SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  A historic season for Bellarmine wrestling finished in a fitting way on Saturday in Puerto Rico.  The Knights claimed a NCWA National Championship as a team, and four Bellarmine wrestlers earned individual titles in their respective weight classes.
 
Competing against 73 opponents from the United States and Puerto Rico, Bellarmine topped the charts with 206.5 team points.  Liberty, after claiming last year's NCWA Championship, finished second.
 
Jack Parker (125), Zac Cowan (149), Cole Nance (165), and Devan Hendricks (174) all won their weight classes at the Great Lakes Championships, and all did so once again on the national stage.  Hendricks was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

"What a cool way to cap off our third season in transitioning into Division I," Knights Head Coach Ned Shuck said.  "So thankful the NCWA provided us with an opportunity to have a National Championship as we wait for our first opportunity to compete in the Division 1 postseason."
 
Parker went 5-0 at 125 in dominant fashion, earning four pins and a tech fall.  He topped Bruno Alves of Apprentice with a pin at the 4:17 mark of the championship bout.
 
Cowan put up similar results, totaling a 5-0 record with two pins and three tech falls at 149.  The SoCon All-Freshman Team honoree defeated Thomas McCane of UCF by tech fall 22-7 (7:00) in the final match.
 
Nance tallied a 6-0 record at 165, racking up four pins and two major decision victories.  In the championship match, he pinned Talon Pisarchuk of Williamson College of the Trades (3:57).
 
Hendricks went 5-0 with two pins, two tech falls, and a major decision win at 174.  The senior pinned last year's JUCO champion, Josh Kenny of Grand Valley State, at the 6:48 mark of the championship match. 
 
Thadd Huff earned second place at 285, going 4-1 with a pair of pins.  Huff fell in the title match to Frederick Weaver of Liberty.
 
Michael Schiffhauer nabbed third place, wrestling eight times at 133, posted a 7-1 record with a major decision, tech fall, and pin.  Schiffhauer defeated Blake Schmitt of Liberty in the third place match.
 
Alex Rivera, in his final career bouts, went 7-1 at 157 including three pins.  Rivera battled past Nicholas Martino of Fresno State WC 6-2 by decision in the third place match.
 
Kennedy Wyatt is the other Knight who earned third place, battling to a 6-1 record at 184.  Wyatt collected three pins, including a pin (4:27) in the third place match against Michael Jackson of Allen.

"As I look back on the year, the biggest word that stands out to me is 'growth'," Shuck added.  "Every coach wants their team to make constant improvement and continue to build on consistent performances. What I just experienced with these men in the last year is nothing short of extraordinary. God has been so good to us, and we are grateful for the work He is doing in our team.  Capping off the season, getting to hang out in Puerto Rico, and having three full days of tough challenges was exhilarating, and our guys embraced every moment. I'm proud of the way we wrestled and more importantly who these men have become. They are champions!"

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Jack Parker:
125Jack Parker (Bellarmine) F John Luzzi (Penn State WC), 1:58
125Jack Parker (Bellarmine) F Erik Escutia (UNLV), 2:51
125Jack Parker (Bellarmine) TF Chase Arnestad (Liberty), 21-6 4:53
125Jack Parker (Bellarmine) F Dylan Beddow (Springfield Tech), 5:33
125Jack Parker (Bellarmine) F Bruno Alves (Apprentice), 4:17

Michael Schiffhauer:
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) F Brayden Strickland (Texas A&M), 6:27
133Blake Schmitt (Liberty) DEC Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine), 3-1 SV
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) MD Matthew Clayton (Springfield Tech), 16-4
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) TF Dalton Mccorkle (Big Bend CC), 23-6 6:17
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) DEC Andrew Holladay (Virginia Tech WC), 4-3
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) DEC Jesus Sanchez (Dubuque WC), 7-3
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) DEC Michael Gonzalez (Springfield Tech), 6-4 SV
133Michael Schiffhauer (Bellarmine) DEC Blake Schmitt (Liberty), 6-3
 
Zac Cowan:
149Zac Cowan (Bellarmine) F Ben Triana (UNLV), 2:07
149Zac Cowan (Bellarmine) TF Aiden Yurdiga (Stony Brook), 20-5 4:01
149Zac Cowan (Bellarmine) TF Daniel Veleas (UCONN), 22-7 7:00
149Zac Cowan (Bellarmine) F Joey Murphy (Grand Valley State), 4:52
149Zac Cowan (Bellarmine) TF Thomas Mccane (Central Florida), 22-7 7:00
 
Alex Rivera:
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) F Ali Eldeiry (Colorado State), 0:38
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) F Daniel Tommarelli (Williamson College of the Trades), 3:19
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) TF Dominick Carter (Central Florida), 18-3 7:00
157James Lunt (Springfield Tech) DEC Alex Rivera (Bellarmine), 10-5
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) MD Hayden Mccandless (Florida), 14-4
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) DEC Kyle Romano (Georgia), 8-2
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) F Ezekiel Burkholder (Toledo), 2:46
157Alex Rivera (Bellarmine) DEC Nicholas Martino (Fresno State WC), 6-2
 
Cole Nance:
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) F Rene Hernandez (UNLV), 2:04
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) F Devon Hubbard (Northeastern), 2:05
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) F Trevor Dusty (Grand Valley State), 4:35
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) MD Charles Roche (Central Florida), 11-2
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) MD Ethan Baker (Apprentice), 16-3
165Cole Nance (Bellarmine) F Talon Pisarchuk (Williamson College of the Trades), 3:57
 
Devan Hendricks:
174Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) TF Brendan Mccarthy (Rhode Island), 25-8 5:00
174Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) F John Podsednik (Alabama), 5:30
174Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) MD Keith Brubach (Slippery Rock), 22-9
174Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) TF Benjamin Blickle (Ohio State WC), 18-3 3:59
174Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) F Josh Kenny (Grand Valley State), 6:48
 
Kennedy Wyatt:
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) DEC Zachary St. thomas (South Carolina), 8-3
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) MD Dawson Taylor (Texas A&M), 14-6
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) MD Luis Jauregui (Fresno State WC), 13-3
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) F Stephano Magny (Springfield Tech), 5:43
184Nicholas Franco (Rutgers WC) DEC Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine), 3-1
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) F Graham Carson (Ohio State WC), 4:30
184Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine) F Michael Jackson (Allen), 4:27
 
Royce Hall:
197Iain Shaw (Montclair State) FOR [royce] [hall] (Bellarmine)
197Diego Tapia (Grays Harbor) FOR [royce] [hall] (Bellarmine)

Thadd Huff:
285Thaddeus Huff (Bellarmine) F Tony Taplin (Ottawa - Arizona), 0:45
285Thaddeus Huff (Bellarmine) MD Tyirek Jackson (Liberty), 17-5
285Thaddeus Huff (Bellarmine) MD Michael Morales (Central Florida), 12-3
285Thaddeus Huff (Bellarmine) F Peter Cortapasso (Apprentice), 4:41