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The start of a new wrestling season can only mean one thing – the Clarion Open in Tippin Gymnasium. This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, November 1 at 9:00 a.m. Action takes place on six mats in the main gym.

Most of the Golden Eagles' roster will see mat time, including previous Clarion Open placers Adrian Gacek (184 pounds) and Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (165 pounds). Gacek, a redshirt junior, was fifth at 184 pounds a year ago, while Herrera-Rondon, a redshirt senior, was the 157-pound runner-up in 2023 and took fourth at that weight in 2024. Sophomore Gabe Lilly (174) advanced to the blood round last season in his first outing as a Golden Eagle.

Three transfers are making their Clarion debuts Sunday – junior Zachery Marrero (133 pounds), redshirt freshman Easton Belfiore (197 pounds), and redshirt senior Andrew Blackburn-Forst (285 pounds). In 2025-2026, Marrero wrestled for Western Wyoming C.C.; Belfiore, from nearby Brookville, for Edinboro, and Blackburn-Forst for North Dakota State.

Returners Keegan Oler (141 pounds), a sophomore, and Talan Hubbard (149 pounds), a redshirt freshman, are newly christened starters looking to get their seasons off to a strong start. After two injury-plagued seasons, junior Weston Pisarchick (125 pounds) is anxious to establish himself in the Clarion line-up.

The last Golden Eagle to earn the iconic knight's helmet awarded to Clarion Open champions was Will Feldkamp, who won at 184 pounds to start his 2023 campaign. Clarion assistant coach Brock Zacherl has three knight's helmets in his trophy case (2015, 2017, 2019) and volunteer assistant coach Evan Delong one (2015).

Ohio State, Utah Valley, Air Force, and Bloomsburg scheduled the Clarion Open as their season openers

The Buckeyes are sending a formidable contingent highlighted by five Top 10 Intermat-ranked wrestlers – Nic Bouzakis (#9 at 141 pounds), Brandon Cannon (#4 at 157 pounds), Jaxson Smith (#4 at 174 pounds), Dylan Fishback (#9 at 184 pounds), and Nick Feldman (#3 at 285 pounds).

Other Intermat-ranked wrestlers on the Ohio State roster coming to Clarion are 125-pounder Vinny Kilkeary (#14) and 165-pounder Ethan Stiles (#16). Cannon was an All-American in 2026, Smith and Stiles in 2025, and Feldman in 2024. Utah Valley travels to Clarion sporting a trio of upper weights with Intermat rankings  – Moses Espinoza-Owens (#23 at 174 pounds), Caleb Uhlenhopp (#22 at 184 pounds), and Kael Bennie (#23 at 197 pounds). Air Force has one Top 5 Intermat-ranked grappler that'll see action, 141-pounder Carter Nogle (#4). He is a returning All-American.

MAC rival Bloomsburg could have two familiar faces taking the mat Sunday – 141-pounder Scott Johnson, who transferred from Clarion at the end of last season, and local product Gavin Hannah, the 184-pounder a high school teammate of the Golden Eagles' Belfiore at Brookville.

Other Division I programs that should be represented on Clarion's blue and gold mats this weekend include Bucknell, Lock Haven, Long Island, Navy, and Pitt.

FloWrestling is streaming all matches, with live brackets available on FloArena.