Big Ten Network Presents Coverage of 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, featuring 10 teams in Intermat’s top 25 tournament rankings, including five of the top 10 teams in the country, begins Saturday, March 7, on the Big Ten Network with complete coverage of college wrestling’s premier conference event.
Ahead of the championships, B1G+ is introducing a limited-time offer where fans can secure 13 months of B1G+ for $30.00 with code B1GWR. The offer is available through Friday, March 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
From 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 7, the opening session, including the first round and quarterfinal duals, will be broadcast on BTN and B1G+. On B1G+, individual mat cameras, as well as the quad box, will allow viewers to customize their experience. Session two on Saturday night begins at 5 p.m. ET on B1G+, with coverage of the wrestlebacks and consolation matches. Television coverage resumes for Saturday night’s semifinals on BTN from 7 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET.
Coverage continues Sunday, March 8, as session three begins at noon ET on B1G+ with individual mat cameras for the consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches. At 4:30 p.m. ET, television coverage resumes as Big Ten champions are crowned on Big Ten Network, with third and fifth-place bouts airing on B1G+.
Big Ten Network veterans Shane Sparks, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson and Zach Mackey will be on the call for all the action throughout the weekend’s television broadcasts on BTN.
Before the championships coverage kicks off, a new episode of On the Mat debuts at 9:30 a.m. ET, March 7, featuring stories highlighting Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink, Illinois’ Danny Pacino and Indiana’s work as a team throughout the season.
Ahead of the championship session March 8, a new episode of B1G Live: Wrestling Pregame will air at 4 p.m. ET, as Rick Pizzo and Malik Amine preview the final rounds of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. A new episode of B1G Wrestling in 60: B1G Championships debuts Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. ET, recapping the action from the weekend. Additional coverage of the wrestling championships will be included in new episodes of B1G Today … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/02/big-ten-network-presents-coverage-of-2026-big-ten-wrestling-championships
Top 35 Division II ACTIVE Coaches
TDR Editor’s Notes; The following is an updated listing of active head coaches by wins while on the Division II level. Recently retired coaches are included to show some perspective to their coaching colleagues. We welcome input as we update the lists for other divisions and for All-Time coaches including all divisions.
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- Steve Costanzo (St. Cloud Univ.&Dana College) 364 +17
- Jim Makovsky (Minn. St.-Mankato/Valley City St.) 349 +15
- Robert Fisher (Kutztown Univ.) 257 +5
- Jason Reitmeier (Augustana College-S.D.) 248 +13
- Heath Grimm (Upper Iowa Univ.) 245 +6
- Mike Wehler (Mercyhurst, West Liberty State) 214 – retired 2025
- R.C. LaHaye (Lander U./Grand Canyon U.) 172 +21
- James Kisgen (McKendree College) – 171 – since in D-II +11
- Othello ‘O.T.’ Johnson (U. N.C.-Pembroke) 158 +16
- Jason Ramstetter (Adams State College) 143 +9
- Jason Warthan (Indianapolis Univ.) 141 +2
- Dalton Jensen (Nebraska-Kearney) 136 +14
- Todd Steidley (Central Oklahoma) 130 +16
- Seth Bloomquist (Shippensburg State) 118 +6
- Shawn Nelson (Findlay Univ.) 116 inc. +5
- Dax Charles (Colorado State-Pueblo) 108 +5
- Josh Hutchens (Frostburg/Ashland/Col. School Mines) 107 +7
- Austin DeVoe (Colorado School of Mines) 99 +10
- Brett Hunter (Chadron State) 98 +5
- Joey Simcoe (Grand Valley St./Tiffin Univ.) 98 +9
- Danny Irwin (West Liberty/Wheeling Jesuit) 98 +11
- Adam Aho (University of Mary) 91 +10
- Charles Piper (Western Colorado) 86 +10
- Bryce Killian (Emmanuel College) 84 – +9
- Dock Kelly (Anderson) 84 –now at NAIA school
- Anibal Nieves (East Stroudsburg & others) 83 inc. +12
- Dylan Cottrell (Glenville State) 82 +18
- Kris Nelson (Minnesota State-Moorhead) 80 +7
- Dan Willis (Mount Olive) 77 +7
- Rocky Burkett (Northern State) 74 +5
- Evan Forde (Minot State) 54 — +4
- Jimmy Eggemeyer (Quincy) 52 – +8
- Deral Brown (Newberry) 51 – II +12
- Nick Becker (Wisconsin-Parkside) 51 – II +12
- Jamie Gibbs (U.N.C.-Pembroke) 51 II — now at D-III school
TDR Top 12 Men’s team — 2026
TDR Editor’s Notes ;
With the expansion from 4 to 7 divisions in 2026 the opportunities for state champions and medalists greatly increased for men’s wrestlers. 14 state champions are from eastern North Carolina and they are recognized on the First and Second Teams on the TDR Top 12. The rest are named as Honorable Mentions. The 64 wrestlers named below will receive an engraved wooden plaque with their name as part of the TDR Top 12 team for 2026.
