BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell has announced its 2019-20 wrestling schedule, featuring a challenging nonconference lineup, plus five home bouts and a full Southern Conference slate.
The defending SoCon champions will open the season at the Virginia Tech Hokie Open for the second straight year on November 3. Nine total Camels placed at last season's Hokie Open, highlighted by
Noah Gonser's third place showing at 133.
The Camels will also make return trips to the Navy Classic (Nov. 23), the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) and the Franklin and Marshall Open (Jan. 4).
Campbell boasted two individual champions at the 2018 Navy Classic, with eventual NCAA qualifiers
Josh Heil (149 pounds) and
Andrew Morgan (174 pounds) both claiming titles, while eight Camels placed at last season's F&M Open.
CU posted an all-time program best 10
th place finish at the 2018 Midlands Championships. Gonser also made history with a runner-up finish, while Morgan took fourth and unattached
Jere Heino placed sixth. The trio become the first Camels to place at the prestigious Midlands Championships.
Rounding out the regular season tournament schedule will be the Reno Tournament of Champions on December 15.
Campbell will make its dual debut at Pittsburgh on November 9. The Panthers finished 34
th in the 2019 NCAA Championships, ranking as high as No. 13 in the national polls during the season.
One day later, the Camels will make a return trip to Ohio, defeating the Bobcats 19-13 in the team's dual debut and home opener last season.
Following the F&M Open, Campbell travels to Tempe, Ariz. for a three bout showdown against Arizona State, Iowa State and Harvard on January 11. The Sun Devils took 12
th in the 2019 NCAA Championships, while Iowa State finished close behind at 16
th.
The Camels will make their home and SoCon debut on January 18, hosting The Citadel. CU will remain at home for its next outing, hosting first-year SoCon member Presbyterian, as well as Oregon State, which finished No. 20 in last season's NCAA Championships, on January 25.
Campbell will also welcome Chattanooga on February 8 and Appalachian State on February 13 to finish out its home slate. Trips to Gardner-Webb (Jan. 31), VMI (Feb. 15) and Davidson (Feb. 22) are also included in the 2019-20 SoCon schedule.
The SoCon Championships (March 8) will again head to Boone, N.C. in 2020, while the NCAA Championships will be held in Minneapolis, Minn. March 19-21.
The Camels captured their second SoCon tournament title in three years in 2018-19, also earning their first ever regular season conference championship. CU earned a share of the SoCon dual title with a 5-1 league mark to go along with a 7-1 overall dual record, both program bests.
Campbell sent a school record six to the NCAA Championships in 2019. Eight total Camels earned spots on the podium at the SoCon Championships, with all 10 wrestling for medals.
Cary Kolat was named one of eight finalists for NWCA Coach of the Year, and was tabbed SoCon Coach of the Year following the program's tournament win in Boone, N.C.
During the season, CU also earned its first ever top-25 national ranking. Additionally, Campbell took National Wresting Coaches Association Division I Academic Team honors for the third-straight year. The Camels finished 13th nationally in the standings with an outstanding 3.28 team GPA, posting a top-25 academic finish for the fifth time in program history.
