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Ty McGeary vs. Mount Union
Olivia Bernola

No. 1 Hilltoppers Set to Open Run at NWCA National Duals Against No. 18 Northern State

1/5/2024 9:14:00 AM

West Liberty, W.Va. – The No. 1 West Liberty University wrestling team is set to open up the 2024 NWCA National Duals against their fourth top-20 NCAA Division II opponent this season, No. 18 Northern State. The Hilltoppers and Wolves make up a loaded field that includes 15 of 16 nationally ranked squads that will get underway with the DII bracket at 2 P.M. CST (3 P.M. EST) on mat 16 in the UNI Dome on Friday afternoon. The winner will move on to a match-up on mat 12 against the winner of No. 8 Indianapolis and No. 17 Augustana while the losers will meet on mat 16 at the same time.

DUAL DETAILS
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI Dome)
Start Time: Northern State Dual at 2 P.M. CST (3 P.M. EST); UIndy/Augie Dual at 4 P.M. CST (5 P.M. EST)
 
#1 WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES
  • West Liberty enters Friday with a 7-2 (1-0 MEC) record in dual meet competition following four wins at the Hilltopper Duals on Sunday, December 17. The Hilltoppers won 40-9 over Mount Union (DIII), 28-9 over No. 11 Millersville, 42-8 over Frostburg State, and 36-11 over No. 18 Ohio Northern (DIII).
  • The Black & Gold are tied for the No. 1 ranking in the NWCA Coaches' Poll, the highest ranking in program history, as they share the top spot with Central Oklahoma. It is the first time since October of 2007 that there has been a tie for the No.1 national ranking.
  • Alexander Crane enters the 125 pound bouts with a record of 4-8 on the season, after a 3-1 day at the Hilltopper Duals in his most recent outing. This year three of his wins have come by decision while one has been by injury default.
  • At 133 pounds, Vincent Scollo enters with a record of 10-3 on the season after going 2-1 at Hilltopper Duals. He opened the duals with a 9-0 win by major decision over Nolan Frye of Mount Union followed by an 8-1 win by decision over No. 3 Bryce Beatty of Millersville in a top-5 match-up. He was upset 9-7 in his final bout of the day against Thierno Diallo of Frostburg State. He owns three bonus point wins this season, two by tech fall and one by major decision.
  • At 141 pounds Khyvan Grace has posted a record of 11-4 on the season following a 4-0 mark at the Hilltopper Duals. He earned a trio of wins by tech fall at the duals, including a 16-1 win over Mason McCarty of Mount Union, an 18-2 win over Logan Intrieri of Frostburg State, and 19-1 over Dru Baker of Ohio Northern. His lone win by decision at the event was a 7-3 victory over Aidan Micheli of Millersville. Grace owns four bonus point wins this season, all by way of tech fall, and he has posted one ranked win and a win over a DI opponent this season as he defeated No. 3 Jake Niffennegger of Mercyhurst at the Findlay Open and Tre Varndell of Clarion at the Drexel Duals.
  • Nico Taddy is the No. 5 ranked wrestler at 149 pounds and has posted a record of 3-2 on the year. His first collegiate win came in a 6-4 win by decision over No. 3 Jacob Ealy of Pitt-Johnstown, followed by a pair of bonus point wins (1 win by fall, 1 win by major decision). His two losses were both due to medical forfeit at the Findlay Open.
  • Jamar Williams made his season debut at the Hilltopper Duals in December, going 3-0 and moving up to No. 2 in the 157 pound weight class. He won a pair of matches by decision, winning 7-2 over DIII's No. 10 ranked Nick Nettleton of Mount Union and 9-6 over Nicholas Bennet of Millersville. He ended the duals with a win by forfeit against Frostburg State.
  • At 165 pounds, Alec Cook is the No. 9 wrestler in the country with a 10-5 start to the season. As he went 3-1 in his latest outing at the Hilltopper Duals, he tallied a 15-0 tech fall over Evan Brickman of Mount Union, won by fall over Liam Debaugh of Frostburg State (5:57), and notched a second tech fall with an 18-0 win over Kael Margraf of Ohio Northern. His lone loss of the duals was a 5-2 decision in a top-10 battle against No. 6 Brandon Connor of Millersville. He now owns seven bonus point victories on the year and is one of several wrestlers on the team to record a victory over a DI opponent as he defeated Trevor Elfvin of Clarion in an 8-3 decision at the beginning of December.
  • At 174 pounds Christian Chavez owns an 11-7 record during his freshman campaign, competing in both the 174 and 184 pound weight classes. In his most recent outing went 3-0 on the day with a pair of first period pins over Caleb Zimmerman of Mount Union (2:44) and Duncan Kammar of Frostburg State (1:51). He is now up to six bonus point wins this season.
  • Ty McGeary remains the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 184 pounds with a 14-0 start to the season following a 4-0 day at the Hilltopper Duals. In his last outing he opened the day with a pin against Bryce McCloskey of Mount Union (5:45) before his second ranked win of the year, a 9-5 win by decision over No. 8 Anthony Giampietro of Millersville. He then earned his second win by fall of the day against Nick McCarthy of Frostburg State (2:48) and ended the day with 6-1 win by decision against Gain Layman of Ohio Northern. The 3-time MEC Wrestler of the Week in 2023-24 owns nine bonus point wins this season and is 2-0 against ranked opponents.
  • Another freshman in the lineup is Mason Christian, who has battled to a 12-3 record to start the year at 197 pounds. In his last outing he secured four bonus point wins (2 by tech fall and 2 by major decision) to bring his season total to seven. In open tournaments this season he has won the Mount Union Open and was fourth at the Findlay Invitational.
  • Francesco Borselino, the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 285 pounds, enters the National Duals with a record of 5-0 this season and has made quick work in a majority of his matches. Going 3-0 at the Hilltopper Duals, he opened the day with a win by fall over Terrance Davis of Mount Union (0:47), followed by a 3-1 win by decision over Bishop McCoy of Millersville. He ended the day with his second pin, a victory over Hunter Probasco of Ohio Northern (1:40). All four of his wins by fall this season have occurred in the first period and three of those came within the first 50 seconds of action. He is one of three different Hilltoppers to have been named MEC Wrestler of the Week this year (12-11-2023).
  • Danny Irwin is in his fifth season as the head coach at West Liberty, leading the Hilltoppers to a 51-17 dual meet record and three consecutive top-6 finishes at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Overall, Irwin enters his seventh season as a head coach after spending his first two seasons at Wheeling and has compiled a 71-26 career dual meet record and four total top-6 national championship finishes.
#18 NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES
  • Northern State enters Friday's dual with a 3-3 (1-1 NSIC) record in dual meet competition this season and owns one top-25 victory which was a 35-6 victory over then No. 25 Fort Hays State in the 2023-24 home opener.
  • In their last outing, the Wolves tallied a ninth place finish at the 44th annual Midwest Classic in Indianapolis where they saw No. 1 Wyatt Turnquist win the 149 pound weight class and then No. 10 Devin Bahr earned a third place finish in the 157 pound weight class.
  • Turnquist is one of three NSU athletes ranked in the NWCA Polls as he sits atop the 149 pound weight class with a 14-1 record on the year. The 2023 All-American owns 12 bonus point victories this year with six wins by fall, four wins by tech fall, and two wins by major decision. He clinched the championship at the Midwest Classic with back-to-back major decisions, defeating Ryan Moore of Thomas More (10-2) followed by a 15-7 win over No.7 Jacob Ealy of Pitt-Johnstown (15-7).
  • Bahr, who is 9-2 on the season, jumped up to No. 5 nationally in the 157 pound weight class following a third place finish at the Midwest Classic. He has four bonus point wins on the season, earning both a pair of wins by fall and tech falls. He went 4-0 in the final day in Indianapolis through the consolation bracket, beating No. 8 Drew Wiechers of Ashland due to injury in 0:55, and later defeated Keegan Roberson of UNC Pembroke by a 9-5 decision in the third place bout.
  • The final ranked wrestler for the Wolves is Jason Henschel Jr., who is No. 12 nationally at 133 pounds. The 2-time NJCAA National Runner-Up is 11-3 on the year with seven bonus point wins, four of which are wins by fall. He recorded a pair of first period pins on the opening day of the Midwest Classic against Ben Guilliam of Newberry (1:02) and Gavin Ritter of Findlay (1:05), however he bowed out in the first consolation match of day two as he was pinned by Evan Binder of Maryville (2:08).
  • Rocky Burkett is in his ninth season as the head coach at Northern State, posting a 57-63 career dual meet record.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Friday will be the first-ever meeting on the mats between West Liberty and Northern State.
  • The dual will feature a match-up of former college teammates turned head coaches as WLU's Danny Irwin and NSU's Rocky Burkett both stared at Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana, from 2002-04. Burkett was a 2003 NCAA Division III National Qualifier, and Irwin earned back-to-back national tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005.
POTENTIAL SECOND ROUND OPPONENTS (#8 INDIANAPOLIS OR #17 AUGUSTANA)
#8 INDIANAPOLIS STORYLINES