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First Team
106 – Xavier Bernthal (New Bern), 113 – Tyler Gardner (Jacksonville), 120 – Lucas Angstadt (Ashley), 126 – Holton Quincy (North East Carolina Prep), 132 – Ashton Tennessee (West Johnston), 138 – Maxwell Davis (Jacksonville), 144 – James Campos (White Oak), 150 – Isiah Mewborn (Pamlico), 157 – Jacob Campos (White Oak), 165 – Tobin McNair (Wakefield), 175 – Aldinio Previl (Rosewood) 190 – Luke Padgett (Croatan), 215 – Judah Harris (Hunt), 285 – Mason Hocker (John Hoggard).
Second Team
106 – Sander Tran (South Central), 113 — Jackson Abel (Franklinton), 120 — Isaiah Mazura (Rosewood), 126 — Christopher Braxton (New Hanover), 132 – Miller Menteer (Currituck), Christian Riddick (First Flight), 138 – Samuel McQueen (Emsley Laney), Coy Deel (West Craven), 144 – Cade Gehris (First Flight), 150 – Aiden Campbell (Havelock), Hayden Smith (White Oak), 165 – John Bane (New Bern), Mac Kopelman (Emsley Laney), 175 – Jude Moulton (John Hoggard), 190 – Jaylin Darden (Rosewood), Rhett Stevens (Corinth-Holders), 215 – Nick Wade (Rosewood), Syler Hall (Pamlico), 285 – John Garay-Martinez (First Flight).
Honorable Mention
106 – Jonathan Helbert (West Carteret), Eliel Lopez (Rosewood), 113 — Alan Tebalan (North East Carolina Prep), 120 – Rory Gallagher (John Hoggard), Brayden Waneroik (North East Carolina Prep), Lucas Angell (Currituck), 126 – Robert Alexander (White Oak), Nate Jones (Northside, Jax), 132 – Colten Lewis (White Oak), Gael Guerrero-Perez (Bunn), 138 – Zymir Best (Charles B. Aycock), Zachary Loveless (American Leadership Academy), Jake Amiott (Topsail), Shane Mangroo (Rosewood), 144 – Vincent Valentino (Emsley Laney), Dominic Avvisato (Dixon), Stephen Rubistello (Tarboro), David Barrera-Meza (Washington), 150 –Kaliil McDowell (Wakefield), Tucker Massie (Washington), Jacob Perry (New Bern), 157 – Jonathan Nguyen (Northeastern), Noah Cerino (West Carteret), Camden Herron (Northside, Jax), 165 –Anoop Monroe (Northside, Jax), 175 – Ben McCaleb (Topsail), Bryson Mabe (West Brunswick), 215 –Wisdom Mason (North Pitt), Andrew Robinson (Pender Co.), 285 – Josh Lemke (Rosewood), Kayden Clark (SW Onslow).
