Wrestling: WVU Set For National Duals
January 20, 2005 05:06 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
January 21, 2005
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The 17th-ranked West Virginia University wrestling team travels to Cleveland, Ohio, to take part in the 2005 NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals on Jan. 22-23.
The Mountaineers will join the nation's top collegiate wrestling programs to battle for the national dual meet championship, presented by Hershey's SmartZone Bar. For the second straight year the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Cleveland State University will play host to the event.
West Virginia begins their run through the duals by facing Illinois, the No. 2 seed and 2nd-ranked team in the country. A win would match the Mountaineers with the winner of the Oklahoma/Penn State dual, while a loss would send WVU to the consolation bracket to face the loser of that match.
Eight Division I NCAA champions, including WVU's two-time champion Greg Jones, are competing in the event alongside the Mountaineers.
This weekend marks West Virginia's ninth all-time appearance at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The National Duals were initiated during the 1988-89 season to allow 16 teams to go head-to-head in a bracket format to determine the top dual meet team in the country.
The Mountaineers’ first appearance came in 1991 with an eighth-place finish. The Mountaineers have only placed one other time with a sixth-place finish in 1998, the same season WVU finished seventh at the NCAA Tournament.
Division I Pairings
Match 1, Mat 1 - No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. The Citadel
Match 2, Mat 2 - No. 8 Cornell vs. Cleveland State
Match 3, Mat 3 - No. 5 Hofstra vs. Northern Iowa
Match 4, Mat 4 - No. 4 Lehigh vs. California-Poly
Match 5, Mat 5 - No. 3 Michigan vs. Arizona State
Match 6, Mat 6 - No. 6 Minnesota vs. Central Michigan
Match 7, Mat 7 - No. 7 Oklahoma vs. Penn State
Match 8, Mat 8 - No. 2 Illinois vs. West Virginia
All matches begin Saturday, Jan. 22, at 11:00 a.m.
West Virginia resumes dual meet action with its home opener against nationally-ranked Hofstra on Jan. 29, at 1:00 p.m. Veteran head coach Craig Turnbull and Olympic freestyle coach Zeke Jones will conduct a youth clinic prior to Saturday’s contest. Check back early next week for clinic details.
