MORGANTOWN – The weather is cold, but the action on the wrestling mat continues to heat up as the season rolls along, with the 2026 West Virginia Dual Team State Championship set for this weekend, February 6-7, at the WV State Fairgrounds.
The University High wrestling team enters the weekend as the No. 1-ranked team in the state and is carrying a wave of momentum as a unit after capturing the team title at the annual WSAZ Invitational last week.
“I think our room and all the wrestlers that are available at any time give us what we need for the meet,” UHS head coach Ken Maisel said. “Everywhere you turn, there is someone tough to wrestle with, and I think we have more depth top to bottom than these other teams. They all have some great wrestlers, even nationally ranked wrestlers, but they have some holes as well, and I feel like you have to have a pretty good guy to beat us at every weight class.”
UHS currently has 12 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes (WV Mat) and will face Parkersburg South in the opening round of the eight-team bracketed tournament.
“Duals can be tricky, and everyone is gunning for u,s so we have to be ready and take it as a challenge,” Maisel said. “We did not like the feeling of leaving state duals last year with the 2nd place trophy. We’ve got to be ready right away, as we have No. 3 right out of the gate.”
The Patriots have more state titles than any other program in the state.
“They are a perennial power and have won more team state titles than anyone,” Maisel said. “They expect to win no matter what because there is an S on their singlet. We have to do the same and expect to win because there is a U on ours.”
