most dual meet wins for the program since they finished with 14 during the 2018-2019 season, and the six wins total more dual meet wins than the team has had in the past three seasons combined. The Cardinal's young roster looks to continue their success in the dual meet field as they compete in their final dual meet of the 2025-2026 season.
The Match-ups
Salem: The Cardinals and Tigers will be meeting in their first-ever dual meet when the two teams face-off on Thursday night. The Tigers have gone 1-5 in their first six dual meets of the season, including a 1-2 record against MEC opponents. The team finished right behind the Cardinals at the 2026 MEC Wrestling Championships, taking 6th with 57.0 points, and also had their first Conference Championship qualifier in the MEC. The Cardinals look to open the series with a win when they meet in Salem Thursday.
Emory & Henry: The Cardinals and Wasps will be meeting in their first-ever dual meet when they face-off Thursday night. The Wasps have gone 0-13 in their dual meet schedule to this point, but have had some strong individual performances throughout the season. The Wasps are coming off their closest dual of the year, falling 34-23 at the hands of Lincoln Memorial. The Cardinals look to keep Emory & Henry winless in their first-ever meeting Thursday night.
Seton Hill: The Cardinals and Griffins will be meeting for the sixth time in program history on Thursday, and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. Wheeling leads the all-time series at 3-2, but is looking to knock-off a short back-to-back skid at the hands of the Griffins. The Cardinals are 1-0 when they host Seton Hill, compared to a 2-2 mark on the road, and are looking to start their first neutral site meeting with Seton Hill with a win.
The Details
First matches for Thursday's Salem Quad are scheduled for 5 PM inside the T. Edward Davis Gymnasium on the campus of Salem. Follow along with wucardinals.com for updates throughout the night and a full recap following the event.