NSIC sends 29 wrestlers to NCAA Championships
Region Results
Marshall, Minn. – The NSIC will send 29 wrestlers to the NCAA Division II Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on March 13-14 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center; hosted by the NSIC and the Sioux Falls Sports Authority. Qualifications took place at the NCAA Super Region V Championship which were held in Marshall, Minnesota on Saturday, hosted by Southwest Minnesota State University.
Wisconsin Parkside won the Super Region V Championship and advanced seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. St. Cloud State, which placed second, will send also send seven wrestlers to nationals. The University of Mary and Minnesota State will send four, Augustana and Northern State will send three and MSU Moorhead one. … more at … https://northernsun.org/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-nsic-sends-29-wrestlers-to-ncaa-championships.aspx
GLENVILLE STATE GOES BACK-TO-BACK WITH SECOND SUPER REGION 3 CHAMPIONSHIP!
FINDLAY, Ohio – The nationally ranked Glenville State Wrestling team went back-to-back on Saturday (Feb. 28), winning another NCAA DII Super Region III Championship and qualifying six individuals for the NCAA DII Championships March 13-14th in South Dakota. Four Pioneer grapplers finishes second while Zachary Parker and Nick Johnson claimed individual championships.
SUPER REGION 3 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
Zachary Parker entered the 133-pound class as the No. 4 seed, working his way through with a pinfall in round one and a 7-6 decision in the quarterfinals. After an upset over the one seed, Parker matched up with the eight seed, where he won by decision to advance to the championship round. He then dominated West Liberty’s James Armstrong Jr. in the finals to capture his first NCAA DII Super Region 3 Championship.
Nick Johnson was the number one seed at 197 pounds and looked like it all day, mowing through the competition on his way to a second straight championship at 197 pounds. Johnson won each of his three matches via major decision after earning a first-round bye, including a 13-3 victory against Ashland’s Peyton Lemon in the title round.
NCAA NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
At 141 pounds, Ethan Hardy dominated his way through the first three rounds with a fall and two tech fall wins to earn a bid into the championship round. West Liberty’s Khyvon Grace defeated Hardy in the finals, however, the 2nd place finish from Glenville’s 141-pounder qualified Hardy to Nationals.
Gabe Onorato earned was a #2 seed in the 149-pound class, advancing through the bracket with a tech fall and fall victory. The former Drexel transfer placed 2nd after falling to Grand Valley State’s Chris Donathan in the championship round and will be heading to Nationals once again for the Pioneers.
True freshman Jimmie Bailes started the day with a pinfall victory in the opening round and a dominating 18-1 tech fall win in the quarterfinals. Bailes then majored the 157-pound number one seed, 14-5, … more at … https://gstatepioneers.com/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-wrestling-goes-back-to-back-with-second-super-region-3-championship.aspx
Rangers Claim Super Region V Title, Qualify Seven for Nationals
MARSHALL, Minn. — The Parkside Rangers delivered a historic performance at Super Region V, crowning one individual champion and qualifying seven wrestlers for the NCAA Division II National Championships. Behind a dominant showing throughout the lineup, the Rangers captured the Super Region V team title for the first time since 2016.
At 125 pounds, No.4 Shane Corrigan put together an impressive tournament run, opening with an 11-0 major decision before dominating the quarterfinals with a 17-0 technical fall in just 3:14. After dropping a tight 6-3 semifinal decision, he bounced back in commanding fashion with a 15-0 tech fall in the consolation semifinals. He sealed a third-place finish with a 15-7 major decision over Jacob Fitzpatrick of Minnesota State, finishing the weekend strong with four bonus-point victories, while claiming a spot in the NCAA National Championships.
Matthew Chi competed at 133 pounds and opened his tournament with a dominant 20-5 technical fall in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss to No. 13 Dominick Ducato, he responded with a thrilling 13-11 decision in the consolation semifinals. Chi ultimately finished fourth after facing No. 5 Jacob Strausbaugh of UMary in the third-place bout.
