The No. 17 West Virginia University wrestling team will compete against No. 22 North Carolina on Friday at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be available for streaming on ACCNX.
West Virginia has started the season with a 5-0 record, marking its best opening since 1992. If the Mountaineers secure a win against North Carolina, they would reach a 6-0 start for the first time since 1990. This upcoming contest is the first meeting between these two programs since 2009. Historically, West Virginia holds a favorable record of 12 wins and two losses against North Carolina.
In their most recent competition, West Virginia finished fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which was their highest placement at this event since 2002. Graduate student Jett Strickenberger (125 pounds) and redshirt sophomore Ty Watters (157 pounds) each claimed individual titles at the invitational, becoming “the first Mountaineer duo to win individual titles at the same Las Vegas Invitational in program history.”
Freshman Gunner Andrick has begun his season with a record of 13-4 and has tied for the team lead in individual victories. Andrick also entered FloWrestling’s rankings this week at No. 25 in the 133-pound weight class. He is one of seven wrestlers on the team who have achieved ten or more wins so far this season; redshirt junior Brody Conley (174 pounds) also holds thirteen victories.
West Virginia’s projected lineup includes: Jett Strickenberger (No. 9 at 125), Gunner Andrick (No. 25 at 133), Jordan Titus (No. 33 at 141), Willie McDougald (149), Ty Watters (No.1 at 157), Shawn Taylor (165), Brody Conley/Leo Contino/Michael Baldwin (No.20/174), Ian Bush (No.19/184), Rune Lawrence (No.21/197), and Brock Kehler (heavyweight). These rankings are provided by FloWrestling.
North Carolina’s projected lineup features Kysen Terukina (No.16/125), Ethan Oakley (No.16/133), Luke Simcox (No.19/141), Nate Askew (149), Laird Root (No.33/157), Bryce Hepner (No.18/165), Marcus Murabito (174), Jake Dailey (184), Robert Platt (197) and either Nolan Lewis or Jacob Levy as heavyweight competitors, with rankings from InterMat.
Further details about West Virginia wrestling can be found on WVUsports.com or through their official social media channels on X, Instagram, and Facebook.