Adams' Breakout Season Gives Mountaineers a National Contender

West Virginia native holds undefeated record and national ranking

West Virginia redshirt sophomore wrestler Noah Adams always had the potential to reach the heights of Mountaineer greats like Greg Jones and it looks like he is well on his way there in the midst of his breakout season. This week, he was named the Big 12's wrestler of the week.

In his third year as a part of the program, Adams has exploded onto the national scene, currently sitting with a perfect 24-0 record and a number two ranking in his 197-pound weight class behind Ohio State’s Kollin Moore. In addition to his standout record, Adams ranks as the team leader in almost every category, including wins, major decisions, pins, and technical falls. He has also claimed tournament titles at Virginia Tech’s Hokie Open, Appalachian State’s Mountaineer Invitational and the prestigious Southern Scuffle.

All of this comes off of a redshirt freshman season in which he had up and down results throughout most of the season. A mid-season slump hit in conference play, losing five straight matches. However, he hit his stride late, winning three of his last four matches to take momentum into the postseason.

This proved to be important for Adams who went on to finish fifth at the Big 12 Conference Championships, earning a spot at the NCAA National Championships. There, he defeated North Carolina’s Brandon Whitman in wrestlebacks after falling in the opening round to North Carolina State’s Malik McDonald.

The pedigree that Adams brought to West Virginia was clear even in his redshirt season two years ago, a year in which he wrestled unattached in 10 tournaments, finishing 26-10 and winning four championships. This early in his career it was already evident that he had the ability to be a standout for the Mountaineers.

After initially committing to Virginia Tech, Adams came to the Mountaineers with immense potential after finishing his high school career ranked as the second-best recruit at 220 pounds in the United States. His star-studded prep career included accolades in both domestic and international competition. Stateside, he the Coal City, WV native attended Independence High School where he dominated the Mountain State for the storied program, winning three individual state titles, four team championships and placing at the state meet all four years.

His status as one of the best young wrestlers in the country was confirmed by his astounding performances against national competition. Adams was named a three-time national champion by two different outlets, claiming a trio of titles at both FloNationals and NHSCA Nationals. These accolades in addition third-in place finishes both Greco and Freestyle at Cadet Nationals led to the young phenom being ranked as one of the best recruits in the United States.

However, the most impressive wins of Adams’ early career and the ones that established him as one of the hottest young names in the sport were his victories on the international stage. Taking part in the 2016 Pan-American Games after his junior year of high school, he dominated his competition on his way to gold medals in both Greco and Freestyle, combining to win his six matches by 54-0 and being named the Golden Boot recipient as the Most Outstanding Wrestler in the freestyle discipline, as well as USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week.

The emergence of Noah Adams as a budding superstar has been one of the most interesting stories in Tim Flynn’s first few years as head coach of the West Virginia wrestling program. As the Mountaineers try to find footing in the elite wrestling world of the Big 12 Conference, having a national contender on the roster is an outstanding way to build support and interest for the program.