MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (February 24, 2020) – After a pair of impressive performances last week, redshirt sophomore Noah Adams of the West Virginia University wrestling team and sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Bergert of the baseball team have been named the WVU Student-Athletes of the Week, presented by University Apartments.
After earning wins over a pair of ranked Big 12 foes, Adams finished the regular season with a 29-0 overall record after earning a 9-8 decision over No. 24 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) on Feb. 22, and a 10-4 decision against No. 19 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley) on Feb. 23.
A native of Coal City, West Virginia, Adams became the first Mountaineer since three-time NCAA Champion Greg Jones to complete the season sweep. He finished the regular season with 11 wins over ranked opponents and a 16-0 record in dual matches. Adams leads WVU in wins and major decision victories (6), while tying for the team lead with five pins and two technical falls this season.
Bergert was dominant in his start against Saint Joseph’s in the Brittain Resorts Invitational at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark on Feb. 22, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The sophomore righty struck out a career-best 14 batters in 8.0 innings of work, allowing just one run on two hits in the win, his first of the season. WVU topped the Hawks, 5-1.
The Canton, Ohio, native’s 14 strikeouts are the most by a Big 12 pitcher this season and the most by a Mountaineer since Nick Snyder tallied 16 punch outs on April 30, 2019, against Marshall. Bergert didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and held SJU off the scoreboard in seven of his eight innings pitched. Additionally, he retired the Hawks’ lineup in order four times.
This Week in Women’s Basketball: West Virginia hosts Baylor on Monday, Feb. 24, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown … opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET … Monday’s contest will be broadcast on FS1 … the Mountaineers then travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Feb. 29, for a rematch against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum … tip-off against ISU is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball: The Mountaineers split a pair of Big 12 contests last week… WVU began the week with a 50-44 loss to Texas on Feb. 17, at the Erwin Center, in Austin … sophomore Kari Niblack paced West Virginia in the loss, scoring 16 points, while junior center Blessing Ejiofor led the way in rebounding, with eight boards … a pair of Mountaineers finished the game just outside double figures, as redshirt senior guard Tynice Martin and freshman guard Kirsten Deans added eight points apiece … West Virginia closed the week with a 60-53 win against Kansas on Feb. 22, at the WVU Coliseum … Martin led all scorers with 19 points against KU and surpassed 4,000 career minutes in the contest … Niblack added 14 points to extend her double-figure scoring streak to six games … sophomore guard Madisen Smith also posted 10 or more points against the Jayhawks, collecting 12 on the night.
Notes: West Virginia and Baylor meet for the 20th time in the series on Monday and for the second time this season … the Lady Bears won the first meeting of the season, defeating the Mountaineers, 91-51, on Jan. 18 at the Ferrell Center, in Waco, Texas … Baylor leads the all-time series, 16-3 … WVU and Iowa State meet for the 17th time on Saturday and for the second time this season … the Mountaineers took the first meeting, 79-71, in Morgantown … WVU holds the advantage all-time against ISU, 11-5 … redshirt junior guard Kysre Gondrezick leads the Mountaineers in scoring (16.1 per game) and steals (32), while Niblack is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 6.9 boards per game … Smith is the team leader is assists, with 73 on the season.
This Week in Rifle: The No. 3-ranked Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 GARC) shoot for their 11th consecutive Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championship title on Feb. 28-29, at the University of Memphis’ R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Last Week in Rifle: West Virginia shot a 4706 total in an NCAA Qualifying Match on Feb. 22, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building, in Morgantown … WVU finished with marks of 2331 smallbore and 2375 air rifle … freshman Calista Smoyer (99-99-98-100-99-100) won the air rifle title outright with a personal-best mark of 597, while senior Morgan Phillips (197 kneeling, 197 prone, 191 standing) and freshman Akihito Shimizu (196 kneeling, 198 prone, 191 standing) shot 585 and shared the smallbore victory.
Notes: Based on Saturday’s score, the Mountaineers have qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, set for March 13-14, at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington … the top-eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m., at NCAA.com. … the Mountaineers look to reclaim the NCAA Championship and earn their sixth title in eight seasons.
This Week in Swimming and Diving: After nearly a month away from competition, the Mountaineers return to action for the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship, held at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park from Feb. 26-29.
Last Week in Swimming and Diving: West Virginia was off last week.
