For the third straight year, the WVU wrestling team opened their season at the Southeast Open at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia on Saturday.
West Virginia was ranked No. 19 in the NWCA preseason poll as a team.
Ian Bush, No. 4 Peyton Hall, No. 3 Ty Watters and Sasha Gavronsky all picked up individual championships.
At 149, Watters, a sophomore reigning All-American, picked up two falls and two decisions en route to a championship. In the finals match he defeated North Carolina’s No. 7 Lachlan McNeil 4-1.
At 165, Hall, a fifth-year, four-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American had little trouble until the championship match. He picked up a technical fall, a major decision and two 8-1 decisions on his way to the finals. In the finals, he hung on to win 1-0 over Virginia Tech’s Mac Church.
At 184, Bush, a redshirt sophomore, named the team’s co-most improved wrestler last season as a reserve, impressed. He picked up two technical falls before upsetting North Carolina’s No. 19 Gavin Kane in the semi-finals 8-5. In the finals, he defeated North Dakota State’s Aidan Brenot by a major decision 12-0.
In the freshman/sophomore bracket, redshirt freshman Gavronsky won at 157. On his way to the championship, he picked up three decisions and one major decision on his way to the finals, where he defeated Virginia Tech’s Matt Henrich.
WVU’s 125, No. 18 Jett Strickenberger was a runner-up, being defeated by North Carolina’s No. 19 Spencer Moore in an 11-2 major decision in the championship. True freshman Hoke Hogan was also a runner-up at 184 in the freshman/sophomore bracket.
Redshirt junior Jace Schaffer placed third at 133, fifth-year senior Michael Wolfgram took fourth at heavyweight, redshirt senior Dennis Robin (184) and freshman Mason Kernan (133 in freshman/sophomore division) took fifth and freshman Rune Lawrence (197) and Anthony Clem (133 in freshman/sophomore division ) earned sixth.
The Mountaineers will host Glenville State on Wednesday in a dual. The match begins at 7 p.m. EST.
Photo courtesy of WVU Athletics
