LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University wrestling team boasts 11 newcomers who have the joined the Knights this season.

The robust recruiting class includes 10 true freshmen and sophomore transfer Zane Brown. Bellarmine is transitioning to Division I this season and is an associate member of the Southern Conference.

"I am beyond excited to welcome these guys to our family! I've spent the past year or more recruiting these individuals and to finally have them here on campus feels great," Knights Head Coach Spencer Adams said. "Overall, this is the best class we have put together. If you look across the board, not only do these guys stand out as athletes, but their off-the-mat accolades are a testament to their true character and reveal much more about them. Recruiting well-rounded student-athletes is how we have built the solid foundation that we have today.

"In the past two seasons, we were awarded the Spalding Sportsmanship Award for the GLVC conference, while defeating multiple top-15 nationally ranked opponents and garnering a top-25 team ranking as well. We want to win but, more importantly, we want to win the right way. It takes a special combination of grades, character and athletic talent to be a Knight and this group fully showcases each of those characteristics. This group of outstanding individuals comprises our first-ever DI recruiting class. They have made history but I have a feeling that this 2020 class will be making its mark in the books for years to come!"

Here's a look at Bellarmine's 11 newcomers:

Will Bechstein
Hometown: Wayne, Ohio
High School: Elmwood
Weight Class: 285
Bechstein, who led his graduating class with 12 letters, piled up 133 career wins at 220 at Elmwood, going 43-7 as a senior captain, 44-12 as a junior captain, 32-12 as a sophomore and 14-6 as a freshman. He was the league champion as a junior and senior and placed fourth at state as a junior. Bechstein was the league runner-up as a sophomore, the sectional runner-up as a sophomore and senior, and the district runner-up as a junior. He placed third in the sectional as a junior and third in the district as a senior. In addition, Bechstein was the Perrysburg Invitational champion. He was a two-time AAU All-American, going 10-0 at the 2019 Disney Duals after going 9-1 at the 2018 Disney Duals.

Kyle Berg
Hometown: Palos Hills, Illinois
High School: Amos Alonzo Stagg
Weight Class: 157/165
Berg amassed 90 wins over his career at Amos Alonzo Stagg and finished fourth all-time in reversals. He was named the team MVP as a senior after leading the squad in wins (23), falls (14) and team points. Berg was chosen All-Conference as a junior after recording 16 wins and leading the team in reversals. He was the junior varsity conference champion as a sophomore and was a freshman/sophomore state qualifier, led the team in reversals, posted 20 wins and was an IKWF assistant coach. Berg was named the team's Freshman MVP after going 31-6 with 27 falls and becoming a freshman/sophomore state qualifier.

Adonis Boyd
Hometown: Jeffersonville, Indiana
High School: Jeffersonville
Weight Class: 125/133
Boyd piled up 125 career wins at Jeffersonville and went 71-12 over his final two years. He was a three-time sectional champion, two-time regional champion and one-time conference champion while placing second at conference as a senior and second at the sectional as a freshman. Boyd was a four-time All-Area selection who went 38-5 at 126 as a senior, 33-7 at 120 as a junior, 30-18 at 113 as a sophomore and 24-14 at 106 as a freshman. He was a state alternate as a senior, was a Jeff Classic champion and amassed the most tech falls (seven) on the team while being named Academic All-State as both a junior and senior. Boyd earned the team's Freshman of the Year award and its Non-Senior Leader Award as a junior, when he was the Cub Classic champion. He placed eighth twice at the Greco State finals and was a Spatola champion. In addition to wrestling, Boyd lettered three times in track and field and once in cross country at Jeffersonville, placing second in the 4x800 relay at the sectional as a junior. He started a recycling program for his school, was a four-year treasurer of the Special Ed program, member of the Student Council and was head of the Student Council Community Service Committee.

Zane Brown
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
High School: Male
Previous College: Lindsey Wilson
Weight Class: 157/165
Brown wrestled his freshman season at NAIA powerhouse Lindsey Wilson in Columbia, Kentucky. In high school at Male, he compiled a 170-8 career record while wrestling 120 as an eighth grader, 132 as a freshman, 152 as a sophomore and junior and 160 as a senior. Brown was both a three-time regional and state champion along with being a three-time Courier Journal Wrestler of the Year from his sophomore through senior seasons. In addition as a senior, he was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament, was the Kentucky winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award and received the Kentucky High School Coaches Association's Outstanding Senior Award. Brown was a regional champion as an eighth grader and runner-up as a freshman, and was a state runner-up both those seasons. He was a three-year member of the Kentucky National Team, placed third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and, in addition as a sophomore, placed eighth at FloNationals.

Nathan Butler
Hometown: Brentwood, Missouri
High School: Brentwood
Weight Class: 157/165
Butler amassed a 109-48 career record at Brentwood, including a 68-14 ledger over his final two years. He was a state qualifier and district runner-up as a senior while going 28-6. Butler posted a 40-8 record as a junior, including 21-1 in dual meets, and was a state qualifier while placing third at the district, where his team was the runner-up. He was also a state qualifier as a sophomore and placed fourth at the district. Butler wrestled in club for the United States Wrestling Academy. In addition to wrestling, he played three years of football and one year of soccer at Brentwood, earning the team's Most Improved Player award in the latter sport. Butler was a National Honor Society member, a Student Council Cabinet member and a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete for 2020.