Troy Dolphin battled his way through a loaded bracket, winning his opening-round by fall at 1:37 at 141 pounds. After falling to No. 6 Sean Solis in the quarterfinals, he responded with three straight wins in the consolation bracket, including falls in 2:16 and 1:58 — the latter over No. 8 Luke Koenen of Augustana. He ultimately placed fourth … more at … https://parksiderangers.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-rangers-claim-super-region-v-title-qualify-seven-for-nationals.aspx
#1 Lopers Win Another Regional Title, Qualify Seven for NCAA’s
Kearney, Neb. – The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team won its seventh regional title in eight years and qualified seven individuals for the NCAA Championships Saturday in Golden, Colo.
The 13-team “Super Region VI Championships” were hosted by Colorado School of Mines. The top three finishers in each of 10 weight classes advance to the NCAA’s March 13-14 in Sioux Falls. Brackets will be released in the coming weeks.
UNK had three winners, three runners up and one third place finisher. Those not making the cut to nationals each scored team points with two finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. No. 15 Adams State (124) was the team runner up with No. 17 Chadron State (100) in third.
Winning their weight class was top-ranked Crew Howard (285 lbs.), sixth-ranked Trenton Munoz (165 lbs.) and sixth-ranked Otgonbayar Batsuuri (174 lbs.). Finishing second were fourth-ranked Jackson Kinsella (197 lbs.), fourth-ranked Kaden Hart (184 lbs.) and 12th-ranked Zach Ourada (133 lbs.). Finally, rallying for third place was second-ranked Joseph Airola (141 lbs.).
Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) ran his win streak to 18 as he recorded three falls and a 6-1 decision over 14th-ranked Tyler Doyle of Colorado Mesa. Munoz (Santa Clarita, Calif.) had a first period fall in the quarters and used second period reversal to edge eighth-ranked Ivan Smith Jr. of New Mexico Highlands in his first-place bout, 4-2. Next, Batsuuri (Mongolia) didn’t allow an offensive point among four wins with Hart (St. Peters, Mo.) falling to third-ranked Keegen Gehlhausen of CSC for the second time this year. Finally, the Eagles 14th-ranked Mason Villwok avenged a regular season setback to Kinsella (Creston, Ia) with Ourada (Omaha Skutt) falling to Jakob Romoer of Adams who pulled off several upsets in winning 133.
In the consoles, Airola (Ward, Colo.) lost to Colorado Mesa’s Apollo Cruz for the second time this winter in round one. He had a long road to reach nationals but won in sudden victory before besting Cruz … more at … https://lopers.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-1-lopers-win-another-regional-title-qualify-seven-for-ncaa-s.aspx
Central Oklahoma — REGIONAL CHAMPS!
Bronchos Claim Sixth Straight Regional Title Behind Four Individual Champs
EDMOND – Gabe Johnson joined elite company in leading Central Oklahoma to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament championship Sunday at Hamilton Field House.
Johnson became just the fourth four-time regional champion in UCO’s rich history by capturing the 157-pound crown and the No. 2-ranked Bronchos also got title-winning efforts from 125 Eli Kirk, 133 Jason Henschel and 174 Hunter Jump in finishing the one-day, 11-team tourney with 156 points.
No. 13 Central Missouri came in second with 132 points, followed by No. 10 McKendree (112), Indianapolis (108.5) and Maryville (89.5).
It took a top three finish to earn a spot in the national tournament, with UCO getting runner-up efforts from 141 Josh Taylor and 165 Bryce Dauphin along with clutch third-place showings from 149 Bam West and 184 Branson Britten to finish with eight qualifiers. Garrett Wells took fourth at 197 and Ryan Nichols sixth at heavyweight.
“It was a long, tough day and I thought we battled hard,” said head coach Todd Steidley, who was named Super Regional IV Coach of the Year for the fifth time. “I’m proud of our guys. This is probably the toughest regional in the country and we came out with eight qualifiers.
“Our goal is always to get all 10 guys in so it’s disappointing when we don’t do that, but we’ve got a good group moving on and I’m excited about our chances in the national tournament.”
The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships are set for March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D. as the Bronchos take aim at their 18th national championship. UCO finished fifth last year after winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and ’24.