Notes: The Mountaineers are set to host the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship for the first time in program history … junior David Dixon ranks No. 6 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12 in the 200 butterfly (1:41.59) and No. 48 in the 100 butterfly (46.73) … freshman Hunter Armstrong currently sits at No. 41 nationally in the 100 backstroke (46.93) … Dixon is set to defend a pair of Big 12 individual titles at the conference meet this season, after capturing wins in the 100 and 200 butterfly last year … the men’s team finished second at the Big 12 Championship in 2019, while the women finished in third place.
This Week in Wrestling: West Virginia is off this week … WVU takes a week off from competition before heading to the 2019 Big 12 Wrestling Championship on March 7-8 … the event takes place at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Last Week in Wrestling: WVU (4-12, 1-7 Big 12) split a pair of conferences matches in Morgantown in the final weekend of the regular season … the Mountaineers dropped Wyoming, 17-16, at University High School in Morgantown on Feb. 22, before falling to Utah Valley, 20-19, on Feb. 23 … freshman Scott Joll, redshirt freshman Alex Hornfeck and redshirt sophomore Noah Adams each scored an individual victory over a ranked opponent against Wyoming …Hornfeck and sophomore Caleb Rea registered a major decision against the Cowboys, while Adams, Joll and redshirt sophomore Joey Thomas earned a decision to help WVU to the win … on Sunday, Adams, Hornfeck, junior Nick Kiussis, Rea and Thomas recorded wins against the Wolverines … Rea registered a pin in the match, while Kiussis scored a major decision and Adams, Hornfeck and Thomas picked up a decision each … Sunday’s bout came down to the final match between senior Brandon Ngati and Utah Valley’s Chase Trussell … after the pair battled to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, each grappler scored an escape in the second overtime period to force a third overtime … UVU’s Trussell secured his fourth escape of the match in the opening period of the third overtime, and Ngati was unable to counter as the Wolverines earned a 20-19 win.
Notes: Adams completed the regular season with a perfect 29-0 record to become the first wrestler in program history to achieve a perfect regular season since three-time NCAA Champion Greg Jones went 25-0 in 2005 … Jones also went 26-0 in 2004 and holds the program record for the longest win streak with 51 … Adams has defeated 11 ranked opponents during the streak, and leads the team in wins and major decisions (5) … Rea’s pin on Sunday moved him into a tie with Adams for the team lead with five … Adams and Kiussis (165) are ranked No. 2 and No. 27 in their respective weight classes in the most recent NCAA Coaches’ Panel Poll, announced on Feb. 13 … Hornfeck ended the regular season on a four-match winning streak and ranks second on the squad with 16 wins … Joll’s win over No. 12 Hayden Hastings of Wyoming on Saturday marked his first career win over a ranked opponent.
This Week in Track and Field: West Virginia travels to Ames, Iowa, from Feb. 28-29, for the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship, hosted by Iowa State at the Lied-Recreation Facility.
Last Week in Track and Field: WVU concluded the regular season at the Penn State Tune-Up on Feb. 21 … the squad registered a pair of victories to go along with eight top-five finishes on the day … redshirt sophomore Katherine Dowie earned a win in the women’s mile with a time of 4:56.56, while sophomore Myesha Nott also claimed a victory in the triple jump, reaching a mark of 12.46 meters … also competing in the mile was redshirt senior Olivia Hill, who finished fourth with a time of 5:02.92 … in the 400-meter dash, sophomore Tessa Constantine collected a second-place finish in 57.55, while redshirt freshman Amber Dombrowski also finished in second place in the 600 meters after crossing the line in 1:36.30 … redshirt sophomore Hayley Jackson competed in the 800 meters and grabbed another second-place finish for WVU with a time of 2:08.11 … in field events, sophomore Molly DeBone paced the Mountaineer pole vaulters, placing second after reaching a mark of 3.67 meters … in the long jump, sophomore Peter-Gay McKenzie claimed third place with a jump of 5.80 meters.
Notes: Five Mountaineers recorded career-best marks in their respective events at Penn State, including Dowie, Nott, Constantine, Dombrowski and Jackson … West Virginia competed at Penn State’s Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track for the second time this season and 11th since 2014-15 … West Virginia finished ninth at the 2019 Big 12 Championship … in all, the Mountaineers registered seven All-Big 12 honors in four events by six individuals … WVU finished with 15.5 team points at the conference meet.