Logan Hoskins
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
High School: Butler HS
Weight Class: 149/157
Hoskins amassed a 161-24 career record at Butler, setting new school records for wins, takedowns (443) and single-season takedowns (145). He went 42-1 with 31 falls as a senior, 42-5 with 30 falls as a junior, 42-8 as a sophomore and 35-10 as a freshman. Hoskins was a four-time sectional champion, two-time conference champion and was the district champion as a senior, when he was ranked second in the state heading into the state tournament. He was named All-Area as a junior and senior and the team's Wrestler of the Year those same years along with its Rookie of the Year as a freshman. Hoskins was a two-time GMVWA Holiday Tournament champion and added a district runner-up and conference runner-up placement to his titles during his tenure.

Darian Huff
Hometown: London, Ohio
High School: London
Weight Class: 197
As a four-year team captain, Huff posted a 149-32 career record at London, including a school-record 104 falls. He went 40-7 with 33 falls as a 182 senior, 42-8 with 27 falls as a 170 junior, 32-10 with 24 falls as a 152 sophomore and 35-7 with 20 falls as a 126 freshman. Huff was an Ohio High School Athletic Association D2 state qualifier as a senior and three-time Ohio High School Athletic Association D2 district qualifier. He twice earned the Central Buckeye Conference Sportsmanship Award, received the Mid-State League Ohio Division Sportsmanship Award as a sophomore and was Academic All-Ohio as a senior. He was a four-time winner of the team's Sportsmanship, Ethics & Integrity Award, twice earned Most PINS, reaped Most Wins as a senior and garnered the Freshman Award in his debut season. In his junior year, the team was the Central Buckeye Conference, sectional, district and regional dual team champions. In addition to wrestling, Huff was a three-year varsity football letterman who was second-team All-Central Buckeye Conference as a defensive lineman as a senior, when he was also honored as a Wendy's High School Heisman Award winner. He was a four-year member of the Merit Honor Roll and president of the National Honor Society as a senior.

Sam Schroeder
Hometown: Huntingburg, Indiana
High School: Southridge
Weight Class: 184/197
As a senior at Southridge, Schroeder was the 160 conference, sectional and regional champion while placing fourth at semi-state and qualifying for the state tournament. In his final season, he led the team in wins, team points, falls and takedowns while being named the team's Most Valuable Wrestler and receiving the school's Mental Attitude award for the fourth straight year. Schroeder was the 170 conference and sectional champion his junior year while qualifying for semi-state. He was the 145 conference champion as a sophomore and the 126 sectional champion as a freshman. Schroeder was an honorable-mention Academic All-State honoree as a junior and senior. He wrestled for Team Indiana at the 2019 Fargo Nationals and also competed for the Indiana Outlaws and Maurer & Coughlin Wrestling Club. Schroeder was the 2018 JRobinson Intensive 28 Day Wrestling Camp Black Hat winner. Schroeder was also a distinguished football player at Southridge, earning All-Conference accolades at safety and being named the team's Most Valuable Defensive Back as a senior captain. He was the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' "Character Counts" Award winner for the Pocket Athletic Conference. The football team won the state championship his sophomore year and was the sectional and regional champion that season along with his junior campaign. In addition to safety, Schroeder was a right guard and also played fullback and linebacker during his tenure. He was an FCA president and treasurer, a three-time member of the Honor Roll, in the National Honor Society and, as a senior, voted the Tom Fuhs Mental Attitude award winner for Southridge High School.

Zach Schultz
Hometown: Shepherdsville, Kentucky
High School: St. Xavier
Weight Class: 141/149
Schultz posted a winning record at St. Xavier but faced some hardships due to having elbow surgery. He won two state powerlifting titles and holds a national powerlifting record. Schultz was a member of the National Honor Society and the Chinese National Honor Society.

Easton Tobia
Hometown: Apollo Beach, Florida
High School: Lake Highland Prep
Weight Class: 174/184
Tobia built a career record of 201-50 and was both a first-team All-Region and first-team All-State selection as a senior while earning a spot on the All-Lake Highland athletic team. He was a 2020 individual state champion despite wrestling up two classes. His team won three state championships (2017, 2019, 2020) and two team state duals championships (2019, 2020) while garnering No. 4 and No. 6 national rankings his junior and senior years. Open Mat ranked him at No. 9 at 195 in the Southeast. Tobia was a two-time Disney All-American, wrestled for the Florida Freestyle and Greco team and wrestled for the CFWA club team. In addition to wrestling, he played baseball in high school and his first name is based off a brand of bat.

Chase Yost
Hometown: Midway, Kentucky
High School: Woodford County
Weight Class: 141
Yost accumulated 190 career wins at Woodford County, ranking him eighth all-time in school history. He went 32-1 as a 138 senior, 22-1 as a 132 junior, 34-2 as a 138 sophomore, 54-4 with 35 falls as a 120 freshman and 48-2 as a 106 eighth grader. Yost was the 106 state champion as an eighth grader, a state runner-up his sophomore and senior seasons and a state placer his freshman and junior years. He was a five-time Region 5 champion and, as senior, named an Academic All-American and the team's Most Valuable Wrestler while earning the team's Coaches Award as an eighth grader. Yost was a two-time NHSCA All-American, a Scholastic Duals All-American and a NHSCA finalist. He competed for Team Kentucky State Wrestling Team and was a member of Beta Club.

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