WVU Set for Pair of Big 12 Road Duals
BROOKINGS, S.D. (February 11, 2016) – Fresh off an upset of then-No. 17 Pitt last weekend, the West Virginia University wrestling team (6-8, 0-2) will face a pair of ranked Big 12 foes on the road this weekend. The Mountaineers will travel to Brookings, South Dakota, to face No. 24 South Dakota State (12-5, 5-1) in an 8 p.m. ET match at Frost Arena on Friday before heading to Ames, Iowa, for a 3 p.m. tilt with No. 16 Iowa State (9-5, 1-2) on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum.
Live stats for both duals can be found at TrackWrestling.com. Friday’s match at South Dakota State will be streamed live on FloWrestling.org, while Sunday’s dual at Iowa State can be found on Cyclones.tv.
The 2015 season marks the first ever meeting between WVU and SDSU. The two share a number of common opponents this season, as both have faced Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State. The Jackrabbits, who recently joined the Big 12, will also take on Oklahoma on Sunday.
Sunday is the 17th all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and the Cyclones. Though not the most prolific, it is one of the longest-running series in WVU program history as the teams first squared off in 1922. Iowa State holds a 15-1 lead, with West Virginia's last win coming in 2003. The Mountaineers hosted the Cyclones as part of Cradles for Cancer in Morgantown last February, falling to then No. 8 ranked ISU, 27-7. Zeke Moisey won a major decision at 125 over Kyle Larson, while A.J. Vizcarrondo topped Quean Smith, 5-4, at heavyweight.
South Dakota State is one of six new affiliate members added to the Big 12 in the summer of 2015. In addition to the Jackrabbits, the league added North Dakota State, Wyoming, Northern Colorado, Air Force and Utah Valley. The six programs will join Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and West Virginia at the 2016 Big 12 Wrestling Championship in Kansas City this March.
Five Mountaineers are ranked in the top 33 of their respective weights in the second NCAA Coaches' Panel Index while seven total WVU wrestlers are in the top-33 in RPI, released by the NCAA on Thursday. Moisey ranks at No. 14 in the CPI and 13th in RPI at 125 pounds, while freshman Keegan Moore ranks 30th in RPI at 133. Dylan Cottrell is 16th at 157 pounds in the CPI and 17th in RPI. Freshman Connor Flynn is 31st at 165 pounds in the CPI after having his redshirt pulled in early December. Bubba Scheffel has moved up to 27th in the CPI and 14th in RPI after upsetting No. 15 Pete Renda of N.C. State 184 pounds last week. Jacob A. Smith rounds out the WVU crew in the CPI, ranking at No. 11 at 197. Smith ranks third in RPI. Tony DeAngelo also appears in the top-33 for RPI, ranking 21st at 141 pounds, while Vizcarrondo is 29th at heavyweight in the CPI. The rankings are used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA National Championships in New York City.
Following their road trip, the Mountaineers return home to cap their home slate on Friday, Feb. 19, when they host Clarion in an 8 p.m. dual. The four members of the senior class will be honored during the match.
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