Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Flames wrestlers look forward to a full season in 2021-22
5/17/2021 12:00:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
Liberty University's three-time defending NCWA National Duals and NCWA Grand National championship men's wrestling team used 2020-21 as a year of preparation for what promises to be an action-packed 2021-22 season.
The Flames, who brought in one of their largest recruiting classes to date last fall, expect to return nearly their entire roster intact and add as many as 10 new recruits.
"We are not graduating anybody, and should have just about everybody coming back," Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro said, noting that reigning 157-pound NCWA national champion Chad Cantrell will replace Josh McIlhenny as his graduate assistant and have one additional year of eligibility to wrestle after this past postseason was canceled by COVID-19. "For the most part, I was really proud of the guys and the way they were able to maintain their focus and intensity, even through the preseason and a very disappointing season."
He noted that even though postseason practices were not mandatory, he had an 80-percent attendance rate from his 32-man roster as they are gearing up for what should be an extremely challenging year.
After holding tryouts in September, when Castro expects to add a handful of walk-ons, and enduring their annual preseason "Jacob's Challenge," a 24-hour marathon of on- and off-mat wrestling training and conditioning in October, the Flames will open their 2021-22 schedule at the Nov. 6 Messiah Invitational in Grantham, Pa.
Over the next two weekends, Liberty will send split squads to the Racich Rumble hosted by Ursinus College near Philadelphia on Nov. 13 and the Cougar Open at Averett University in Danville, Va., on Nov. 14, before its top wrestlers will face NCAA Division I, II, and III wrestlers at the Lindenwood Open in St. Charles, Mo., on Nov. 20 and the rest of the roster will compete at the Nov. 21 Star City Open hosted by Roanoke College at the Salem (Va.) Civic Center.
The Flames will conclude the fall semester at the Carolina Clash Duals hosted by Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., on Dec. 4 before traveling to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the Citrus Classic at the Broward County Convention Center.
They will open spring semester competition at the Jan. 8-9 Virginia Duals at the Hampton (Va.) Coliseum before traveling to Newport News, Va., to compete in the Shipbuilder Open hosted by Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) rival Apprentice School on Jan. 15.
From Jan. 21-22, Liberty will contend for its fourth consecutive (and sixth overall) NCWA National Duals crown, which it will again host at the LaHaye Ice Center before returning to Messiah College to compete in the Feb. 5 Messiah Open.
After a tri-match against West Virginia Tech and Southern Virginia University in Beckley, W.Va., on Feb. 13, the Flames will travel to the Newberry (S.C.) College Open on Feb. 13 before opening postseason competition by seeking their 10th consecutive MAC Tournament title on Feb. 26 at the LaHaye Multipurpose Center.
That event also serves as a qualifier for the March 10-12 NCWA Grand National Championships, at the Allen (Texas) Event Center, where Liberty will contend for a fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) team trophy.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
