LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University wrestling team will close out the 2025 portion of its schedule tomorrow, December 11, traveling to Kent, OH for the Tri-State Santa Slam, a tri-meet where the Knights will take on host Kent State and Edinboro at the Kent State Field House.

The Knights (1-3) will open the day taking on Edinboro at 4:30 pm E.T. before wrestling Kent State at 6 pm.

Bellarmine and Kent State have met once before in series history with the inaugural dual coming just last year. In that first look, the Knights came out on top 25-14 in Knights Hall. Bellarmine and Edinboro will meet for the first time in series history.

In its last time out, Bellarmine dropped a home dual to Central Michigan, 28-6. Redshirt junior Grant O'Dell (174) and redshirt sophomore AJ Rallo (141) were the only two victorious Knights in the match, each winning by decision.

The loss was Bellarmine's second straight after falling 41-3 to No. 2 Ohio State just four days earlier. It is the first time BU has lost back-to-back duals since the Knights opened Southern Conference play last season with losses to Campbell (January 24) and Appalachian State (January 31). Bellarmine responded with five straight conference wins.

Heavyweight Daulton Mayer is the lone Knight in the individual rankings this week, coming in at No. 33 by FloWrestling and No. 29 by The College Wrestling Report.

Kent State (1-2) last saw the mat on December 6 in its own open tournament, the Kent State Open. The Golden Flashes had three wrestlers win their weight class in Ethan Barr (174), Trent Thomas (184) and Brentan Simmerman (285). Kent State got its lone dual win in shutout fashion, defeating Mount Union 49-0. The two losses on its schedule so far have come against Virginia (27-6) and Ohio State (44-0).

Both Kent State and Bellarmine have returning starters from last year's meeting but only one weight class will be a rematch. At heavyweight, BU's Daulton Mayer met KSU's Brentan Simmerman with Simmerman coming away with a 9-5 decision. For the Golden Flashes, Nico Callelo (125), Mason Tieffel (141), Carson Miller (165), Ethan Barr (174) and Aaron Ferguson (174) will have a chance at a second crack at the Knights with Calello being the only other returner to have won his match a year ago (14-4 MD over Jack Parker).

Edinboro (1-0) has spent most of its early season schedule in open tournaments. Most recently the Scots competed at the Keystone Classis where they had seven wrestlers place on the podium. Jared McGill (184) was the top finisher, taking second with a 3-1 record. In its lone dual action so far this season, Edinboro blanked VMI 44-0 with seven bonus point wins. McGill is ranked in four major polls, coming in as high as No. 14 (Intermat) and as low as No. 17 (Flo) with two No. 15 nods (TCWR, OpenMat).

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