LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The first year of Bellarmine University wrestling came in unison with the establishment of wrestling as a Great Lakes Valley Conference-sponsored sport.

There are seven teams in the GLVC. Starting this Saturday and continuing over the next two, Bellarmine will face two league opponents in duals at each event. The GLVC team with the best winning percentage over its six duals will be declared the league champion.

Bellarmine will open its GLVC slate on Saturday at Truman State where the Knights will face Drury and the host Bulldogs.

"I'm excited for the conference matches," Bellarmine Coach Spencer Adams said. "I know that as a team we do not have a great shot at winning duals this year, but these matches are going to give us a lot of insight into what we can expect at regionals in a few weeks."

With several of the new league's programs already having established pedigrees, GLVC wrestling was essentially a force upon inception. Maryville (No. 3), Wisconsin-Parkside (No. 5) and McKendree (t-No. 8) are all currently ranked in the top 10. Indianapolis will surely be a strong presence in the next set of ratings after defeating No. 1 St. Cloud State and fifth-ranked Wisconsin-Parkside in duals.

The GLVC competition will be fierce from both a team and individual perspective, with cases being built for possible berths in the NCAA Championships.

"Realistically, if our guys can come out of these duals with five or more wins then they have a good shot at making nationals," Adams said. "That's the luxury of having such a tough conference where two of the top 5 teams in the nation are in it. Each match will likely be seven minutes and very tough. This helps our guys stay in shape and build mental toughness, which are the two most important aspects at the end of the season."

In its most recent meet, the Spartan Mat Classic, Bellarmine saw two wrestlers place as junior Brian Carman earned runner-up honors at 197 and sophomore Cole Tawney captured fourth at 141. Tawney leads the Knights this season with 15 wins, while Carman and sophomore Andy Dobben have recorded 14 apiece.

Bellarmine follows the duals with Drury and Truman State by hosting Indianapolis and Wisconsin-Parkside on Jan. 28. The Knights will then face McKendree and Maryville on Feb. 4 at UIndy.

"I am excited to chat with some of the other coaches around the conference that I haven't met yet," Adams said. "I think we have a great opportunity to shape a big future for wrestling in our conference. Since this is the first year for the sport of wrestling in the GLVC, we have a rare opportunity to structure and sculpt a game-plan for the future of GLVC wrestling and for our student-athletes. It's exciting stuff for a wrestling coach and a lifetime fan of the sport!"

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