West Liberty, W.Va. – Fifth year head coach Danny Irwin and the West Liberty University wrestling team released their 2023-24 schedule on Monday afternoon, featuring six events inside the Academic Sports & Recreation Complex (ASRC) this upcoming year. The Hilltoppers look to continue to make their presence known on the national stage, following their third consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships, finishing sixth place in 2023.
The 2023-24 campaign gets underway in the friendly confines of the ASRC on Thursday, November 2, as West Liberty will host Pitt-Johnstown on Alumni Night. The Hilltopper wrestling program looks to kickoff their first of six dates at home this season with over 1,000 fans in attendance for the match.
The Black & Gold’s first invite of the year will be two days later in Alliance, Ohio on November 4, at the Mount Union Invite. The Toppers will then compete in their second dual meet of the year as they travel to Mercyhurst on November 9.
A pair of trips to the Findlay Open on November 18 and the Little State open on December 2 will prelude West Liberty’s visit to Philadelphia on December 3 when the competition will kick-up up a notch at the Dragon Duals. While in the City of Brotherly Love, the Hilltoppers will face a pair of NCAA Division I foes in Clarion and Drexel. The Black & Gold will then stay on the road as they take on Findlay on December 10 in Findlay, Ohio.
On December 17 the Hilltoppers will welcome eight teams to the hilltop to take part in the Hilltopper Duals. While match-ups have not been finalized yet, visiting teams will include Davis & Elkins, Emory & Henry, Fairmont State, Frostburg State, Millersville, Mount Union, Ohio Northern, and Wabash.
For the first time since 2011 the NWCA National Duals will shift back to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where West Liberty will be one of 96 programs across six divisions of NCAA and NAIA wrestling. WLU will compete in the UNI-Dome on January 5 and 6, in an attempt to place for the second consecutive year.
West Liberty will return to the hilltop for a single home dual against Ashland on January 11 before traveling to Alliance, Ohio for the second time in the year as they compete at the Mount Union Open. The Hilltoppers will continue to wrestle in the Buckeye State on January 18 as they are set for a tri-dual in South Euclid. First the Black & Gold will square off against Grand Valley State, who is in their first season back since the program was eliminated in 1993. West Liberty will conclude the evening with a match against MEC foe Notre Dame. The Hilltoppers will then finish the month of January back in the ASRC as they host the Mountain East Conference Championship on January 27.
WLU will be on the road the opening weekend of February as they travel to Baldwin Wallace on February 3 to compete in the 37th Annual John Summa Invitational. On February 8 West Liberty will make their second trip up to the shores of Lake Erie in as many weeks, as they will face the Storm of Lake Erie in dual meet competition in Painesville, Ohio. The final open event of the regular season for the Hilltoppers will then be three days later on February 11 in University Heights, Ohio at the John Carroll Open.
The Black & Gold’s final dual meets of the season are set for back-to-back nights on February 15 and 16. The Hilltoppers will first host Fairmont State for Senior Night on Thursday evening, followed by a trip to Elkins, West Virginia on Friday to square off against Davis & Elkins.
West Liberty will start their postseason run by hosting the NCAA Division II Super Region III on Saturday, March 2. The Hilltoppers who then qualify will travel to Park City, Kansas, where Hartman Arena will host the NCAA Division II National Championships on March 15 and 16.
All home and MEC matches will be available on MEC TV. Video and stat links will be available on the WLU wrestling schedule at hilltoppersports.com.
