LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine wrestling will open its 2025-26 campaign this weekend, sending two squads of Knights to compete at the Patriot Open on Saturday, November 1 and the Clarion Open on Sunday, November 2.

The Patriot Open is hosted by University of the Cumberlands at the Corbin Arena in Corbin, KY. The Clarion Open is hosted by Clarion University at its home Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium in Clarion, PA.
Action on the mat will begin at 9 am ET at both events and last throughout the day.

Bellarmine will look to build on its success from last season, notching its first individual SoCon Champion and sending two wrestlers to compete in the NCAA DI National Championships in the first season of postseason eligibility.

"We are incredibly excited to build off a great season last year," head coach Ned Shuck said. "This weekend we will have our team split at two great events that will challenge us, no doubt."

The Knights will officially open the season on Saturday at the Patriot Open, an event that has become a staple on Shuck's schedule as the Bellarmine will make their fifth appearance in as many years in the Shuck era. 17 Knights will take the mat in Corbin with 13 true freshmen seeing their first collegiate wrestling action. Four returning Knights in sophomore Anthony Alanis, senior Lucas LeClerc and redshirt freshmen Charlie Gessford and Grant Anderson will also see action. The freshmen taking the mat for Bellarmine will be Hunter Jenkins, Joshua Medina, Cole Walton, Jake Piontkowski, Isaac Johns, Travis Long, Jaxson Wallace, Ezra Vester, Nick Piontkowski, Bowden Delaney, Christian Delos Santos, Cameron Vinson and Aiden Granito.

A more experienced group of 21 will travel to the Clarion Open as seven of Bellarmine's starters from last year will make their season debut in grad student Daulton Mayer, redshirt senior Zac Cowan, redshirt juniors Trayce Eckman and Grant O'Dell, junior Jeb Prechtel and redshirt sophomores AJ Rallo and Andrew Liber. Joining them will be senior Thadd Huff and redshirt juniors Damion Ryan and Gray Ortis who were starters for the Knights two years ago as well as redshirt senior Nate Higley, senior Shay Korhorn, junior Tyler Martinez, redshirt sophomores Joseph Hubbard, Evan Grazzini, Jack Ring, Micah Medina and Gavin Ricketts, sophomore Cael Miller and redshirt freshmen David Mayora and Noah Hall. This will be the second season in a row Bellarmine has sent its battle tested wrestlers to the Clarion Open.

"I'm looking forward to getting good information on what we are doing well and what we want to improve on looking ahead to the season," Shuck added.

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