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TULSA, Okla. – Redshirt junior Noah Adams (197) and freshman Peyton Hall (165) led the West Virginia wrestling team in the first session of the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship, as the duo advanced to the semifinals in their respective weight classes on Saturday afternoon, at the BOK Center, in Tulsa, Okla.
Adams, the No. 3 seed at 197 pounds, received a first-round bye before claiming a hard-fought, 3-2 decision over No. 6-seed Marcus Coleman of Iowa State in the quarterfinals. Adams scored a first-period takedown for the 2-1 advantage. He then used an escape in the second period to increase his lead to two at 3-1. Coleman started the third in the defensive position, cutting his deficit to one with an escape, but it wasn’t enough, as Adams rode out the clock for the victory.
With the win, Adams advanced to his second consecutive semifinal match at the conference tournament. He faces Wyoming’s Stephen Buchanan, who comes in as the No. 2 seed at 197 pounds, later this evening. The two grapplers will square off for the fifth time overall and the third time this season, with the all-time series tied at 2-2. Buchanan snapped Adams’ 39-match win streak with an 8-7 win on Feb. 6, followed by a 6-4 victory at the Cowboy Challenge on Feb. 14. Adams topped Buchanan twice in 2020, most notably earning a 7-4 decision in last year’s semifinal match.
The No. 2 seed at 165 pounds, Hall picked up a 7-6 victory over Utah Valley’s Koy Wilkinson in the round of 16. He then scored a 5-4 win over No. 7-seed Austin Yant of Northern Iowa in the quarterfinal round, advancing to his first Big 12 semifinal match. He squares off with No. 3-seed Cole Moody of Wyoming later this evening. The two previously met on Feb. 6, with Hall claiming a 7-6 decision at Wyoming.
Redshirt junior Killian Cardinale (125) and redshirt freshman Jeffrey Boyd (141) also picked up wins in the round of 16 to start the first session, but later dropped hard-fought battles in the quarterfinals to fall in the consolation pool of their respective weight classes.
Redshirt freshman Anthony Carman, seeded at No. 6, earned a first-round bye in the 184-pound division, but suffered a 12-4 setback to No. 3-seed Dakota Geer of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals to fall in the consolation bracket with the remaining Mountaineers.
Additionally, redshirt sophomore Alex Hornfeck (157), sophomore Scott Joll (174) and redshirt freshman Michael Wolfgram (HWT) will be in action in the consolation bracket.
Of note, redshirt freshman Ryan Sullivan, the No. 2 seed in the 133-pound weight class, suffered an injury in his first match of the day.
West Virginia is tied for ninth place with 18 points. Oklahoma State leads the way with 63 points, followed by Wyoming with 54 points. Oklahoma (45), Iowa State (40) and Northern Iowa (34.5) round out the top five.
The semifinals and consolation quarterfinals will start at 6 p.m. and will be carried live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with live stats on TrackWrestling.
Round of 16
125: Killian Cardinale (WVU) dec. McGwire Midkiff (North Dakota State), 6-2
133: Jack Skudlarzyk (Northern Iowa) wins by injury default Ryan Sullivan (WVU), INJ 4:09
141: Jeffrey Boyd (WVU) dec. Lenny Petersen (Air Force), 5-4
157: Jacob Wright (Wyoming) dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVU), 7-1
165: Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. Koy Wilkinson (Utah Valley), 7-6
174: Cody Surratt (Air Force) dec. Scott Joll (WVU), 3-1
HWT: Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) wins by fall Michael Wolfgram (WVU), F 6:59
Quarterfinals:
125: Danny Vega (South Dakota State) wins by fall Killian Cardinale (WVU), F 5:25
141: DJ Lloren (Fresno State) dec. Jeffrey Boyd (WVU), 4-0
165: Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. Austin Yant (Northern Iowa), 5-4
184: Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) major dec. Anthony Carman (WVU), 12-4
197: Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State), 3-2
