Belmont, NC: The Wolves men's wrestling team put up a strong fight but came up short in a tightly contested dual against Belmont Abbey, falling 20-14. Despite a slow start, the Wolves showed resilience, winning four of the final five matches to close the gap after an early Belmont Abbey surge.

The Wolves faced tough competition in the lightweight classes, with Elijah Boyd finishes Ethan McCullough (133) with a close 11-8 decision and Luke Kunath  narrowly defeating Braden Tatum (141), 5-4.

Newberry's momentum shifted at 157 pounds, where Dennis Virelli stepped up to deliver a decisive 9-4 victory over William Nix, putting the Wolves on the board. 

After a close 4-3 loss by Nick Humphrys to Christian Arrington at 165 pounds, the Wolves turned the tide in the upper weight classes.

Andrew Reed (184) dominated with a 10-2 major decision over Kyler Pickard. John Parker (197) followed suit with another commanding 10-0 major decision over Caleb Moore. Kale Schrader (285) closed out the dual with a solid 8-4 victory over Justin Wright.

Despite their efforts, the Wolves couldn't overcome Belmont Abbey's early lead. 

The wolves will compete next at the Tracey Borah duals on January 11th at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, CO.