BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling's first dual of the 2024-25 season in Varsity Gym will be a doozy.
The Mountaineers are welcoming No. 19 West Virginia from the Big 12 to the High Country for a 7 p.m. dual.
Tickets are available online at $15 for general admission seats (in the familiar sets of sideline bleachers) and $20 for a seat in the Premium Black section (general admission with a seatback in the Black areas of the new Premium section, surrounding the reserved Premium Gold seats).
It's the unveiling of a new-look Varsity Gym that includes the new Premium endline seating facing a new competition mat (which is oriented in a different direction than in past seasons) and a large new videoboard replacing the old scoreboard.
There will be "Takedown" foam fingers with three fingers raised available as a giveaway to the first 250 fans, and there will also be a headband giveaway for fans thanks to Alumni Hall.
This season, home duals will be
streamed live on FloWrestling, which has a subscription model. If you don't have a FloWrestling account, you can purchase a monthly or annual subscription.
The Rivers Street Deck across from Varsity Gym is the most popular parking option for wrestling events, with fans entering the corner of the gym adjacent to the loading dock area off Rivers Street.
Fans attending wrestling events should be aware that Varsity Gym has a clear bag policy for visitors. According to App State's clear bag policies:
- Approved bags include clear plastic bags that do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12" and small clutch purses no larger than 4.5" x 6.5".
- Bags that are not approved include diaper bags, backpacks, binocular cases, camera cases, tinted or printed pattern plastic bags, fanny packs, oversized tote bags & mesh bags, and purses exceeding 4.5" x 6.5".
This will be the second-ever dual meeting between this pair of Mountaineers, as West Virginia won 26-16 in 1985.
West Virginia has wins this season over Glenville State (35-10) and Rider (31-9). Its roster includes seven potential starters with NCAA Championships experience, including 165-pound standout Peyton Hall (four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American) and 149-pound standout Ty Watters (2024 All-American by finishing fourth as a freshman). Jordan Titus also has a top-15 national ranking at 141 pounds, while four other potential starters are ranked by either FloWrestling or Intermat.
App State, one of just four mid-major programs to be ranked at the end of the last two seasons, has a new-look roster this year, and it has changed since traveling to Raleigh last Friday for the first dual of the season at No. 6 NC State.
App State returned two of its five NCAA qualifiers from last season in
Will Miller (165 pounds) and
Tomas Brooker (184), while
Sean Carter (141 pounds) also had NCAA experience in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury in January 2023.
Carter and Brooker sustained season-ending knee injuries at State, with Carter holding a 6-3 lead in the third period against two-time All-American Kai Orine at the time of his injury.
Miller, a NCAA qualifier at 174 pounds in 2023 and 165 pounds in 2024, has two top-20 wins in his first four matches this season. He won 4-1 against 11th-ranked Andrew Sparks from Minnesota and 7-3 against 19th-ranked Derek Fields from NC State.
Returning wrestlers
Chad Bellis (133, up from 125 pounds),
Luke Uliano (174) and
Carson Floyd (197) were also starters on the 2023-24 team, and App State's other wins in Raleigh came from Bellis and Floyd.
The 2024-25 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