This Week in Gymnastics: The Mountaineers (10-6, 0-2 Big 12) welcome Pitt (5-5, 2-3 EAGL) and Rutgers (4-11, 0-9 Big Ten) to the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, March 1, with competition set to begin at 2 p.m. … it’s the Wendy M. Roach Invitational, and fans are encouraged to Color the Coliseum for Cancer by wearing the color that represents the cancer advocacy of their choosing … the Mountaineers will wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness … additionally, Mountaineer Maniacs will receive a free giveaway item in honor of the annual “Maniacs Yard Sale” , and Mr. Twister will be in attendance on the concourse.
Last Week in Gymnastics: West Virginia went 4-0 on the weekend, earning a win at Pitt on Feb. 21 before finishing first in a quad meet at the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 23 … on Friday, WVU captured a big win against Pitt, 194.925-194.575, at Fitzgerald Field House, in Pittsburgh … the Mountaineers hit 23-for-24 routines and earned a 48.675-48.475 edge over the Panthers on vault, a 48.875-48.4 win on uneven bars and a 49.0-48.875 victory on floor exercise … Pitt claimed the balance beam win, 48.825-48.375 … individually, freshman Abbie Pierson matched her career high and scored a 9.9 on vault for the first time since the Mountaineers’ 2020 season opener on Jan. 11, winning the event outright … sophomore Rachel Hornung paced the Mountaineers on beam with a season-high mark of 9.85 and tied for first overall, while classmate Kendra Combs tied for first on floor with a 9.85 total … on Sunday, WVU used a season-high score on beam to sweep the competition with a 196.0 showing in the program’s sixth Beauty and the Beast Meet held at the WVU Coliseum … Western Michigan finished second overall with a 195.075 score, and Bowling Green placed third with a 194.225 mark ... Towson totaled 193.425 and finished fourth … the Mountaineers nearly swept the event wins, finishing first on bars (48.875), beam (49.175) and floor (49.125) … WVU also finished second on vault (48.825) … the Broncos won vault with a score of 48.85 … sophomore Esperanza Abarca took home the beam title for the first time in her career with a personal-best mark of 9.9 … The Colony, Texas, native was the first gymnast to post a 9.9 or better on beam since Pierson’s routine on Jan. 11 … additionally, senior Chloe Cluchey and Combs tied for the event win on floor with matching 9.875s.
Notes: With Friday’s win, WVU pushed its commanding series advantage over Pitt to 65-15-2 … on Saturday, WVU improved to 26-11 all-time against Towson, 10-5 against BGSU and 5-0 against WMU … Saturday’s quad also was WVU’s sixth Beauty and the Beast Meet ... the Mountaineers’ attendance of 2,250 was the 13th-best mark in program history ... WVU hit 24-for-24 routines on Sunday and the team total was the Mountaineers’ second-best score of the season … West Virginia is 5-0 at the WVU Coliseum this season … freshman Emily Holmes-Hackerd made her Mountaineer debut on floor and scored 9.6 in the event on Sunday … all 16 Mountaineers have competed in at least one meet this season … senior Julia Merwin passed the 500-career point threshold on Feb. 23 and now shows 506.475 points … Combs paces the team with 223.975 season points, followed by Cluchey with 223.125 … freshman Kianna Yancey ranks third with 214.5, followed by Pierson with 205.175.
This Week in Golf: West Virginia is off this week.
Last Week in Golf: The Mountaineers competed at the Seminole Intercollegiate, hosted by Florida State, from Feb. 22-23, in Tallahassee, Florida … the squad finished in a tie for seventh place after carding a three-round total of 299-292-292=883 to finish the tournament at 19-over and tie for seventh place with No. 32 North Florida … senior Philipp Matlari was WVU’s top individual finisher, taking third place with a final score of 73-71-69=213 to finish three-under for the tournament … junior Logan Perkins was the second Mountaineer finisher, as he tied for 23rd place after shooting 75-73-72=220 for four-over par.
Notes: WVU competed at the Seminole Intercollegiate for the fifth consecutive season last weekend … the annual tournament was held at the par-72, 6,965-yard Golden Eagle Country Club … Matlari’s third-place finish in Tallahassee was his highest individual finish of the 2019-20 season, while it gave the Mountaineers a top-five finish at two consecutive tournaments after Perkins finished second at the Florida Gators Invitational … including the Mountaineers, seven of the 13 teams who competed last weekend were ranked inside the GolfStat.com top-50 rankings.
