Wolfgram Named Student-Athlete of the Week

Photo by: Reagan Garner

January 08, 2024 01:26 PM | General, Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Basketball, Gymnastics, Women's Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, Wrestling

VSR Jan. 8 , 2024

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - After claiming a walk-off victory in the final match of the Battle on the Boardwalk event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, redshirt senior Michael Wolfgram of the West Virginia University wrestling team has been named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments.

Wolfgram took down Columbia's Billy McChesney three times, added an escape and a four-point nearfall to seal the five team points West Virginia needed to secure the 22-21 win over the Lions.

The York, Pennsylvania, native improved to 16-6 overall and 12-6 against Division I opponents while assisting the Mountaineers to their best record through nine duals (8-1) since 1990.

WVU plays host to its second top-25 matchup of the season against No. 9 Oklahoma State on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m. ET.

This Week in Women's Basketball: The Mountaineers are set for two road contests this week in Big 12 Conference play … WVU opens competition with a 7:30 p.m. ET meeting with Iowa State on Wednesday, Jan. 10, in Ames, Iowa, at the Hilton Coliseum … the Mountaineers close out the week with a noon matchup against UCF on Saturday, Dec. 13, in Orlando, Florida, at Addition Financial Arena.

Last Week in Women's Basketball: West Virginia opened the week with a 68-53 win over Cincinnati on Jan. 3, at the WVU Coliseum … Kyah Watson led the way with 14 points, as Jordan Harrison finished with seven rebounds and four assists … the Mountaineers then dropped its first contest of the season, a 70-49 loss to No. 10 Texas on Jan. 6 … JJ Quinerly produced her seventh 20-point game of the season with 22 points to go along with four rebounds, four steals and one assist … Harrison joined her in double figures with 10 points ... Tirzah Moore paced WVU on the glass with six rebounds.

Notes: The Mountaineers finished the nonconference schedule with a perfect 11-0 mark … it is just the sixth time in program history a team has finished with a perfect nonconference record … the Mountaineers have been ranked in the AP poll for three straight weeks and currently sit at No. 24 in the poll … West Virginia leads the nation in steals per game (14.9) and turnover margin (9.6).

This Week in Wrestling: West Virginia plays host to its second top-25 matchup of the season against No. 9 Oklahoma State on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m. ET ... the dual will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Last Week in Wrestling: No. 20 West Virginia opened up the new year with a 22-21 victory over Columbia on Jan. 7, in Cage Fury Fighting Championships' (CFFC) "Battle on the Boardwalk" at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey … with CU holding a 21-17 lead heading into the final match of the contest, WVU secured the one-point win after redshirt senior Michael Wolfgram captured a 15-0 tech. fall to give the Mountaineers the five team points needed for the outright win … this featured matchup between West Virginia and Columbia marked the seventh of nine total events taking place across the country as part of the Match Day live-event series throughout the 2023-24 season … WVU also was one of five Big 12 members in addition to one of 17 schools overall selected to participate in the first edition of the CFFC Match Day series ... other teams selected include No. 2 Missouri, No. 4 NC State No. 5 Iowa State, No. 17 Oregon State, No. 18 Stanford, No. 24 Appalachian State, RV Illinois (7), RV Campbell (5), RV Wisconsin (4), Army, Cleveland State, Columbia, North Dakota State, Presbyterian, Purdue and Wyoming.

Notes: WVU stands at 8-1 overall and 2-1 against Big 12 competition … it marks the first time that West Virginia has jumped out to an 8-1 start since 1990 … updated national individual rankings will be announced later this afternoon, while team rankings will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

This Week in Swimming and Diving: West Virginia renews the Backyard Brawl with Pittsburgh at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W.Va.

Last Week in Swimming and Diving: West Virginia did not compete.

Notes: Senior Danny Berlitz leads the men's swimming team this season with 14 individual victories ... he won three individual events at the WVU Invitational in November ... freshman Trevor Hudson has been a spark for the Mountaineers, placing third in the 1650-yard freestyle event at the WVU Invitational. Hudson has placed as high as second in two events this season – the 1000-yard freestyle (9:25.67) and the 500-yard (4:33.29) freestyle against Cincinnati ... sophomore Mia Cheatwood remains a strong presence in the water for West Virginia, winning eight events this year. She most recently won two events at the WVU Invitational – the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.46) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:10.60) ... freshman Chloe Hickman has also performed well for the Mountaineers, placing in the top three in four individual events this season. She most recently finished in third place in the 400-yard individual medley (4:23.12) at the WVU Invitational.

This Week in Gymnastics: The Mountaineers prepare for their first road trip of the season, as they travel to Champaign, Illinois, for a quad meet against the Illinois, Western Michigan and UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, Jan. 13 … the meet is slated for 3 p.m. ET inside Huff Hall.
Last Week in Gymnastics: West Virginia earned a first-place finish in its season-opening dual meet against Temple inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown on Jan. 7 … the Mountaineers posted a team score of 193.8, while the Owls placed second with a final score of 191.9 … WVU opened the meet on vault, scoring a meet-high 48.7 team total … all six gymnasts posted a 9.7or higher, led by a trio of 9.75's from senior Kiana Lewis, sophomore Carlee Nelson and junior Sierra Muns … on bars, the Mountaineers hit six-of-six routines for a 48.675, with sophomore Emma Wehry pacing the lineup with a 9.825 … on beam, sophomore Miranda Smith made her career debut on the event and paced the lineup with a 9.8, but unfortunately a fall was counted for a 47.95 event score … capping the meet of floor exercise, WVU was led by two 9.775 scores from fifth-year senior Abbie Pierson and freshman Jurnee Lane for a team total of 48.475 … in the final event results, Wehry collected her first event win of the season on bars, while Smith earned her first career event victory in a tie for first on beam.

Notes: Muns, Lane and freshmen Julia Brown, Amber Lowe and Jayden McDonnell made their Mountaineer career debuts against the Owls last week … WVU opened its season at home for the first time since 2021, moving to 11-12 in season openers under 13th-year head coach Jason Butts … the 2024 campaign marks the 50-year anniversary of the Mountaineer gymnastics program, as West Virginia will celebrate 50 years of varsity status, dating back to 1974 … WVU sits at No. 32 overall in the first week of the Road to Nationals rankings … Pierson returns for her fifth season of competition at West Virginia, as she leads the team with 49 meets competed in her career.

This Week in Indoor Track and Field: West Virginia opens the season on Saturday, Jan. 13, at the PSU Nittany Lion Challenge in University Park, Pa. … Saturday's meet will take place at the Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track and kicks off at 11 a.m. ET.

Notes: The Mountaineers kick off the 2024 campaign at the PSU Nittany Lion Challenge … West Virginia returns 20 student athletes to the track, including standout runners redshirt junior Ceili McCabe, redshirt senior Mikenna Vanderheyden and redshirt senior Charlotte Wood … WVU added 13 freshman and two transfers to the 2024 track and field roster ... the first indoor track rankings will be released Jan. 22 by the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).