BECKLEY, W.Va. — The WVU Tech wrestling team is headed to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championships, set for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20–21, inside the Fernandez Family Center on the campus of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Wrestling begins at 12 p.m. Friday following skin checks and weigh-ins earlier in the morning. Action resumes Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Golden Bears will compete against nine other AAC programs: Life, Brewton-Parker, Keiser, Montreat, Pikeville, Reinhardt, Southeastern, St. Thomas and Truett McConnell. The conference tournament serves as a national qualifying event, with the champion in each weight class earning an automatic berth to the 69th Annual NAIA Wrestling National Championships, scheduled for March 5–7 in Wichita, Kansas.
Additional wrestlers may qualify for nationals through at-large bids based on season performance and national criteria.
WVU Tech's Planned Roster
The Golden Bears traveling to Miami include:
Tech enters the championship meet following a challenging regular-season slate that featured nationally ranked opponents and multiple open tournaments across the Southeast. The Golden Bears competed at events including the Pepsi Patriot Open, Lucha Open, Southeastern Open, Jeff Breese Invitational and Builder Invite, gaining valuable postseason experience against strong NAIA competition.
What's at Stake
• Automatic NAIA national berth for each weight-class champion
• Additional at-large qualification opportunities
• Individual AAC titles
• Team championship honors
The Fernandez Family Center, a 62,000-square-foot facility that serves as the home of St. Thomas athletics, will host the two-day event. Live coverage will be available at goldenbearathletics.com/coverage.
