Men's Wrestling | 1/3/2019 6:00:00 AM

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The West Liberty University wrestling team steps into the national spotlight here Friday morning when the Hilltoppers open the prestigious NWCA Division II National Duals against No. 21-ranked Upper Iowa at the Kentucky Expo Center.
    The match is set for a 9 a.m. start at Exhibition Hall. Depending on the result, the Black and Gold will wrestle again Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. against two-time defending champion and No. 2-ranked St. Cloud (Minn.) State or unranked Seton Hill (Pa.).
    The Division II National Duals are part of the NWCA's mammoth "Mat Mayhem" event, which brings together 84 of the nation's top teams from five collegiate divisions in a dual meet advancement format to crown five national dual meet champions.
    This is West Liberty's first invitation to the prestigious event since the 2010 season and head coach Mitch Smith says his wrestlers are excited about the challenge and the opportunity.
    "We wanted to make sure everyone was healthy and ready to compete at a high level so the training cycle over the holiday break really did us a lot of good," Smith said. "Upper Iowa has a number of nationally-ranked wrestlers and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation earlier this year so we have to be ready to battle in every weight class in order to advance. We can't wait to get on the mat."
    Both teams are coming off strong showings at last month's 40th annual Midwest Classic in Indianapolis. The Peacocks posted a Top 10 finish with Justin Folley placing fourth at 133 pounds and Dalton Hahn taking fifth place at 184.
    The Hilltoppers also had a pair of placers as Logan Kemp made it all the way to the 197-pound championship match before settling for runner-up honors while Corey Secrist battled through the consolation rounds to earn an eighth-place finish at 125.
    West Liberty is part of an elite 16-team field at the NWCA Division II National Duals with 11 of the 16 teams appearing in the latest set of national rankings - including the top five and seven of the top eight.
    St. Cloud State, which opens against Seton Hill in a 9 a.m. match at Freedom Hall, carries a 35-match dual meet winning streak into the weekend as it seeks a fifth national dual meet title.
    Top challengers to the Huskies include No. 1-ranked Nebraska-Kearney; No. 3-ranked Notre Dame, a 2-time National Duals champion; unbeaten and No. 4-ranked Pitt-Johnstown and No. 5 McKendree (Ill.), fresh off its Midwest Classic title.