Big Ten Wrestling Championships 2026: Day 1 Recap, Sunday’s Finals matchups, And How To Watch

The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships began on March 7 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania. The tournament is one of the toughest events in college wrestling, featuring many of the best wrestlers in the country.

Day 1 concluded on Saturday, which witnessed strong performances in the opening rounds and semifinals across all ten weight classes. Several top seeds, including Luke Lilledahl, Levu Gaines, Jesse Mendez, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Taye Ghadiali, and more, justified their rank, delivering commanding performances in their respective weight classes.

After the first day of the championships, Penn State holds a prominent lead with 86.5 points, and following them is the Ohio State wrestling team with 84.5 points. The third position in the team standings has been claimed by Nebraska with 73.5 points.

One of the most remarkable performances was from Penn State’s Lilledahl, who advanced to the finals after defeating Indiana’s Jacob Moran in the 125 lbs semifinals. Several other wrestlers, including Ben Davino, Ethan Stiles, and more, produced notable performances in the opening round and the semi-finals to book their berth in Sunday’s final matchup.

Let’s have a look at the recap of Day 1 and the final matchups for Sunday at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

Recap of Day 1 at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships

The first day of the tournament saw many of the conference’s top stars move closer to the title. Wrestlers from programs like Penn State, Ohio, Minnesota, and Nebraska delivered strong performances. One of the biggest stories of day 1 of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships was the dominance of Penn State, which placed eight wrestlers into the championship finals, setting a new program record.

Here are the semifinals results from day 1 of the competition:

285 lbs

1. Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) vs. Cole Mirasola (Penn State): Ghadiali wins by Dec 5-2
2. Nick Feldman (Ohio State) vs. AJ Ferrari (Nebraska): Ferrari wins by Dec 2-1

197 lbs

1. Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. Luke Geog (Ohio State): Barr wins by TF 18-3 at 7:00
2. Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) vs. Camden McDanel (Nebraska): McDanel wins by Dec 10-3

184 lbs

1. Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. Brock Mantanona (Michigan): Welsh wins by Dec SV 8-5
2. Silas Allred (Nebraska) vs. Max McEnelly (Minnesota): McEnelly wins by Def 0:01

174 lbs

1. Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. Carson Kharchla (Ohio State): Haines wins by Dec 5-1
2. Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) vs. Christopher Minto (Nebraska): Minto wins by Dec 5-1

165 lbs

1. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. Andrew Sparks (Minnesota): Mesenbrink wins by TF 19-4 at 6:29
2. Michael Caliendo (Iowa) vs. Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers): Caliendo wins by MD 11-3

157 lbs

1. Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) vs. Cameron Catrabone (Michigan): Taylor wins by Dec 7-1
2. Kannon Webster (Illinois) vs. PJ Duke (Penn State): Duke wins by Dec 4-2

149 lbs

1. Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. Lachlan McNeil (Michigan): Van Ness wins by Dec 11-10
2. Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) vs. Ethan Stiles (Ohio State): Stiles wins by Dec 4-3

141 lbs

1. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Nasir Bailey (Iowa): Mendez wins by TF 19-4 at 6:46
2. Vance Vombaur (Minnesota) vs. Brock Hardy (Nebraska): Hardy wins by Dec 9-2

133 lbs

1. Marcus Blaze (Penn State) vs. Drake Ayala (Iowa): Blaze wins by Dec SV 4-1
2. Ben Davino (Ohio State) vs. Blake Boarman (Purdue): Davino wins by TF 21-5 at 4:17

125 lbs

1. Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. Jacob Moran (Indiana): Lilledahl wins by MD 11-3
2. Jore Volk (Minnesota) vs. (2) Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State): Volk wins by Dec 8-1

Final Matchups for Day 2 of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships 

Here are the athletes who will be locking horns for the Big Ten title on day 2 of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

125 lbs

Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. Jore Volk (Minnesota)

133 lbs

Marcus Blaze (Penn State) vs. Ben Davino (Ohio State)

141 lbs 

Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Brock Hardy (Nebraska)

149 lbs

Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. Ethan Stiles (Ohio State)

157 lbs

Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) vs. PJ Duke (Penn State)

165 lbs

Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. Michael Caliendo (Iowa)

174 lbs

Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. Christopher Minto (Nebraska)

184 lbs

Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. Max McEnelly (Minnesota)

197 lbs

Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. Camden McDanel (Nebraska)

285 lbs

Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) vs.  AJ Ferrari (Nebraska)

Team Standings at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on day 1

1. Penn State – 146.5
2. Nebraska – 112.0
3. Ohio State – 112.0
4. Iowa – 70.0
5. Illinois – 69.5
6. Minnesota – 69.5
7. Michigan – 68.5
8. Rutgers – 56.5
9. Wisconsin – 43.5
10. Indiana – 33.0
11. Maryland – 28.0
12. Purdue – 23.0
13. Northwestern – 14.5
14. Michigan State – 10.5

How to watch the finals of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships?

The final sessions of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be covered by the Big Ten Network. The wrestling enthusiasts can also stream the coverage live on the FOX Sports App.

Read More News:

Big Ten Wrestling Championships Controversial Seeding Formula and Levi Haines-Christopher Minto Drama – Explained

Biting Brutality Shocks NCAA: North Central Wrestler Kaelani Shufeldt Disqualified Amid Fury

McKendree and Iowa Separated by Mere 2.5 Points in Landmark NCAA Women’s Wrestling After Day 1

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!