The No. 21 ranked West Virginia University wrestling team will open its dual meet season against American University at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C., on Saturday at noon. The match marks the first meeting between the two programs and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available for purchase.
This year, the Mountaineers start their season on the road for the first time since 2020. The team has not lost a season opener since 2022 and began last season with a 3-0 record for the third consecutive year. Since head coach Tim Flynn took over in 2019, West Virginia has dropped only two season openers.
Seven Mountaineer wrestlers enter the new campaign ranked in FloWrestling’s top-33. NCAA All-American redshirt sophomore Ty Watters and graduate student Jett Strickenberger, who won the Big 12 title in 2025, headline this year’s roster. Flynn also added three-time NCAA qualifier Willie McDougald from Oklahoma to strengthen the lineup.
Watters started his individual season with an overtime victory (7-2) against Stanford’s Daniel Cardenas at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic.
Strickenberger is ranked No. 6 at 125 pounds while McDougald is No. 14 at 149 pounds. Other ranked Mountaineers include redshirt senior Jordan Titus (No. 29 at 141), redshirt juniors Brody Conley (No. 22 at 174) and Ian Bush (No.18 at 184), Watters (No.4 at 157), and redshirt freshman Rune Lawrence (No.26 at 197).
West Virginia officially began its season last week at the Southeast Open, where three Mountaineers—freshman Gunner Andrick (133 pounds), freshman Leo Contino (165 pounds), and Conley (174 pounds)—won titles in their respective divisions.
The projected starting lineup for West Virginia includes: Strickenberger or Louie Gill (125), Andrick (133), Titus (141), McDougald or TJ Langley (149), Watters (157), Shawn Taylor or Contino (165), Conley (174), Bush (184), Lawrence (197) and Brock Kehler in heavyweight.
American’s projected lineup features JJ Peace or Coen Bainey (125); Raymond Lopez or Maximilian Leete, who is ranked No.26 by FloWrestling, at 133; Jack Maida (141); Gage Owen (149); Kaden Milheim (157); Austin Craft (165); Hunter Hohman or Liam Packer (174); Caleb Campos, ranked No.28, at 184; Teage Calvin or Caleb Close(197); and Emmanuel Ulrich as heavyweight.
For further details about West Virginia wrestling, visit WVUsports.com or follow WVUWrestling on X, Instagram, and Facebook.