MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Tim Flynn enters his 26th year as a head coach this weekend when West Virginia opens the season at the Southeast Open in Salem, Va. Now is his fifth year guiding the Mountaineers, the bulk of the roster is comprised of wrestlers that were recruited by Flynn and his staff.
“All these guys know what is expected and what we want out of them on and off the mat. From that regard, it is nice. There’s no surprises,” Flynn said.
Four NCAA Tournament qualifiers return for the 2022-2023 season. At 125 pounds, 2022 Big 12 Champion Killian Cardinale advanced to the quarterfinal round last March. He is taking advantage of the additional season of eligibility afforded to athletes in the 2020-2021 academic year.
“He’s a really good student. He is getting a graduate degree. He is getting an MBA. He’s a bright guy. We knew he was coming back so that was obviously a big plus for our program.”
Oak Glen High School alumnus Peyton Hall earned All-American status by finishing eighth in the 165-pound bracket at the NCAA Tournament. In two seasons as a Mountaineer, Hall has posted a record of 44-12.
“He is a very skilled wrestler. He does have a really difficult weight class. I think they said it is probably the toughest weight in the country. But I think he is prepared for that. I think we are going to see a bigger, stronger version of Peyton.”
Dennis Robin [184 pounds] and Michael Wolfgram [heavyweight] also competed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The Mountaineers competed in “Wrestle-Offs’ over the weekend, serving as an intra-squad scrimmage. Flynn says some of his veterans turned in encouraging performances.
“Dennis Robin was a qualifier at 174. He moved up a weight. Anthony Carman looked good. Scott Joll looked solid. Some of these kids that have been in the program for a couple years, you hope that they are taking those steps. And it looks like those guys have.”
Flynn says a pair of freshmen could move immediately into the starting lineup.
“We think Brody Conley can win some matches right away at 174. And Brayden Ivy really showed something at 149. So we have a couple kids that I thought did really well.”
Last winter, the Mountaineers posted a 6-8 record in dual matches and they finished seventh in the Big 12 Championships.
“The goal is that we want to become a Top 20 team. When you are outside of that, that is the first step. Eventually, obviously you want to compete for a team trophy. But we are a little bit away from that.”