Sports@DominionPost.com
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After posting a 2-1 record in its season-opening weekend, the West Virginia University wrestling team welcomes Bucknell and No. 19 Oklahoma to Morgantown for a tri-meet on Sunday beginning with a dual against the Bison at 2 p.m. ET, inside the WVU Coliseum.
Bucknell (0-0) and Oklahoma (0-1) will take the mat for the second match of the day, before the Mountaineers (2-1) meet the Sooners for their first Big 12 contest of the season at approximately 5 p.m. A 12-minute intermission is scheduled to take place following each match.
Sunday’s action will be carried live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the conference’s digital platform, with Tony Onorato and Eric Little on the call. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It also is available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.
Live stats will be available through TrackWrestling.com. Direct links to the video stream and live stats can be found on the wrestling schedule page at WVUsports.com.
Due to safety precautions from the COVID-19 pandemic, only essential game operations personnel and families of the wrestlers and wrestling staff will be admitted into the arena.
WVU started the 2021 season with a pair of wins over Kent State and Ohio, before dropping a hard-fought match to No. 8 Virginia Tech on Jan. 10, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers posted a 22-9 win over the Golden Flashes, followed by a 36-3 victory over the Bobcats. Despite two wins under its belt, WVU suffered a 24-10 setback to the Hokies in the squad’s final dual of the weekend.
“I don’t want to wait to win,” third-year coach Tim Flynn said. “With teams, the sum of the parts can be greater. In wrestling, you’re out against one guy. I keep trying to tell them that they can win as freshman. You are allowed. I have seen it done. I see it happen every year. We have a pretty good feel for where we are, but I think we can win right away. Trust the climb. We do trust the climb, but I want to climb right now. We are tired of losing.”
Redshirt junior Noah Adams (197) and freshman Peyton Hall (165) each recorded a 3-0 mark in their respective weight classes to start the season undefeated.
Following last weekend’s competition, Adams extended his win streak to 35, which dates back to Nov. 3, 2019. The Coal City, West Virginia, native remains in the top spot at 197 pounds by Intermat, FloWrestling and The Open Mat. Hall, a native of Chester, West Virginia, also entered the national rankings for the first time in his collegiate career last week, appearing as high as No. 24 by FloWrestling at 165 pounds.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup against BU marks just the second meeting between the squads. The two previously met at a neutral site in 2015, with WVU earning a 19-15 victory in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Mountaineers and the No. 19-ranked Sooners will go head-to-head for the 11th time since 1986. OU owns an 8-2 all-time series advantage, with WVU’s last win coming in 2018. Last season, West Virginia dropped a 22-18 match at Oklahoma.
Adams and Jake Woodley of Oklahoma will square off for the fourth time overall and the third time in dual action this weekend. Woodley holds a 2-1 record against Adams. However, it was Adams who came out on top last season, earning a 6-1 decision in dual action. The last time Woodley captured a win over Adams was at the 2019 Big 12 Wrestling Championship.
Oklahoma is led by fifth-year coach Lou Rosselli, a 1993 graduate of Edinboro. Flynn served as an assistant at Edinboro during Rosselli’s final two years as a wrestler for the Fighting Scots. Rosselli also spent 11 years as an assistant at his alma mater, including a stint under Flynn who was the Edinboro head coach for over 20 years.
Looking ahead, West Virginia will take a week off before competing against Big 12 affiliate Northern Colorado on Jan. 31 at noon inside the WVU Coliseum.