This Week in Tennis: West Virginia hosts Iowa State for the Big 12 season opener on Sunday, March 1, at the Summit Tennis Academy in Morgantown … first serve against the Cyclones is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.
Last Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers defeated Cornell, 4-0, on Feb. 23, at the Summit Tennis Academy, in Morgantown … with the win, WVU is now 7-0 on the year, marking the best start to a season since 1986, when West Virginia began the season 12-0 … after falling in the first doubles match from the No. 2 slot, junior Anne-Sophie Courteau and sophomore Kat Lyman secured the Mountaineers’ first win of the day, 6-1, to tie the doubles round at 1-1 … senior Christina Jordan and sophomore Nicole Roc secured a 6-4 victory to claim the doubles point and lead Cornell, 1-0 … West Virginia began singles play with an early advantage, as senior Sofia Duran won by default in the No. 6 slot … Lyman put WVU up by three in the No. 4 slot, as she defeated Sarah Campbell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 … sophomore Anastasiia Bovolskaia then clinched the match from the No. 2 slot, as she also secured a two-set victory against Fatima El Ashram, 6-3, 6-4.
Notes: WVU holds an all-time record of 492-475-1 ... coach Miha Lisac is 46-80 at West Virginia and 108-136 during his 12-year coaching career ... Duran leads the team in overall wins, with 10 … junior Giovanna Caputo leads the team in singles wins, with five, while Courteau and Lyman lead WVU in doubles wins, with six … Courteau leads the Mountaineers with 86 career wins ... Courteau also leads the team with 44 career doubles victories ... Caputo leads WVU in career singles wins, with 45.
This Week in WVU Baseball: West Virginia travels to Richmond, Virginia, for the Virginia Challenge, from Feb. 28-March 1 … WVU opens the three-game event at VCU on Friday, Feb. 28, before traveling to William & Mary on Saturday, Feb. 29 … WVU caps the week by visiting Richmond on Sunday, March 1 … first pitch against the Rams is set for 3 p.m. ET, at the Diamond, while Saturday’s start time against the Tribe is slated for 2 p.m., at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg … Sunday’s contest against the Spiders is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start at Pitt Field.
Last Week in WVU Baseball: The Mountaineers (5-3) went 3-2 on the week … WVU earned a 15-8 win over Canisius in the squad’s home opener on Feb. 18, before earning wins over Kennesaw State (7-1 on Feb. 21) and Saint Joseph’s (5-1 on Feb. 22) in the Brittain Resorts Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina … West Virginia fell to Illinois (2-1) and Coastal Carolina (14-2) on Feb. 23, to conclude the event … freshman catcher/infielder Matt McCormick went 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs against the Golden Griffins … additionally, the Mountaineers stole seven bases in the win … freshman right-handed pitcher Tim Wynia got the win in relief in his collegiate debut … junior left-handed pitcher Jackson Wolf, the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, grabbed his second victory of the season in the Myrtle Beach opener, tossing 7.0 innings, while allowing one run on six hits and tallying eight strikeouts against Kennesaw State … sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Bergert kept the strong starting pitching going against Saint Joseph’s, dominating the Hawks in 8.0 innings of work … Bergert struck out a career-best 14 batters, giving up just one run on two hits in the win … offensively, junior catcher Paul McIntosh homered in the affair … freshman left-handed pitcher Jake Carr was a tough-luck loser for the Mountaineers against Illinois … he threw a complete game, yielding two runs on five hits, while earning three strikeouts and no walks … redshirt senior outfielder/right-handed pitcher Braden Zarbnisky went 4-for-4 in the loss … WVU held a 1-0 lead over Coastal Carolina and tallied eight hits in the weekend finale, before the hosts scored four in the bottom of the seventh and eight in the eighth to put the game out of reach … McIntosh and senior infielder Kevin Brophy tallied RBIs against the Chanticleers.
Notes: Bergert’s 14 strikeouts against Saint Joseph’s were the most by a Big 12 pitcher this season … they also were the most by a Mountaineers since Nick Snyder struck out 16 on April 30, 2019, against Marshall … WVU is 0-2 all-time against VCU, 31-13 against William & Mary and 21-13 against Richmond … Zarbnisky finished 11-for-21 (.524) at the plate last week and has tallied multi-hit games in seven of WVU’s eight contests this season … additionally, he leads the Big 12 in hits (17), sits No. 3 in batting average (.500) and No. 5 in total bases (20) … sophomore infielder Tevin Tucker paces the Big 12 in stolen bases, with six … WVU’s home opener on Feb. 18, was the earliest in program history and just the third-ever game played in Morgantown in February.
After earning wins over a pair of ranked Big 12 foes, Adams finished the regular season with a 29-0 overall record after earning a 9-8 decision over No. 24 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) on Feb. 22, and a 10-4 decision against No. 19 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley) on Feb. 23.
A native of Coal City, West Virginia, Adams became the first Mountaineer since three-time NCAA Champion Greg Jones to complete the season sweep. He finished the regular season with 11 wins over ranked opponents and a 16-0 record in dual matches. Adams leads WVU in wins and major decision victories (6), while tying for the team lead with five pins and two technical falls this season.
Bergert was dominant in his start against Saint Joseph’s in the Brittain Resorts Invitational at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark on Feb. 22, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The sophomore righty struck out a career-best 14 batters in 8.0 innings of work, allowing just one run on two hits in the win, his first of the season. WVU topped the Hawks, 5-1.
The Canton, Ohio, native’s 14 strikeouts are the most by a Big 12 pitcher this season and the most by a Mountaineer since Nick Snyder tallied 16 punch outs on April 30, 2019, against Marshall. Bergert didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and held SJU off the scoreboard in seven of his eight innings pitched. Additionally, he retired the Hawks’ lineup in order four times.
This Week in Women’s Basketball: West Virginia hosts Baylor on Monday, Feb. 24, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown … opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET … Monday’s contest will be broadcast on FS1 … the Mountaineers then travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Feb. 29, for a rematch against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum … tip-off against ISU is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball: The Mountaineers split a pair of Big 12 contests last week… WVU began the week with a 50-44 loss to Texas on Feb. 17, at the Erwin Center, in Austin … sophomore Kari Niblack paced West Virginia in the loss, scoring 16 points, while junior center Blessing Ejiofor led the way in rebounding, with eight boards … a pair of Mountaineers finished the game just outside double figures, as redshirt senior guard Tynice Martin and freshman guard Kirsten Deans added eight points apiece … West Virginia closed the week with a 60-53 win against Kansas on Feb. 22, at the WVU Coliseum … Martin led all scorers with 19 points against KU and surpassed 4,000 career minutes in the contest … Niblack added 14 points to extend her double-figure scoring streak to six games … sophomore guard Madisen Smith also posted 10 or more points against the Jayhawks, collecting 12 on the night.
Notes: West Virginia and Baylor meet for the 20th time in the series on Monday and for the second time this season … the Lady Bears won the first meeting of the season, defeating the Mountaineers, 91-51, on Jan. 18 at the Ferrell Center, in Waco, Texas … Baylor leads the all-time series, 16-3 … WVU and Iowa State meet for the 17th time on Saturday and for the second time this season … the Mountaineers took the first meeting, 79-71, in Morgantown … WVU holds the advantage all-time against ISU, 11-5 … redshirt junior guard Kysre Gondrezick leads the Mountaineers in scoring (16.1 per game) and steals (32), while Niblack is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 6.9 boards per game … Smith is the team leader is assists, with 73 on the season.
This Week in Rifle: The No. 3-ranked Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 GARC) shoot for their 11th consecutive Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championship title on Feb. 28-29, at the University of Memphis’ R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Last Week in Rifle: West Virginia shot a 4706 total in an NCAA Qualifying Match on Feb. 22, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building, in Morgantown … WVU finished with marks of 2331 smallbore and 2375 air rifle … freshman Calista Smoyer (99-99-98-100-99-100) won the air rifle title outright with a personal-best mark of 597, while senior Morgan Phillips (197 kneeling, 197 prone, 191 standing) and freshman Akihito Shimizu (196 kneeling, 198 prone, 191 standing) shot 585 and shared the smallbore victory.
Notes: Based on Saturday’s score, the Mountaineers have qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, set for March 13-14, at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington … the top-eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m., at NCAA.com. … the Mountaineers look to reclaim the NCAA Championship and earn their sixth title in eight seasons.
This Week in Swimming and Diving: After nearly a month away from competition, the Mountaineers return to action for the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship, held at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park from Feb. 26-29.
Last Week in Swimming and Diving: West Virginia was off last week.
Notes: The Mountaineers are set to host the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship for the first time in program history … junior David Dixon ranks No. 6 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12 in the 200 butterfly (1:41.59) and No. 48 in the 100 butterfly (46.73) … freshman Hunter Armstrong currently sits at No. 41 nationally in the 100 backstroke (46.93) … Dixon is set to defend a pair of Big 12 individual titles at the conference meet this season, after capturing wins in the 100 and 200 butterfly last year … the men’s team finished second at the Big 12 Championship in 2019, while the women finished in third place.
This Week in Wrestling: West Virginia is off this week … WVU takes a week off from competition before heading to the 2019 Big 12 Wrestling Championship on March 7-8 … the event takes place at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Last Week in Wrestling: WVU (4-12, 1-7 Big 12) split a pair of conferences matches in Morgantown in the final weekend of the regular season … the Mountaineers dropped Wyoming, 17-16, at University High School in Morgantown on Feb. 22, before falling to Utah Valley, 20-19, on Feb. 23 … freshman Scott Joll, redshirt freshman Alex Hornfeck and redshirt sophomore Noah Adams each scored an individual victory over a ranked opponent against Wyoming …Hornfeck and sophomore Caleb Rea registered a major decision against the Cowboys, while Adams, Joll and redshirt sophomore Joey Thomas earned a decision to help WVU to the win … on Sunday, Adams, Hornfeck, junior Nick Kiussis, Rea and Thomas recorded wins against the Wolverines … Rea registered a pin in the match, while Kiussis scored a major decision and Adams, Hornfeck and Thomas picked up a decision each … Sunday’s bout came down to the final match between senior Brandon Ngati and Utah Valley’s Chase Trussell … after the pair battled to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, each grappler scored an escape in the second overtime period to force a third overtime … UVU’s Trussell secured his fourth escape of the match in the opening period of the third overtime, and Ngati was unable to counter as the Wolverines earned a 20-19 win.
Notes: Adams completed the regular season with a perfect 29-0 record to become the first wrestler in program history to achieve a perfect regular season since three-time NCAA Champion Greg Jones went 25-0 in 2005 … Jones also went 26-0 in 2004 and holds the program record for the longest win streak with 51 … Adams has defeated 11 ranked opponents during the streak, and leads the team in wins and major decisions (5) … Rea’s pin on Sunday moved him into a tie with Adams for the team lead with five … Adams and Kiussis (165) are ranked No. 2 and No. 27 in their respective weight classes in the most recent NCAA Coaches’ Panel Poll, announced on Feb. 13 … Hornfeck ended the regular season on a four-match winning streak and ranks second on the squad with 16 wins … Joll’s win over No. 12 Hayden Hastings of Wyoming on Saturday marked his first career win over a ranked opponent.
This Week in Track and Field: West Virginia travels to Ames, Iowa, from Feb. 28-29, for the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship, hosted by Iowa State at the Lied-Recreation Facility.
Last Week in Track and Field: WVU concluded the regular season at the Penn State Tune-Up on Feb. 21 … the squad registered a pair of victories to go along with eight top-five finishes on the day … redshirt sophomore Katherine Dowie earned a win in the women’s mile with a time of 4:56.56, while sophomore Myesha Nott also claimed a victory in the triple jump, reaching a mark of 12.46 meters … also competing in the mile was redshirt senior Olivia Hill, who finished fourth with a time of 5:02.92 … in the 400-meter dash, sophomore Tessa Constantine collected a second-place finish in 57.55, while redshirt freshman Amber Dombrowski also finished in second place in the 600 meters after crossing the line in 1:36.30 … redshirt sophomore Hayley Jackson competed in the 800 meters and grabbed another second-place finish for WVU with a time of 2:08.11 … in field events, sophomore Molly DeBone paced the Mountaineer pole vaulters, placing second after reaching a mark of 3.67 meters … in the long jump, sophomore Peter-Gay McKenzie claimed third place with a jump of 5.80 meters.
Notes: Five Mountaineers recorded career-best marks in their respective events at Penn State, including Dowie, Nott, Constantine, Dombrowski and Jackson … West Virginia competed at Penn State’s Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track for the second time this season and 11th since 2014-15 … West Virginia finished ninth at the 2019 Big 12 Championship … in all, the Mountaineers registered seven All-Big 12 honors in four events by six individuals … WVU finished with 15.5 team points at the conference meet.
This Week in Gymnastics: The Mountaineers (10-6, 0-2 Big 12) welcome Pitt (5-5, 2-3 EAGL) and Rutgers (4-11, 0-9 Big Ten) to the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, March 1, with competition set to begin at 2 p.m. … it’s the Wendy M. Roach Invitational, and fans are encouraged to Color the Coliseum for Cancer by wearing the color that represents the cancer advocacy of their choosing … the Mountaineers will wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness … additionally, Mountaineer Maniacs will receive a free giveaway item in honor of the annual “Maniacs Yard Sale” , and Mr. Twister will be in attendance on the concourse.
Last Week in Gymnastics: West Virginia went 4-0 on the weekend, earning a win at Pitt on Feb. 21 before finishing first in a quad meet at the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 23 … on Friday, WVU captured a big win against Pitt, 194.925-194.575, at Fitzgerald Field House, in Pittsburgh … the Mountaineers hit 23-for-24 routines and earned a 48.675-48.475 edge over the Panthers on vault, a 48.875-48.4 win on uneven bars and a 49.0-48.875 victory on floor exercise … Pitt claimed the balance beam win, 48.825-48.375 … individually, freshman Abbie Pierson matched her career high and scored a 9.9 on vault for the first time since the Mountaineers’ 2020 season opener on Jan. 11, winning the event outright … sophomore Rachel Hornung paced the Mountaineers on beam with a season-high mark of 9.85 and tied for first overall, while classmate Kendra Combs tied for first on floor with a 9.85 total … on Sunday, WVU used a season-high score on beam to sweep the competition with a 196.0 showing in the program’s sixth Beauty and the Beast Meet held at the WVU Coliseum … Western Michigan finished second overall with a 195.075 score, and Bowling Green placed third with a 194.225 mark ... Towson totaled 193.425 and finished fourth … the Mountaineers nearly swept the event wins, finishing first on bars (48.875), beam (49.175) and floor (49.125) … WVU also finished second on vault (48.825) … the Broncos won vault with a score of 48.85 … sophomore Esperanza Abarca took home the beam title for the first time in her career with a personal-best mark of 9.9 … The Colony, Texas, native was the first gymnast to post a 9.9 or better on beam since Pierson’s routine on Jan. 11 … additionally, senior Chloe Cluchey and Combs tied for the event win on floor with matching 9.875s.
Notes: With Friday’s win, WVU pushed its commanding series advantage over Pitt to 65-15-2 … on Saturday, WVU improved to 26-11 all-time against Towson, 10-5 against BGSU and 5-0 against WMU … Saturday’s quad also was WVU’s sixth Beauty and the Beast Meet ... the Mountaineers’ attendance of 2,250 was the 13th-best mark in program history ... WVU hit 24-for-24 routines on Sunday and the team total was the Mountaineers’ second-best score of the season … West Virginia is 5-0 at the WVU Coliseum this season … freshman Emily Holmes-Hackerd made her Mountaineer debut on floor and scored 9.6 in the event on Sunday … all 16 Mountaineers have competed in at least one meet this season … senior Julia Merwin passed the 500-career point threshold on Feb. 23 and now shows 506.475 points … Combs paces the team with 223.975 season points, followed by Cluchey with 223.125 … freshman Kianna Yancey ranks third with 214.5, followed by Pierson with 205.175.
This Week in Golf: West Virginia is off this week.
Last Week in Golf: The Mountaineers competed at the Seminole Intercollegiate, hosted by Florida State, from Feb. 22-23, in Tallahassee, Florida … the squad finished in a tie for seventh place after carding a three-round total of 299-292-292=883 to finish the tournament at 19-over and tie for seventh place with No. 32 North Florida … senior Philipp Matlari was WVU’s top individual finisher, taking third place with a final score of 73-71-69=213 to finish three-under for the tournament … junior Logan Perkins was the second Mountaineer finisher, as he tied for 23rd place after shooting 75-73-72=220 for four-over par.
Notes: WVU competed at the Seminole Intercollegiate for the fifth consecutive season last weekend … the annual tournament was held at the par-72, 6,965-yard Golden Eagle Country Club … Matlari’s third-place finish in Tallahassee was his highest individual finish of the 2019-20 season, while it gave the Mountaineers a top-five finish at two consecutive tournaments after Perkins finished second at the Florida Gators Invitational … including the Mountaineers, seven of the 13 teams who competed last weekend were ranked inside the GolfStat.com top-50 rankings.
This Week in Tennis: West Virginia hosts Iowa State for the Big 12 season opener on Sunday, March 1, at the Summit Tennis Academy in Morgantown … first serve against the Cyclones is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.
