Takedown Report

Cardinal secures best NCAA finish in program history

2025-26 Season in Review
STANFORD, Calif. – In its third season under Chris Ayres, The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach, Stanford produced a school record four All-Americans, its third individual NCAA champion and the highest finish in program history at the national tournament.
Stanford broke into the top 10 for the first time, securing sixth place at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland. Ayres was named the National Tournament Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).
The Cardinal was the runner-up at the ACC Championships in Blacksburg, Virginia, claiming two individual crowns. Overall, Stanford was 7-6 on the season and 4-2 in ACC duals.
The Cardinal qualified eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Earning automatic berths were Nico Provo (125), Tyler Knox (133), Jack Consiglio (141), Aden Valencia (149), Daniel Cardenas (157), EJ Parco (165), Abraham Wojcikiewicz (184) and Angelo Posada (197).
The No. 10 seed, Valencia knocked off the undefeated No. 1 seed Shayne Van Ness of Penn State in overtime at 149 pounds to become the first Stanford freshman to win an NCAA crown and the fifth to achieve NCAA All-America status. Valencia was named the Co-ACC Wrestler of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year following the NCAA Championships.
Provo, the No. 7 seed, placed third at 125 pounds to secure his first career All-America honors. After dropping his second-round match, he reeled off six straight wins on the back side of the bracket to take third, including his third win of the season over defending national champion Vincent Robinson of NC State. Posting a 20-6 record on the season, the third-place finish was the highest by a Cardinal 125-pounder in school history.
The No. 15 seed, Knox placed sixth at 133 pounds, climbing two spots higher on the podium than last season. He became the eighth wrestler in program history to earn multiple NCAA All-America honors, and his sixth-place showing is the best by a Stanford 133-pounder at the national tournament.
The No. 9 seed at 197 pounds, Posada also took sixth for the Cardinal. The Poway native became just the second true freshman All-American in program history. He was 20-8 in his first season on The Farm, leading the team with eight falls.
Stanford’s sixth-place team-finish in Cleveland was five spots higher than its previous best of 11^th set in 2011. For the first time in school history, the Cardinal has produced multiple All-Americans in three consecutive seasons. It marks the sixth time in the past seven years Stanford has had multiple All-Americans in the same season, and the 12th time overall.
Ayres was also named ACC Coach of the Year following the season. Earning All-ACC honors for Stanford were individual champions Cardenas (157) and Consiglio (141), and runners-up Knox (133), Posada (197) and Provo (125). Three Cardinal picked up ACC Wrestler of the Week awards during the season – Valencia (Nov. 11), Consiglio (Dec. 9) and Provo (Jan. 20).
The Cardinal closed out the dual season on a four-match winning streak. Stanford was third as a team at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6). Five Cardinal reached the podium individually, including third-place outings from Provo (125), Consiglio (141) and Cardenas (157). Stanford finished 16th as a team at the 61st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) in Evanston, Illinois. Three Cardinal turned in podium finishes – true freshman Brokton Borelli (4th – 197 pounds), Wojcikiewicz … https://gostanford.com/news/2026/06/30/2025-26-season-in-review-wres?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

July 3, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment