Men’s wrestlers struggle early, finish 2-2 at Virginia Duals

Friday, January 9

Hampton, VA

3:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Virginia Duals

Freshman 133-pound wrestler Brodie Altman, 157-pound sophomore Matox Allen both finished 4-0 while 174-pound junior Drake Bowers and senior heavyweight Wade Wheeler went 3-1 at the Virginia Duals.

Men’s wrestlers struggle early, finish 2-2 at Virginia Duals

1/11/2026 2:37:00 AM | Men's Wrestling

The Flames settled for 11th place out of 16 teams, mostly NCAA Division II and III foes, in their final dual meet preparation for the NCWA National Duals.

The last three matches Liberty University's men's wrestling team competed in during Friday's and Saturday's Virginia Duals at the Hampton Coliseum were decided in the heavyweight match, with senior Wade Wheeler winning two out of those three bouts.

In all, the Flames finished 2-2 and in 11th place out of 16 teams, mostly NCAA Division II and III programs, competing in the American College Division in the 46th annual tournament.

The Flames could finish no higher than ninth after losing their first match on Friday against East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, 34-11.

"The guys wrestled tough against a better team," Liberty first-year Head Coach Chris Williamson said. "We were out-matched in that one, as they were much more physical, but we had some good wins. If we had our full lineup available, it would have been a very winnable match."

The Flames then defeated Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College, 30-22, despite a lackluster performance overall.

"That match was mostly in our control, although they wrestled well," Williamson said. "We were disappointed in the guys' intensity and way we represented ourselves in that one. We are better than we showed, and we definitely needed more from the guys."

Liberty opened competition on Saturday with an equally if not more upsetting performance in a 22-19 loss to Centenary (N.J.) University.

"That was quite a letdown," Williamson said. "We really gave that one away. Centenary did what they needed to do to win the match, but we did not do ourselves any favors. Our lack of intensity and lack of fight was a low point for our guys looking as a cohesive unit."

Senior heavyweight Wade Wheeler, who won his decisive match against Washington & Jefferson, dropped a 6-5 decision to Centenary's Jonathan Martinez in the setback.

"Did Wade wrestle his best match?" Williamson asked. "No, but there were nine other matches before his so it was not his fault. We left a lot of points on the table. In my opinion, it should not have come down to heavyweight."

He was pleased, however, with the team's performance in the 11th-place dual match against Muhlenberg (Pa.) College, a 23-22 triumph clinched by Wheeler's 6-0 decision over Hayk Grigorian.

"(Wheeler) knows what he signed up for, and he's in a good spot," Williamson said. "If he wins, he's the hero of the team. If he loses, we know there's nine other guys before him."

"We ended on a high note as the guys really responded," he added. "They had a sour taste in their mouths (from the lost to Centenary) and they brought a lot more energy, a lot more intensity to the mat."

Flames freshman Nick Schmucker's pin of David Rosenfarb — which occurred 1 minute, 45 seconds into their 141-pound match — proved to be pivotal.

"If he doesn't get a pin there, we lose the dual meet," Williamson said. "If (senior) Jordan Scott doesn't get the win (7-3 at 165 pounds), which he probably shouldn't have, we don't win that dual meet. So, we get to go home with our head held high, with the way they wrestled and competed."

Liberty sophomore Matox Allen — its lone reigning NCWA national champion — and freshman Brodie Altman both finished 4-0 at 157 and 133 pounds, respectively.

"Matox went undefeated and pretty much dominated everybody," Williamson said. "He really put the team on his back and did a great job. Brodie Altman was a hammer for us as well, and he is really starting to come into his own and take some leadership on the mat. He is starting to do the right things, and it's going to start to pay off for him now."

Junior Drake Bowers, wrestling in his first tournament back from injury that sidelined him for most of the fall semester, won his first three matches before losing in an upset against Muhlenberg.

Complete results are available online.

The Virginia Duals was the last dual meet tournament Liberty will compete in before the NCWA National Duals set for Feb. 13-14 at Utah State University.

"This weekend's tournament gives us a good indication of where we are as a team, and where we need to go," Williamson said. "It was a good wake-up call, and we've had a lot of wake-up calls this year. It pushes us in the right direction. We're not as good as we want to be, and this is evidence of that. But the guys have a good attitude, and we're going to continue to work hard to accomplish our goals as a program, keeping the long-term in mind. We want to be better prepared for the national tournament."

He said he and the Flames have drawn strength from Galatians 6:9, the team verse for this season in which the Apostle Paul talks about not growing weary in doing good, for in due season they will reap if they do not lose heart.

After having next weekend off, Liberty will travel to Jamestown (N.Y.) University to compete in an open tournament featuring several junior colleges as well as NCAA Division II and III opponents.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer