LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University wrestling team recently completed a competitive weekend, participating in both the Southern Scuffle and the Soldier Salute tournaments. The Knights demonstrated resilience and individual skill,highlighted by several strong performances from key team members.
Southern Scuffle – Chattanooga, TN
At the Southern Scuffle, hosted by Chattanooga, Bellarmine finished 20th overall wiht 32 team points. Redshirt freshman Noah Hall led the knights, securing an eighth-place finish in the 165-pound weight class. Hall opened the tournament with a pin of Morgan State’s Antoine Glasgow in 2:16. A 7-3 victory over Brown’s Max Norman (ranked No. 26 by TCWR) followed, before facing setbacks in the quarterfinal and subsequent matches. He rebounded with an 8-2 decision over Michigan State’s DJ Shannon to finish eighth.
Redshirt junior Trayce Eckman (133 lbs) also achieved a notable win, defeating California Baptist’s Richard Murillo, ranked No. 32 by TCWR,by a score of 6-5.
Redshirt junior Grant O’Dell (174 lbs) showcased consistency, posting the best record of any Knight at the event with a 4-2 run, narrowly losing both matches in overtime. His tournament included an 11-2 major decision over Penn State’s Sean Degl and a 2-0 decision against Utah Valley’s Tanner Lofthouse.
Soldier Salute – Coralville, IA
The team then traveled to coralville, Iowa, for the soldier Salute, where they placed 14th with 12 team points. Grad student Steven Villalobos achieved an eighth-place finish in the 157-pound weight class.
Villalobos demonstrated a strong comeback, winning three consecutive matches after an initial loss. These wins included a tech fall (17-1) over teammate Charlie Gessford, a pin in 4:07 against South Dakota State’s Zach Ballante, and a 12-8 decision over North Carolina’s Joey Showalter.
redshirt Joe Calvin (125 lbs) and redshirt senior Nate Higley each secured two wins during the tournament. Calvin defeated Iowa’s Joey Cruz (9-5) and oklahoma’s Koufax Christensen (13-11). Higley won against teammate christian Moder (8-4) and Army’s Anthony tresch (15-6) by major decision.
Looking Ahead
Bellarmine will continue its season at the David H. Lehman franklin & Marshall Open in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on January 9th. This tournament marks the Knights’ final open competition of the 2025-26 season.
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