  • Indianapolis enters Friday's duals with an 0-2 record in dual meet competition this season, dropping a pair of match-ups with NCAA Division I competition at the Purdue Duals, 32-12 to Northern Illinois and 44-0 to Purdue.
  • In their last outing the Greyhounds finished sixth in the 44th annual Midwest Classic as four wrestlers placed in their home tournament. Derek Blubaugh won the 197 pound bracket, Jackson Hoover placed third at 149 pounds, Trey Sizemore was fourth at 174 pounds, and Blake Mulkey rounded out the group with a sixth place finish at 141 pounds.
  • No. 6 Mulkey enters the duals with a 13-4 record at 141 pounds and owns seven bonus point wins. After suffering an injury in a 1-0 loss to No. 5 Cayden Henschel of Parkside, he would be forced to take sixth place at the Midwest Classic.
  • Hoover, the No. 6 wrestler at 149 pounds, has posted a 16-4 record and eight bonus point wins to start the year. After falling in the quarterfinals of the Midwest Classic, he fought his way through the consolation rounds and earned a 7-0 win over Ethen Doty of Upper Iowa in the third place bout.
  • Sizemore, the third Greyhound to be ranked No. 6 nationally in his weight class, is 18-4 on the year at 174 pounds with 12 bonus point wins (ten of which are by fall). He also fell in the quarterfinal round of the Midwest Classic and had to fight his way back to the third place match, however he fell to No. 3 Cole Hernandez of Western Colorado in a 14-6 major decision.
  • Blubaugh is the highest ranked UIndy wrestler as he is No. 2 at 197 pounds with a 20-1 record with 16 bonus point wins. He has posted a total of seven wins by fall in 2023-24. Blubaugh battled to a 4-1 win in sudden victory-1 against No. 11 Tereus Henry of Fort Hays State to clinch the Midwest Classic championship.
  • Jason Warthan is in his 15th season as the head coach at Indianapolis, posting a 112-100 career dual meet record.
SERIES HISTORY
  • West Liberty and Indianapolis have gone head-to-head eight times in dual matches, resulting in a 4-4 tie in the all-time series record.
  • The Hilltoppers scored a 22-12 win over the Greyhounds the last time the teams met on the mat on January 15, 2012, at the Mid-Atlantic Duals in Ashland, Ohio.
#17 AUGUSTANA STORYLINES
  • Augustana enters Friday's duals with a 3-3 (1-1 NSIC) record in dual meet competition this season and owns a pair of top-25 duals wins, both occurring against Northern State when the Wolves were No. 11 (26-18) and No. 13 (21-13).
  • In their last outing the Vikings fell to No. 10 Nebraska Kearney, 25-17, to conclude the 2023 calendar year. The teams split the ten bouts, however the Lopers earned bonus points in all five victories. For Augie No. 1 Jaxon Rohman earned a 5-4 win by decision over Zachary Ourada at 125 pounds and No. 10 Hunter Burnett notched a 15-5 win by major decision over Daniel DeRosier at 141 pounds.
  • No. 1 Rohman sits atop the 125 pound weight class with an 8-1 record and five bonus point wins in 2023-24. His lone loss of the season came at the hands of NCAA Division I's Brandon Meredith of South Dakota State in a 14-3 major decision.
  • Burnett ranks No. 11 nationally at 141 pounds with a 2-0 mark on the year and one bonus point win. In his season debut he earned an 8-6 win by decision against Braydon Mogle of Northern State before recording the major decision in the most recent dual against UNK.
  • Cael Larson is the No. 10 wrestler at 149 pounds with a 7-2 record and three bonus point wins this year. He was last in action in the Vikings dual against Parkside when he earned an upset of then No. 6 Jalen Spuhler in a 9-5 decision.
  • No. 7 Cade Mueller has posted a 4-2 record at 184 pounds this season. He earned a 5-3 win by decision over Dylan Vodicka in the Vikings last outing against Nebraska Kearney, following an upset of No.5 Reece Worchek of Parkside in tiebreaker-1 (3-2).
  • Jason Reitmeier is in his 21st season as the head coach at Augustana, posting a 215-108 career dual meet record.
SERIES HISTORY
  • If the teams go head-to-head on Friday afternoon it would be the first-ever meeting between West Liberty and Augustana on the mats.
NATIONAL DUALS STORYLINES
  • In the 2024 bracket, 15 of the 16 programs are currently ranked within the top-25 of the NWCA Coaches' Poll and includes seven of the top-9 finishing teams at the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships.
  • The winner of No. 1 West Liberty vs. No. 18 Northern State will move on to face the winner of No. 8 Indianapolis vs. No. 17 Augustana at 4 p.m. (C.S.T.) / 5 p.m. (E.S.T.) on mat 12 Friday evening, while the loser of the two matches will meet on mat 16 at 4 p.m. (C.S.T.) / 5 p.m. (E.S.T.) on Friday evening.
  • Teams who advance to Saturday's rounds will see matches start at 9 a.m. (C.S.T.) / 10 a.m. (E.S.T.) in the consolation bracket and 11 a.m. (C.S.T.) / 12 p.m. (E.S.T.) in the winners bracket back in the UNI-Dome.
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