It was a memorable weekend in St. Louis for the West Liberty wrestling program and head coach Danny Irwin.
West Liberty received its highest-ever finish at a national tournament during the program’s NCAA era, finishing four in the team standings with 72 points. St. Cloud State won the team championship with 107 points, just edging runner-up Nebraska-Kearney with 105. Lindenwood was third at 72.5. Fairmont State was 16, followed by UNC Pembroke at 19 and Notre Dame 20 to round out the MEC teams.
The last time the Hilltoppers climbed this high on the mountain as a team, they were competing in NAIA.
Not only did the team excel, but Irwin’s crew saw not one, but two wrestlers’ hands raised in victory following their respective championship matches.\
Junior Cole Laya and senior Tyler Warner each won their respective weight classes; Laya at 125 and Warner at 133.
Fellow senior Connor Craig narrowly missed out on a championship at 184 pounds, losing to Central Oklahoma’s Heath Gray 3-2 in his final match.
For Laya, it was a major decision win against fellow MEC mat man Nick Daggett of UNC Pembroke, 12-2, in the 125 final. Warner claimed victory via a 9-4 decision against St. Cloud State’s Garrett Vos.
They weren’t the only Hilltoppers to place nationally. Sophomore Francesco Borsellino pinned Drury’s Jared Rennick in 1:18 to finish in 7th place at 285.
Warner finished his career as a four-time NCAA Division II All-American.
Rough Start for Local Grid Teams
Both the Wheeling and West Liberty football teams’ 2021 abbreviated seasons got off to rough starts this week. The Cardinals fell behind homestanding Frostburg State 20-7 at the half, battled back, but were ultimately beaten 27-20.
Jalen Lea passed for two touchdowns and 176 yards while rushing in another. Sy Alli led the ground game with 82 yards. Frostburg had a balanced scoring attack, held Wheeling to 106 yards rushing and harassed both Lea and Brennon Norris all game, registering seven total sacks.
West Liberty had worse luck against the conference favorite Notre Dame Falcons.
Notre Dame erupted for 35 straight points in the first half, the final two scores coming off a fumble recovery and interception return in the span of less than a minute.
The Hilltoppers finally answered on a Devon Harris 4-yard reception from Jack Allen, but that was all the points the visitors could muster. Notre Dame, meanwhile, continued its onslaught in the 70-7 decisive victory.
Allen had a rough day passing, completing only 19 of 41 passes with one TD and two picks to go with 180 yards. The Hilltoppers offense managed only 22 yards on 22 carries. Notre Dame, meanwhile, ran for 283 yards and passed for 213. Tabyus Taylor ran for 107 yards and three TDs on nine carries, averaging 11.9 yards per clip.
Eight in a Row for Cardinals
It may have featured a few more conference losses than the team and fans are accustomed to, but Wheeling University’s volleyball team left no doubt just which team owns the conference.
Head coach Christy Benner’s Cardinals won their eighth straight MEC tournament championship, the only team to win the volleyball crown since the conference’s formation.
Wheeling was led by juniors Kayla Bekier and Lexi Smith, who totaled 18 and 14 kills, respectively, in dispatching of Fairmont State 25-15, 26-16, and 25-19 in the straight-set sweep.
It was fitting the Cardinals bested the Falcons in the finale, given earlier in the season, FSU became the first MEC team to beat Wheeling in conference play.
That’s how the tournament ended. It began with a 25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 25-22 win against rival West Liberty in the opening round. The Hilltoppers actually beat Wheeling to end the regular season during WLU’s senior-day festivities—the Cardinals second conference loss.
Mark Wheeling (11-2) down as 2-for-2 in payback games. The Cards were ranked No. 19 in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches of America poll. That’s how the season will conclude, as the NCAA announced no fall sports played in the spring would compete for a national championship.
Bekier and Smith were named to the all-tournament team, as was fellow Cardinals’ senior Audrey Francis, who recently became the MEC’s all-time leader in digs.
Pembroke’s Manning Makes Program History
Program newcomer Gillian Manning took one season to do what no other University of North Carolina Pembroke swimmer has done in the program’s five-year history—qualify for the national meet.
Manning will take part in three events when the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships get underway Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama. She will compete in both the 200-yard butterfly and freestyle swims, as well as the 500-yard freestyle.
This season, the senior has 10 school record-breaking performances, made up of both individual and relay events.
Weekly Conference Honors
The following athletes were honored last week by the MEC as the top performers in their respective sports:
| Players of the Week |
| Men’s Cross Country: Emeric Arnaud, Davis & Elkins |
| Women’s Cross Country: Maya Brinson, Davis & Elkins |
| Women’s Volleyball: Jenna Dufresne, West Virginia State (Co-Offensive); Julie DiPaoloa, Fairmont State (Co-Offensive); Nyia Setla, West Liberty (Defensive) |
| Men’s Soccer: Christos Charalambous, Charleston (Offensive); Sacha Everard, Concord (Defensive) |
| Women’s Soccer: Naomi Waithira, West Virginia State (Offensive); Madison Hansen, Charleston (Defensive) |
| Baseball: Drew Hefner, Charleston (Player); Logan Campbell, Charleston (Pitcher) |
| Softball: Karra Smith, Glenville State (Player); Cierra Chastain, Fairmont State (Pitcher) |
| Women’s Lacrosse: Amanda Paino, Notre Dame (Offensive); Katie Wendell, Notre Dame (Defensive) |
| Men’s Swimming: Andrew Creelman, Frostburg State |
| Women’s Swimming: Hannah Berlin, Notre Dame |
| Men’s Tennis: John Giesberts, Charleston |
| Women’s Tennis: Abigail Wild, West Virginia State |
