Mountaineers Travel to Mercyhurst

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 8, 2013) – The West Virginia University wrestling team travels to the Mercyhurst Laker Open on Saturday, Nov. 9. Action begins from Erie, Pa., at 10 a.m.

“The most important thing is just getting started,” says coach Craig Turnbull. “We want to get everyone used to competing, and it is important for them to feel it and for us to evaluate where each of them are. This gives us a good baseline of where we are operating from and what needs to be adjusted.”

The Mountaineers opened their season last weekend at the Virginia Duals. WVU matched its win total from a year ago, defeating Gardner-Webb, 24-13, and Anderson, 46-0. Sophomore Bubba Scheffel tallied two pins to lead the team with 12 dual meet points.

Senior Nathan Pennesi sat out the Mountaineers trip to Charlottesville, Va., and is expected to make his season debut on Saturday. Pennesi, a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier, leads WVU with 75 career wins, and tallied a team-high 22 victories last season. In the latest poll released by InterMat, Pennesi is ranked No. 17 in the 133-pound weight class.

“I am not quite sure what teams we will be meeting at the tournament, and it is not a concern,” Turnbull says. “My main objective is to have our guys on the mat with an official. I wanted to get some matches under our belt and do it with a short travel distance to get home early and rested. That is important to us.”

The Mountaineers will have a quick turnaround after this weekend in preparation for their first Big 12 Conference dual of the season on Nov. 15 at Iowa State.

The Mercyhurst Laker Open is an open tournament format. Full results will be posted on WVUsports.com at the conclusion of the tournament.

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