The Golden Eagles are looking to parlay their first dual win of the season last week into further success this Friday on the road in North Carolina (Jan. 23), where they take on Gardner-Webb (6:30 p.m.) and Campbell (8 p.m.). The non-conference tri-meet will be wrestled on Campbell's home mat at Gore Arena in Buies Creek.

Clarion at a Glance
Last time out, Clarion (1-3 overall, 1-2 in the MAC) thrilled the home fans with its first win of the season, downing Buffalo, 21-16, when heavyweight John Meyers pinned his Bulls' opponent during the last bout of the evening (Jan. 16).

Five Golden Eagles carry winning records into the tri-meet – 125-pounder Travis Clawson (13-5),165-pounder Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (12-6), 133-pounder Joey Fischer (12-6), 157-pounder Wes Barnes (11-6), and 141-pounder Scott Johnson (7-6). Fischer is undefeated in dual meets (4-0), a decision over Gable Strickland of Lock Haven (#31 Intermat) among his victories. Clawson is 3-1 in four duals, including a decision over then ranked Sulayman Bah of Columbia (Dec. 21). Herrera-Rondon is 2-2 in dual competition.

Gardner-Webb at a Glance
The Runnin' Bulldogs' have a 3-8 record, all wins coming at neutral sites. Gardner-Webb has lost six straight, most recently to Chattanooga at home, 30-10 (Jan. 16). Its last win came during the first month of the campaign (Nov. 15), a 20-18 victory over Air Force.

The Runnin' Bulldogs have wrestled four MAC opponents this season, going 3-1. They lost to Buffalo, 22-22, the December match decided on criteria.

Redshirt sophomore T.K. Davis (133 pounds) leads the Runnin' Bulldogs with a 12-1 record. A 2025 Southern Conference (SOCON) champion and NCAA qualifier, Davis is ranked 15th by Flowrestling and 20th by Intermat. He has been named SOCON Wrestler of the Week twice in 2025-2026

Gardner-Webb will wrestle Campbell in a SOCON contest prior to its dual with Clarion (5:00 p.m.)

Clarion vs. Gardner-Webb
Clarion is 4-0 against Gardner-Webb since first meeting the Runnin' Bulldogs in February 2008. Three of those wins were on the road. The two teams last wrestled during December 2022, the Golden Eagles winning, 34-6, in Boiling Springs, N.C.

The Golden Eagles have never allowed the Runnin' Bulldogs to score double-digit team points.

Campbell at a Glance
Over the past five years, Campbell has emerged as a force in the SOCON. Currently 2-13 in dual meets, the Camels are 0-2 at home. Campbell has lost nine in a row, the team's latest setback at the hands of Rider, 42-3. (Jan. 17). The Camels haven't won since mid-November, beating Presbyterian, 21-19 (Nov. 15).

The boys from Buies Creek are 0-5 against MAC opponents this season, including a pair of losses to Bloomsburg. Clarion and Campbell have both lost to Rider. Campbell 165-pound redshirt freshman Anthony Ferrari (6-4) is ranked 21st by Flowrestling.

Other potential starters with winning records are 157-pounder Kendrik Hodge (12-8) and 125-pounder Colby Crouch (7-5), both redshirt-freshmen.

Clarion vs. Campbell
Clarion and Campbell have only wrestled once, a neutral-site meeting in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 2016 won by the Camels, 28-12. Golden Eagles' assistant coach Brock Zacherl won a decision at 141 pounds in that dual.

Looking at potential match-ups, Fischer wrestled the Camels' Logan Heil twice during the first three months of 2022, winning decisions in both bouts. More recently, Barnes beat Campbell's Hodge 5-1 at The Southern Scuffle (Jan. 3).