Campbell @ Bellarmine

Campbell handed Bellarmine a 36-7 setback at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY on February 11, 2024, rolling up a decisive victory in the SoCon dual. The final was built on a steady stream of bonus-point outcomes that Campbell converted into a large margin of victory.

Anthony Molton’s pin at 125 pounds provided an early burst of team points, and Domenic Zaccone followed with a technical fall, dominating 24-8 at 133 to keep the pressure on. Campbell’s upper weights produced more damage: Levi Hopkins put together an 18-2 technical fall at 197, adding critical bonus points that widened the gap. Those kinds of bonus victories repeatedly swung the math in Campbell’s favor and were the main difference in the scoreline.

Bellarmine’s bright spot came at 165, where Grant O’Dell secured a 14-2 major decision over Brant Cracraft, the lone major for the hosts and one of the few occasions they picked up extra team points. Even with that effort, Campbell’s collection of pins and technical falls proved too much to overcome, leaving Bellarmine chasing the rest of the dual.

In the end Campbell’s ability to finish matches and rack up bonus points decided the night. Multiple falls and technical falls turned several matches into five- and six-point swings, and those bonus-bearing wins accounted for the bulk of the 29-point margin in Campbell’s 36-7 victory.