2021-22 Season Preview

After going 7-3 and receiving seven votes in the NCAA poll to end the abbreviated 2021 season, West Virginia’s wrestling team is back for a total of 16 events in a march toward another appearance at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships “The guys are really excited for this season,” coach Tim Flynn said “We have a really good group of freshmen together with upperclassman that are a year older, a year stronger and a year better There has been a lot of optimism since we arrived three seasons ago, and this season shall be no different ”

2021-22

SEASON PREVIEW

Flynn has installed a fourth-season slate filled with many obstacles along the journey to the postseason Highlighting the 16 dates are seven duals against top-25 competition according to the latest InterMat team dual rankings, which includes home showcases against Oklahoma in the home opener (Nov 13), Oklahoma State in the final tri-meet of the season (Jan. 16), and Wyoming to close out the regular season “It is a real challenging schedule for sure, just with the Big 12 Conference alone,” Flynn explained “Obviously you have Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State, and the addition of Wyoming becoming a top-20, top-15 program, but now we add two top-10 programs in NC State and Virginia Tech You put that all together and we probably have one of the toughest schedules in the country ” The Mountaineers challenge NC State (Nov 21) on the second day of a four-match road trip and rival Virginia Tech (Jan 9) in the second week of the new year, followed by South Dakota State (Jan 28), and Iowa State in a pair of Big 12 duals as part of 11 events away from the Coliseum

Here’s what you need to know heading into the new campaign:

• West Virginia returns eight starters from its young squad a season ago and will begin the 2021-22 season with a foursome of wrestlers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including All-American Killian Cardinale at 125 pounds • The redshirt senior ranks as high as No 9 in the FloWrestling rankings, while securing 10th by InterMat and WIN Magazine

He placed seventh at the NCAA Championships to earn WVU’s first All-America honors since Zeke Moisey (2018) became an

All-American in the same weight class • Cardinale was also one of three Mountaineers to land on the NWCA

Scholar All-American Team alongside sophomore Peyton Hall • As a freshman, Hall qualified for the NCAA Championship at 165 pounds after finishing the regular season second on team with 16 wins He ranks in the top 20 all three lists, including No 14 by FloWrestling and No 16 by InterMat and WIN Magazine • Sophomore Michael Wolfgram was named a FloWrestling honorable mention among the heavyweight division, which slots him in the top 25 • Wolfgram went 10-6 a season ago, which included three major decisions and a win over a ranked opponent • After receiving seven votes in the NWCA Coaches Poll to conclude the 2021 season, West Virginia appears in the top 40 of two publications FloWrestling ranked the Mountaineers 37th, while WIN Magazine put them at 40th • West Virginia welcomed an eight-man freshmen class to Morgantown this fall The class includes a duo ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight classes by WIN Magazine • Freshman Jordan Titus ranked sixth at 132 pounds, while Davin

Rhoads ranked 18th at 138 pounds • The 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are currently scheduled for March 17-19, in Detroit, Michigan for the first time in NCAA history It is also the fourth time that the Championships will be held in the state of Michigan, with the last time being in 2007 (Auburn Hills) Additionally, the Big 12 Championship will return to the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the sixth consecutive year on March 5-6