Johnson capped off a 4-0 run to his fourth regional title with a 14-8 finals win over Nicolas Zamora of Maryville. The top-ranked senior star bolted to a 10-1 first period lead behind two takedowns and a near-fall and made it 11-1 in the second with a quick escape before Zamora got two final-minute takedowns.
Johnson breezed into the finals in dominating fashion, outscoring three … more at … https://bronchosports.com/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-regional-champs.aspx
Chadron State Eagles Secure Two Regional Champs, Four National Qualifiers
GOLDEN, Colo. –Keegan Gehlhausen and Mason Villwok won regional championships while Quade Smith and Eli Reese placed third at their respective weights to give Chadron State men’s wrestling four national qualifiers on a successful Saturday at the NCAA Super Region VI Championships.
With his win, Gehlhausen has clinched his third career berth at nationals and his second consecutive regional championship. It is the first career national qualification for Quade Smith and the second for Eli Reese, who qualified in 2024-25 while wrestling for Gannon.
It is the first career regional championship and national qualification for Villwok, who defeated the region’s top two seeds ranked No. 7 and No. 4 in the nation to do it. Villwok beat the buzzer, recording a takedown with one second remaining to stun Nebraska-Kearney’s Jackson Kinsella 8-5 in the championship match.
In addition, Chadron State earned a third-place finish in the team standings with 100 points, trailing only Nebraska-Kearney (142) and Adams State (124). Colorado School of Mines (95.5) and Colorado Mesa (86.5) rounded out the top five.
Thanks to Gehlhausen and Villwok’s bracket triumphs, Chadron State was one of only three schools with multiple regional champions alongside Nebraska-Kearney and Adams State, who had three each. CSC’s four total national qualifiers were also the third-most in the region behind UNK’s seven and ASU’s six.
While Chadron State’s six other competing wrestlers fell short of the top three finish required to qualify …more at … https://chadroneagles.com/news/2026/2/28/mens-wrestling-eagles-secure-two-regional-champs-four-national-qualifiers.aspx
Trojans Place Sixth at Regionals, Nicolosi Leads Strong Showing
GREENWOOD, SC– The University of Mount Olive men’s wrestling program competed at the NCAA Division II Super Regional II Championships on Saturday, battling the region’s top programs in pursuit of national qualification.
The Trojans finished sixth overall in the team standings with 65.5 total points, earning key victories throughout the day against some of the Southeast Region’s top competition. Mount Olive was able to bring ten of its top athletes to such stiff competition and show why they absolutely belong at that level and even further beyond.
At 157, Brent Nicolosi turned in one of the top performances of the tournament. He opened in strong form against Fogus, winning 14-5 MD. He then tacked on two massive wins against Keegan Roberson and Joe Bertrand to head to the championship match. He then proceeded to win over Reid Noble with a 8-5 decision to claim first place at the Regional level.
Jack Mackiernan made a strong run at 184, starting off with a bye before losing to Jeff Tubbs in the second round. He then began work by earning a 3-2 decision over John Parker-Wilson (Newberry) and a fall against Nahzir Turner (Shorter) in 4:20. He added Quintez Shipman (UNC Pembroke), including a 7-4 sudden victory win, before winning in a tight 2-0 decision bout to Tubbs later in the third place match.
At 285, Slade Watkins secured three wins, including a 15-2 major decision over Chandler Allen (Allen) and a quick 13-second fall against Kobe Pablo (Emmanuel). He also earned a 4-3 decision over Hunter Miller (Coker).
Raife Smart (197) recorded a major decision over Kaden Gadson (Allen) and pinned Jackson Buck (UNC Pembroke) in 3:22. Brock Christian (133) posted a pair of wins, including a major decision over Max Meredith (Shorter). Hunter Newell (149) added two decision victories, while Benjamin Hernandez (141) and Cole Hivnor (174) each earned wins in their respective brackets. Mount Olive concludes regional competition … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-trojans-place-sixth-at-regionals-nicolosi-leads-strong-showing.aspx
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 