2022-23 Wrestling Roster
Killian Cardinale
- Weight:
- 125
- Class:
- Fifth Year
- Hometown:
- Bristow, Va.
- High School:
- Brentsville District HS
- Prev School:
- Old Dominion
2023-24 (5th)
- NCAA All-American
- NWCA Scholar All-American
- Eighth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships
- Eighth WVU wrestler to be named an All-American multiple times
- NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
- CSC Academic All-District
- Academic All-Big 12 First Team
- Team's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award winner
- Team's Mountain Man Award winner
- Team Captain
- Defeated No. 15-seed Brett Ungar in the blood round to clinch a spot on the podium at the NCAA tournament (March 16-18)
- Knocked off No. 5-seed Caleb Smith of Appalachian State and No. 21-seed Jore Volk of Wyoming to reach the NCAA quarterfinals
- Sixth-place finisher at the 58th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30)
- Led off with 5-3 decision over Colton Camacho in the 24-11 victory over No. 21 Pitt (Jan. 8)
- Scored a 3-2 decision over No. 22 Joey Prata of Oklahoma (Jan. 20)
- WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 20)
- Earned the No. 1 seed in the 125-pound weight bracket at the Big 12 Championship
- Earned the No. 28 seed as an at-large berth in the 125-pound weight bracket at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
2021-22 (r-Sr.)
- NWCA Scholar All-American
- Top-12 finisher at the NCAA Championships
- NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
- Big 12 Champion
- Academic All-Big 12 First Team
- Started and recorded a 16-3 overall record at 125 pounds, including a 9-1 record against Big 12 competition
- Led the team with 10 wins over ranked opponents
- Defeated No. 21 Taylor LaMont of Utah Valley, 10-8, in sudden victory to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals (March 18)
- Claimed an 8-3 decision over 2021 Big 12 Champion Brody Teske of Northern Iowa in the finals of the Big 12 Championship (March 6)
- Collected four straight wins, including three bonus-point victories, en route to a runner-up finish at the prestigious Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2)
- Earned the No. 5 seed in the 125-pound weight bracket at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
- Closed out the season ranked in the top 15 of several wrestling publications
- WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 7)
- Team’s Mountain Man Award winner
- Team Captain
- Earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorder as part of the WVU School of Medicine
2020-21 (r-Jr.)
- NCAA All-American
- NWCA Scholar All-American
- Scholar All-American Team member (WVU: first time since 2009)
- NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
- Placed seventh at the NCAA Championships
- Took third at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship
- Led the team with a 17-6 record, including eight wins over ranked opponents
- Went 9-2 in his first year against Big 12 competition
- Recorded two 9-1 major decisions, with the first coming against Cleveland State’s Jake Manley (Jan. 23) and the second coming against Fresno State’s Anthony Molton at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship (March 6)
- WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 22)
- Closed out the season ranked in the top 20 of several wrestling publications
- Entered his first season at WVU after spending three seasons at Old Dominion
2019-20 (r-So.) – At Old Dominion
- Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Academic Team
- NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
- National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I All-America Honorable Mention
- Finished the season ranked in the top 15 of several wrestling publications
- Advanced to the 2020 MAC Championship finals in the 125-pound weight bracket
- Led the team in wins with a 25-9 record, including six victories over ranked opponents
- Was twice named MAC Wrestler of the Week
2018-19 (r-Fr.) – At Old Dominion
- MAC All-Academic Team
- Competed at 133 pounds for most of the season, posting a 12-18 overall record
- Recorded four wins by decision, one major decision, three tech. falls and one pin
2017-18 (Fr.) – At Old Dominion
- Redshirted and wrestled unattached at 125 pounds in open tournaments
- Ended the year with an 18-10 mark
- Met eventual 2018 NCAA National Champion Spencer Lee of Iowa at Midlands
Prep
- Recorded 160+ wins at Brentsville District High
- Three-time Virginia state finalist (2015-17)
- Two-time state champion (2015 and 2017)
- Fargo All-American
Personal
- Son of Joshua Cardinale and Jennifer Preston
- Father wrestled at George Mason
- Mother was a three-year member of the Patriots softball team
- Birthday is Dec. 7
- Has two brothers
- Majoring in communication science and disorders
- Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll
2025-26 Wrestling Schedule Release Video
Friday, October 03
NCAA Wrestling Championships Recap
Friday, March 28
Greg Jones Ceremony Feb. 23
Wednesday, March 12
WRES: NCAA Recap
Tuesday, March 26
