WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The No. 13 West Liberty University men's wrestling team defended its home mat Saturday evening, earning a 25-21 victory over No. 26 Western Colorado in a dual at Kelly Theatre.

The Hilltoppers entered the matchup ranked No. 13 in the NWCA preseason poll, while Western Colorado was just outside the top 25 at No. 26. West Liberty also featured three individually ranked wrestlers in its lineup, led by No. 2 Logan Davis at 125 pounds and No. 5 Parker Bentley at heavyweight. Oliver Byerly was ranked No. 9 at 184 pounds.

Davis opened the dual with a 14-5 major decision over Western Colorado's No. 5-ranked Devin Gomez, giving the Hilltoppers an early 4-0 lead.

Western Colorado answered with three consecutive victories. Zachary Bates earned a 13-1 major decision over Thomas Lobliner at 133 pounds, Hunter Bogner pinned Blake Reihner in 2:21 at 141, and No. 10-ranked Vincent Cabral recorded a 19-4 technical fall over Jayden Jett at 157 pounds. Ryan Dirksen added a fall over Bodie Morgan at 165 pounds, giving the visitors a 21-10 advantage.

West Liberty began its comeback at 149 pounds, where Noah Collins picked up a fall over Miles Harris in 3:34 to earn six team points.

The Hilltoppers then took control of the final four bouts to secure the dual victory. Gabe Blissenbach earned a 6-1 decision over No. 11-ranked Hunter Richardson at 174 pounds, followed by a 17-3 major decision from No. 9 Byerly over Sam Johnson at 184 pounds. Ben Bryan added a decision at 197 pounds, defeating Gabriel Cox 11-6 to put West Liberty ahead.

At heavyweight, No. 5 Bentley capped the evening with a 17-2 technical fall over Josiah Aldinger in 3:08, adding five team points and sealing the 25-21 win.

West Liberty earned five victories on the night, including two falls, two major decisions and a technical fall. The Hilltoppers collected 15 of their 25 team points in the final four weight classes to complete the comeback.

The victory gives West Liberty a strong home performance against a Western Colorado team just outside the NWCA preseason Top 25.

The Hilltoppers will host Lake Erie Friday at the ASRC for alumni night at 6:30 p.m.
 

Match Results

125: Logan Davis (WLU) over Devin Gomez (WCU) (MD 14-5)
133: Zachary Bates (WCU) over Thomas Lobliner (WLU) (MD 13-1)
141: Hunter Bogner (WCU) over Blake Reihner (WLU) (Fall 2:21)
149: Noah Collins (WLU) over Miles Harris (WCU) (Fall 3:34)
157: Vincent Cabral (WCU) over Jayden Jett (WLU) (TF 19-4 7:00)
165: Ryan Dirksen (WCU) over Bodie Morgan (WLU) (Fall 4:14)
174: Gabe Blissenbach (WLU) over Hunter Richardson (WCU) (Dec 6-1)
184: Oliver Byerly (WLU) over Sam Johnson (WCU) (MD 17-3)
197: Ben Bryan (WLU) over Gabriel Cox (WCU) (Dec 11-6)
285: Parker Bentley (WLU) over Josiah Aldinger (WCU) (TF 17-2 3:08)



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.