Big Ten Wrestling 2026 Pre-Seeds: Full List and Top Contenders Revealed

The pre-seeds for the most anticipated collegiate wrestling tournament, the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championship, have been released. The tournament will be held on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania.

The Penn State wrestling team will feature six top seeds across multiple categories, including Luke Lilledahl (125 lbs), Marcus Blaze (133 lbs), Shayne Van Ness (149 lbs),  Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 lbs), pounder Rocco Welsh (184 lbs), and Josh Barr (197 lbs). The list of players competing at this year’s Big Ten Wrestling Championships will feature five returning Big Ten individual champions from 2025 and four NCAA individual winners from last year.

Nebraska University’s Antrell Taylor Christopher Minto will enter as the top seeds in the 157 lbs and 174 lbs categories, respectively. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez will lead the 141 lbs category. The 165 lbs champion of the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships, Mitchell Mesenbrink, will enter as the top seed in the same category in the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. He will be followed by Michael Caliendo from Iowa State.

Complete list of 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships pre-seeds

The complete list of the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships pre-seeds, along with the weight categories, is given below.

125 lbs

1. Luke Lilledahl (PSU)
2. Spencer Moore (ILL)
3. Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
4. Jacob Moran (IND)
5. Jore Volk (MINN)
6. Ayden Smith (RU)
7. Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
8. Dean Peterson (IOWA)
9. Diego Sotelo (MICH)
10. Dedrick Navarro (NU)
11. Kael Lauridsen (NEB)
12. Nick Corday (MSU)
13. Ashton Jackson (PUR)
14. Abram Cline (MD)

133 lbs

1. Marcus Blaze (PSU)
2. Lucas Byrd (ILL)
3. Ben Davino (OSU)
4. Zan Fugitt (WIS)
5. Drake Ayala (IOWA)
6. Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
7. Sean Spidle (NU)
8. Braxton Brown (MD)
9. Dylan Shawver (RU)
10. Blake Boarman (PUR)
11. Caleb Weiand (MSU)
12. Blaine Frazier (IND)
13. Gauge Botero (MICH)
14. Jager Eisch (MINN)

141 lbs

1. Jesse Mendez (OSU)
2. Brock Hardy (NEB)
3. Vance VomBaur (MINN)
4. Nasir Bailey (IOWA)
5. Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
6. Greyson Clark (PUR)
7. Braeden Davis (PSU)
8. Billy Dekraker (NU)
9. Henry Porter (IND)
10. Joseph Olivieri (RU)
11. Dario Lemus (MD)
12. Danny Pucino (ILL)
13. Carson Exferd (WIS)
14. Jaden Crumpler (MSU)

149 lbs

1. Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
2. Ethan Stiles (OSU)
3. Joseph Zargo (WIS)
4. Lachlan McNeil (MICH)
5. Carter Young (MD)
6. Chance Lamer (NEB)
7. Andrew Clark (RU)
8. Ryder Block (IOWA)
9. Michael Gioffre (ILL)
10. Drew Roberts (MINN)
11. Joey Buttler (IND)
12. Gavin Brown (PUR)
13. Clayton Jones (MSU)
14. August Hibler (NU)

157 lbs

1. Antrell Taylor (NEB)
2. PJ Duke (PSU)
3. Kannon Webster (ILL)
4. Anthony White (RU)
5. Cameron Catrabone (MICH)
6. Charlie Millard (MINN)
7. Brandon Cannon (OSU)
8. Luke Mechler (WIS)
9. Stoney Buell (PUR)
10. Victor Voinovich III (IOWA)
11. Bryce Lowery (IND)
12. Darius Marines (MSU)
13. Mekhi Neal (MD)
14. Ty Wilson (NU)

165 lbs

1. Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)
2. Michael Caliendo (IOWA)
3. Joey Blaze (PUR)
4. Andrew Sparks (MINN)
5. LJ Araujo (NEB)
6. Braeden Scoles (ILL)
7. Andrew Barbosa (RU)
8. Paddy Gallagher (OSU)
9. Tyler Lillard (IND)
10. Cody Goebel (WIS)
11. Jacob Bostelman (NU)
12. Justin Gates (MICH)
13. AJ Rodrigues (MD)
14. Jack Conley (MSU)

174 lbs

1. Christopher Minto (NEB)
2. Levi Haines (PSU)
3. Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
4. Beau Mantanona (MICH)
5. Carson Kharchla (OSU)
6. Derek Gilcher (IND)
7. Ethan Riddle (MINN)
8. Brody Baumann (PUR)
9. Colin Kelly (ILL)
10. Lenny Pinto (RU)
11. Eddie Enright (NU)
12. Luke Condon (WIS)
13. Connor O’Neil (MSU)
14. Seth Digby (MD)

184 lbs

1. Rocco Welsh (PSU)
2. Max McEnelly (MINN)
3. Silas Allred (NEB)
4. Brock Mantanona (MICH)
5. Chris Moore (ILL)
6. Dylan Fishback (OSU)
7. Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU)
8. Angelo Ferrari (IOWA)
9. Sam Goin (IND)
10. James Rowley (PUR)
11. J.D. Perez (NU)
12. Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (MD)
13. Ryan Boucher (MSU)
14. Cale Anderson (WIS)

197 lbs

1. Josh Barr (PSU)
2. Camden McDanel (NEB)
3. Remy Cotton (RU)
4. Branson John (MD)
5. Luke Geog (OSU)
6. Wyatt Ingham (WIS)
7. Kael Wisler (MSU)
8. Gabe Sollars (IND)
9. Ben Vanadia (PUR)
10. Hayden Walters (MICH)
11. Gavin Nelson (MINN)
12. Dylan Connell (ILL)
13. Gabe Arnold (IOWA)
14. Alex Smith (NU)

285 lbs 

1. Taye Ghadiali (MICH)
2. AJ Ferrari (NEB)
3. Nick Feldman (OSU)
4. Cole Mirasola (PSU)
5. Braxton Amos (WIS)
6. Luke Luffman (ILL)
7. Koy Hopke (MINN)
8. Hunter Catka (RU)
9. Josh Terrill (MSU)
10. Ben Kueter (IOWA)
11. Hayden Filipovich (PUR)
12. Joey Schneck (MD)
13. Gabe Christenson (NU)
14. Caleb Marzolino (IND)

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