Columbia @ West Virginia

Columbia pulled out a 21-19 dual meet win over West Virginia at West Virginia University in Morgantown on January 7, 2024. The final was decided by a handful of bonus-point performances sprinkled among several tight matches.

The Lions got three huge bonus wins that formed the backbone of the score. Nick Babin’s fall at 125 pounds was worth six team points, Lennox Wolak’s 23-7 technical fall at 174 produced five more, and Aaron Ayzerov’s 12-2 major decision at 184 added four. Those three results accounted for 15 team points for Columbia; combined with decision victories in other weights, they were enough to reach 21.

West Virginia answered with its own stretch of bonus wins. Jett Strickenberger’s fall at 133, Ty Watters’ 10-1 major at 149, Peyton Hall’s 17-3 major at 165, and Michael Wolfgram’s 15-0 technical fall at 285 generated 19 points and kept the Mountaineers within striking distance. Despite piling up bonus points late, WV came up two points short.

In the end the difference was Columbia’s collection of bonus wins, particularly Babin’s pin and Wolak’s technical fall, which proved decisive in a tight meet. The dual featured several high-scoring bouts and aggressive wrestling on both sides, but Columbia left Morgantown with the 21-19 victory.