Last Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers defeated Cornell, 4-0, on Feb. 23, at the Summit Tennis Academy, in Morgantown … with the win, WVU is now 7-0 on the year, marking the best start to a season since 1986, when West Virginia began the season 12-0 … after falling in the first doubles match from the No. 2 slot, junior Anne-Sophie Courteau and sophomore Kat Lyman secured the Mountaineers’ first win of the day, 6-1, to tie the doubles round at 1-1 … senior Christina Jordan and sophomore Nicole Roc secured a 6-4 victory to claim the doubles point and lead Cornell, 1-0 … West Virginia began singles play with an early advantage, as senior Sofia Duran won by default in the No. 6 slot … Lyman put WVU up by three in the No. 4 slot, as she defeated Sarah Campbell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 … sophomore Anastasiia Bovolskaia then clinched the match from the No. 2 slot, as she also secured a two-set victory against Fatima El Ashram, 6-3, 6-4.
Notes: WVU holds an all-time record of 492-475-1 ... coach Miha Lisac is 46-80 at West Virginia and 108-136 during his 12-year coaching career ... Duran leads the team in overall wins, with 10 … junior Giovanna Caputo leads the team in singles wins, with five, while Courteau and Lyman lead WVU in doubles wins, with six … Courteau leads the Mountaineers with 86 career wins ... Courteau also leads the team with 44 career doubles victories ... Caputo leads WVU in career singles wins, with 45.
This Week in WVU Baseball: West Virginia travels to Richmond, Virginia, for the Virginia Challenge, from Feb. 28-March 1 … WVU opens the three-game event at VCU on Friday, Feb. 28, before traveling to William & Mary on Saturday, Feb. 29 … WVU caps the week by visiting Richmond on Sunday, March 1 … first pitch against the Rams is set for 3 p.m. ET, at the Diamond, while Saturday’s start time against the Tribe is slated for 2 p.m., at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg … Sunday’s contest against the Spiders is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start at Pitt Field.
Last Week in WVU Baseball: The Mountaineers (5-3) went 3-2 on the week … WVU earned a 15-8 win over Canisius in the squad’s home opener on Feb. 18, before earning wins over Kennesaw State (7-1 on Feb. 21) and Saint Joseph’s (5-1 on Feb. 22) in the Brittain Resorts Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina … West Virginia fell to Illinois (2-1) and Coastal Carolina (14-2) on Feb. 23, to conclude the event … freshman catcher/infielder Matt McCormick went 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs against the Golden Griffins … additionally, the Mountaineers stole seven bases in the win … freshman right-handed pitcher Tim Wynia got the win in relief in his collegiate debut … junior left-handed pitcher Jackson Wolf, the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, grabbed his second victory of the season in the Myrtle Beach opener, tossing 7.0 innings, while allowing one run on six hits and tallying eight strikeouts against Kennesaw State … sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Bergert kept the strong starting pitching going against Saint Joseph’s, dominating the Hawks in 8.0 innings of work … Bergert struck out a career-best 14 batters, giving up just one run on two hits in the win … offensively, junior catcher Paul McIntosh homered in the affair … freshman left-handed pitcher Jake Carr was a tough-luck loser for the Mountaineers against Illinois … he threw a complete game, yielding two runs on five hits, while earning three strikeouts and no walks … redshirt senior outfielder/right-handed pitcher Braden Zarbnisky went 4-for-4 in the loss … WVU held a 1-0 lead over Coastal Carolina and tallied eight hits in the weekend finale, before the hosts scored four in the bottom of the seventh and eight in the eighth to put the game out of reach … McIntosh and senior infielder Kevin Brophy tallied RBIs against the Chanticleers.
Notes: Bergert’s 14 strikeouts against Saint Joseph’s were the most by a Big 12 pitcher this season … they also were the most by a Mountaineers since Nick Snyder struck out 16 on April 30, 2019, against Marshall … WVU is 0-2 all-time against VCU, 31-13 against William & Mary and 21-13 against Richmond … Zarbnisky finished 11-for-21 (.524) at the plate last week and has tallied multi-hit games in seven of WVU’s eight contests this season … additionally, he leads the Big 12 in hits (17), sits No. 3 in batting average (.500) and No. 5 in total bases (20) … sophomore infielder Tevin Tucker paces the Big 12 in stolen bases, with six … WVU’s home opener on Feb. 18, was the earliest in program history and just the third-ever game played in Morgantown in February.
