CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle wrestling team kicks off the new competition season just as it has since 2009, battling in the Clarion Open, scheduled for Sunday, November 2 at Tippin Gymnasium. Wrestling gets underway at 9 a.m.
Action will take place on nine mats – mats 1-6 located in the main gymnasium, with mats 7-9 in the adjacent auxiliary gym.

Most of the Golden Eagles' 40-man squad will see action, including a large contingent of the 19 newcomers to the team. Two of Clarion's three placers from a year ago return – Joey Fischer, third at 133 pounds competing unattached, and Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, fourth at 157-pounds.

Fischer took fourth at the 2021 Clarion Open wrestling in his first college-level tournament. He was competing as an unattached 125-pounder in that event. Herrera-Rondon started his Golden Eagle career in 2023 at the Clarion Open, finishing as the 157-pound runner-up.

Not only did Herrera-Rondon make his Golden Eagle debut at the 2023 tournament, so did 285-pounder John Meyers, who likewise took second in his weight class.

New Golden Eagle Connor Eck, then wrestling unattached out of Lock Haven, was runner-up at the 2021 Clarion Open. He fell to Clarion 149-pounder Brent Moore in the finals, 3-2.

The last Golden Eagle to claim a knight's helmet, traditionally awarded to the event's victors, was Will Feldkamp at 184 pounds in 2022.

Wrestlers from Air Force, Bellarmine, Buffalo, Cornell, Edinboro, Lock Haven, the Naval Academy Prep School, Ohio State, Pitt, Pitt-Johnstown, Penn State, and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville among others are scheduled to compete.

All matches will be streamed on FloWrestling, with live brackets available on FloArena.
 
Below are the pre-seeds for this year's Clarion Open:
* NQ – National Qualifier
 
125
1. Nick Bouzakis (NQ) – Ohio State
2. Brendan McCrone (NQ) – Ohio State
3. Marcel Milani (NQ) – Cornell
4. Tucker Owens (NQ) – Air Force
5. Travis Clawson – Clarion (unattached)
6. Drew Davis – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
7. Vincent Kilkeary – Ohio State
8. Bryce Arbogast – Edinboro
 
133
1. Tyler Ferrara (NQ) – Cornell
2. Brett Unger (NQ) – Cornell
3. Ben Davino – Ohio State
4. Joey Fischer – Clarion
5. Robert Wright – Air Force
6. Marcel Lopez – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
7. Trayce Eckmann – Bellarmine
8. Timmy Levine – Spire Academy
 
141
1. Josh Saunders (NQ) – Cornell
2. AJ Rallo (NQ) – Bellarmine
3. Carter Nogle – Air Force
4. Danny Martinez – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
5. Ethan Qureshi – Cornell
6. Scott Johnson – Clarion
7. Brogan Fielding – Ohio State
8. Gianni Silvestri – Buffalo
 
149
1. Ethan Stiles (NQ-6th place) – Ohio State
2. Caleb Tyus (NQ) – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
3. Nathan Higley (NQ) – Bellarmine
4. Jaxon Joy – Cornell
5. Sam Ewing – Buffalo
6. Connor Eck – Clarion
7. Zack Cowan – Bellarmine
 
157
1. Brandon Cannon (NQ) – Ohio State
2. Kaleb Burgess – Buffalo
3. Landon Desselle – Ohio State
4. Eric Almanirez – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
5. Nate Wade – Cornell
6. Jeb Prechtel – Bellarmine
 
165
1. Paddy Gallagher (NQ) – Ohio State
2. Alejandro Herrera Rondon – Clarion
3. Louie Cerchio – Cornell
4. E'than Birden – Ohio State
5. Kellen Laffey – Buffalo
6. Brady Unger – Buffalo
 
174
1. Grant O'Dell – Bellarmine
2. Carter Chase – Ohio State
3. Rafael Knapp – Buffalo
4. Gunner Cramblett – Air Force
5. Mateo De La Penna – Pitt
 
184
1. Dylan Fishback (NQ) – Ohio State
2. Brian Burburjia – Air Force
3. Marcus Petite – Buffalo
4. Christian Hansen – Cornell
5. Matt Furman – Cornell
6. Wyatt Keenan – Bellarmine
7. Adrian Gacek – Clarion
 
197
1. Seth Shumate (NQ) – Ohio State
2. Patrick Brophy (NQ) – unrostered
3. Ryder Rogotzke (NQ) – Ohio State
4. Luke Geog (NQ) – Ohio State
5. Nick Nosler – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
6. Andrew Liber – Bellarmine
7. Aiden Hanning – Cornell
8. Nick Lodato – Edinboro
 
285
1. Nick Feldman (NQ-6th Place) – Ohio State
2. Ashton Davis (NQ) – Cornell
3. Daulton Mayer – Bellarmine
4. John Meyers – Clarion
5. Jay Henderson – Cornell
6. Bryson Buhk – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville