WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The No. 13-ranked West Liberty University wrestling team faces a challenging weekend on the road and at home, beginning with a Friday night dual against No. 15 Pitt-Johnstown before returning to the Hilltop to host Western Colorado on Saturday evening at Kelly Theatre.

The Hilltoppers and Mountain Cats are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, before West Liberty welcomes the Mountaineers for a 5:30 p.m. dual Saturday. The matchup against Western Colorado will take place at Kelly Theatre on the West Liberty campus, providing a unique setting for the Hilltoppers' home dual.

West Liberty enters the weekend ranked No. 13 nationally in the NWCA Division II preseason tournament team rankings with 30 points and three individually ranked wrestlers. Pitt-Johnstown sits at No. 15 with 29 points and three ranked individuals, setting up a close matchup between two nationally ranked programs.

The Hilltoppers will have several important individual matchups against the Mountain Cats, including three bouts featuring nationally ranked wrestlers on both sides.

At 125 pounds, West Liberty's No. 2-ranked Logan Davis is scheduled to face Pitt-Johnstown's Tyson Cook. At 165 pounds, Brodie Morgan is projected to meet No. 6 Trent Hoover, while No. 9 Oliver Byerly will take on No. 7 Ty Morrison in a highly anticipated matchup at 184 pounds.

Another key matchup could come at 197 pounds, where Devin Kendrex is projected to face either No. 3 Bradley Morrison or Aiden Hight. West Liberty's No. 5-ranked heavyweight Parker Bentley is scheduled to close out the lineup against Ethan Osburn.

The Hilltoppers will also look to get strong contributions from Landon Hoffman (133), Blake Reihner (141), Joey Sentipal (149), Jayden Jett (157) and Gabe Blissenbach (174).

Following Friday's road test, West Liberty will return home for an intriguing matchup against Western Colorado. The Mountaineers received 15.5 points in the NWCA preseason rankings, placing them among the teams receiving votes nationally.

Western Colorado also features several nationally ranked individuals, including No. 5 Devin Gomez at 125 pounds, No. 10 Vinny Cabral at 157 pounds and No. 11 Hunter Richardson at 184 pounds.

The weekend provides the Hilltoppers with an opportunity to measure themselves against nationally recognized competition while continuing to build momentum early in the season.

West Liberty will look to make the most of its home-crowd advantage Saturday as the Hilltoppers take the mat against Western Colorado at 5:30 p.m. inside Kelly Theatre.




West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.