WVU Wrestling’s Cardinale, Carman Star in Early Rounds of Midlands Championships

West Virginia wrestling had a solid Thursday at the Midlands Championships, which saw two semifinalists and others who are still competing for a top seven placement.

125 Pound Weight Class

Redshirt first-year Jace Schaffer (8-9) lost both matches on Thursday. He lost in a major decision, 9-1, to No. 1 seeded Wisconsin senior Eric Barnett in the First Round and then lost a 6-4 decision to Cleveland State first-year Ben Aranada in the Consolation Round.

Junior Colton Drousias (3-7) defeated Thomas More redshirt junior Shay Horton in the First Round in a 2-0 decision. He lost in a 12-3 major decision to No. 5 Penn sophomore Ryan Kelly in the Second Round and lost again in the Consolation Round to Indiana junior Jacob Moran in a major decision, 13-5.

No. 3 fifth year senior Killian Cardinale (3-0) won three matches on Thursday to make it to the Semifinals. He took down Franklin & Mars Mason Leiphart in a fall at 2:16, defeated Princeton Nicholas Kayal in a 10-3 decision and then finished off George Mason Markel Baker in a 12-6 decision in the quarterfinals.

Cardinale takes on No. 2 Arizona State Brandon Courtney on Friday in the Semifinals.

141 Pound Weight Class

Sophomore Michael Dolan (12-6) suffered a fall at 5:55 to No. 9 unattached Rutgers Joe Olivieri in the First Round. He won two bouts in the Consolation Rounds, with a 6-1 decision over unattached Missouri Trey Crawford and then a sudden victory, 4-2, against Wisconsin Felix Lettini. He finished his day with a close sudden victory loss, 3-2, to unattached Cleveland State Dylan Layton.

Redshirt first-year Jordan Titus (11-7) had a First Round-bye and then lost a 5-1 decision to No. 3 Northwestern Frankie Tal Shahar in the Second Round. He won his next two bouts in the Consolation Rounds against Penn Kelly Dunnigan, 8-4 decision, and then Cleveland State Caleb Rea, 11-4 decision, before losing to No. 8 seeeded Penn Carmen Ferrante, in a 6-2 decision.

149 Pound Weight Class

No. 5 junior Sam Hillegas (12-4) had a First Round-bye, earned a fall at 0:33 on Brown Umihiko Saito in the Second Round and then another fall at 0:46 on George Mason Nate Higley in the Round of 16. He lost in a close bout, 4-2 decision, to SIU-Edwardsville Caleb Tyus in the Quarterfinals.

Hillegas wrestles against No. 9 Lehigh Max Brignola in the Consolation Rounds on Friday.

Redshirt junior Jeffrey Boyd (10-7) had a First Round-bye then defeated Harvard Jack Crook in a 5-4 decision in the Second Round. He lost to No. 6 Virginia Jarod Verkleeren in a 6-5 decision in the Round of 16 and lost again to J. Mann in the Consolation Rounds in an 8-5 decision to unattached Jacob Mann.

157 Pound Weight Class

Junior Caleb Dowling (10-6) fought hard, but lost in a 3-1 sudden victory to No. 7 Indiana David Gilcher in the First Round. He then lost to Virginia Nic Sansone in a 5-3 decision in the Consolation Rounds.

165 Pound Weight Class

No. 3 junior Peyton Hall (13-2) made it to the Quarterfinals after a First Round-bye, a 15-8 decision over Harvard Michael Bobola in the Second Round and a 6-3 decision over Indiana Tyler Lillard in the Round of 16. He lost a close bout, 7-6 decision, to No. 6 Illinois Dan Braunagel in the Quarterfinals.

Hall wrestles No. 10 Rhode Island Nathan Lackman in the Consolation Rounds on Friday.

174 Pound Weight Class

First-year Brody Conley wrestled unattached at the Midlands. He pinned Central Michigan Leonardo Galasso at 4:37 in the First Round, before losing a difficult 3-1 sudden victory to No. 1 Illinois Edmond Ruth in the Round of 16. He then won a 6-3 decision over T. Lawrence and pinned C. Valencia at 4:46 to keep competing in the Consolation Rounds.

Senior Scott Joll (8-5) pinned Northwestern Andre Rocker at 2:24 in the First Round, but lost to No. 3 Penn Nick Inconterra in the Round of 16. Joll upset the next two wrestlers he faced in the Consolation Rounds. He earned a 15-2 major decision over No. 4 Rutgers Jackson Turley and pinned No. Victor Marcelli at 4:19 to stay in the race for a top seven spot.

Conley wrestles Wisconsin Jim Otto on Friday and Joll faces off against rival Pitt first-year Luca Augustine on Friday.

184 Pound Weight Class

No. 3 Redshirt junior Anthony Carman (12-3) made it to the semifinals in a brilliant day of wrestling. After a First Round-bye, he earned a technical fall, 19-1 decision, over Omega Traini Mike Kelly, a 6-2 decision against George Mason Malachi DuVall in the Round of 16 and a close 6-4 decision over unattached NC State Dylan Fishback in the Quarterfinals.

Carman takes on rival No. 2 Pitt Reece Heller in the Semifinals on Friday.

No. 8 junior Dennis Robin (10-7) wrestled unattached and defeated rival Pitt redshirt sophomore James Lledo in a 15-4 major decision in the First Round. He then lost a major decision himself, 14-2, to Northwestern Evan Bates.

Robin wrestled well in the Consolation Rounds, as he defeated Harvard Luke Rada in a 5-4 decision and pinned Duvall at 1:01. He lost a 6-4 decision to Princeton Nate Dugan to end his hopes of a top seven placement.

197 Pound Weight Class

No. 5 redshirt sophomore Austin Cooley (12-3) won a major decision, 11-2, over Princeton Aidan Conner in the First Round and an 11-6 decision against Cleveland State Anthony Perrine in the Round of 16. He suffered an injury at the 4:20 mark against rival No. 4 Pitt first-year Mac Stout and forfeited.

Cooley wrestles against SIU Edwardsville Ryan Yarnell in the Consolation Rounds on Friday if he is healthy and ready to go.

Heavyweight Class

No. 8 redshirt junior Michael Wolfgram (11-5) moved on to the Round of 16 after Virginia Jesse Knight suffered a medical forfeit. He then lost to rival Pitt first-year Dayton Pitzer, in a 10-0 major decision, putting him in the Consolation Rounds.

He defeated NC State Chase Horne in a major decision, 11-3, and a 6-1 decision against Princeton Travis Stefanik, which means he wrestles against No. 3 Harvard Yaraslau Slavikouski on Friday.

Schedule for Friday-Semifinals Apperances

125-No. 3 Killian Cardinale vs. No. 2 Arizona State Brandon Courtney

184-No. 3 Anthony Carman vs. No. 2 Pitt Reece Heller

Consolation Rounds

149-No. 5 Sam Hillegas vs. No. 9 Lehigh Max Brignola

165-No. 3 Payton Hall vs. No. 10 Rhode Island Nathan Lackman

174-Unattached Brody Conley vs. Wisconsin Jim Otto

174-Scott Joll vs. Pitt Luca Augustine

197-No. 5 Austin Cooley vs. SIU Edwardsville Ryan Yarnell

Heavyweight-No. 8 Michael Wolfgram vs. No. 3 Harvard Yaraslau Slavikouski

Semifinals, Consolations and Seventh Place matches start at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. The Final session, which includes first, third and fifth place matches start at 7:05 p.m. Friday.