LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bellarmine wrestling concluded a historic regular season on Thursday, and the Knights did so in fitting fashion – with a victory.
Bellarmine built an early lead and held on for a 22-20 victory against Presbyterian in their final dual of the season. The Knights (12-4) set a program record for wins this season and finished with a 4-4 record in SoCon action – their best conference record since joining the league.
"We were looking to finish off the SoCon dual meet season with a little better performance on the scoreboard, but again, I'm really proud of my team and pulling off another 'W' is cool," Knights Head Coach Ned Shuck said. "The end of the year can be difficult to field a healthy lineup, and tonight we felt some of that with bumping a couple of guys up a weight."
The Knights consistently took care of business at home this season, posting a 5-1 home record, and Thursday's dual was no exception.
Bellarmine won each of the first four bouts, starting at 149, and built a 16-0 lead. Zac Cowan defeated Khalid Brinkley 16-3 by major decision at 149, setting the tone for several key extra point victories. Grant O'Dell followed with a 10-5 win by decision over Michael Ramirez at 157 to give BU an early 7-0 advantage.
Cole Nance earned a quick first-period pin of Tyler Chittum at 165, and Devan Hendricks claimed a 13-7 win by decision over Zach Wells to put Bellarmine in front 16-0.
Presbyterian answered with two consecutive wins at 184 and 197 to slice the score to 16-8. In the seventh bout of the night, Bellarmine received a monumental performance from Thadd Huff. The nation's pin leader added another, taking down Morvens Saint Jean at the 6:02 mark for six points. Bellarmine led 22-8 at that point, and without the pin, the Knights may not have pulled out the win. Presbyterian won the final three matches at 125, 133, and 141, but Bellarmine came out on top 22-20 and beat Presbyterian for the third consecutive year.
The Knights also honored their lone senior, Alex Rivera, prior to the start of the dual. In an extra 165 match, Rivera went out on top, taking down Joshua Wiliams by tech fall at the end of the first period.
"I'm proud of my guys' fight and growth this season," Shuck added. "We came a long way in a year, and I can't wait to see how much we grow before next season. Fans will be sure to see plenty of new faces in next year's lineup with about 18 guys redshirting this year. I love my team and Go Knights!"
Bellarmine will compete again this Saturday at the Great Lakes Conference Championships in Toledo, Ohio.
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149: Zac Cowan (BU) def. Khalid Brinkley (PC), 16-3 by major decision
157: Grant O'Dell (BU) def. Michael Ramirez (PC), 10-5 by decision
165: Cole Nance (BU) def. Tyler Chittum (PC), Fall (2:31)
174: Devan Hendricks (BU) def. Zach Wells (PC), 13-7 by decision
184: David Bertrand (PC) def. Kennedy Wyatt (BU), 9-3 by decision
197: Malcom Wiley (PC) def. Royce Hall (BU), 16-1 by tech fall (3:02)
285: Thadd Huff (BU) def. Morvens Saint Jean (PC), Fall (6:02)
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125: Dominic Chavez (PC) def. Damion Ryan (BU), 9-1 by major decision
133: Jacob Brasseur (PC) def. Jack Parker (BU), 5-1 by decision
141: Trenton Donahue (PC) def. Michael Schiffhauer (BU), 19-0 by tech fall (6:38)
Extra (165): Alex Rivera (BU) def. Joshua Williams (PC), 19-2 by tech fall (3:00)
Final Team Score: Bellarmine 22 – Presbyterian 20
