Buckeyes Open NCAA Championships Thursday in Cleveland

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State opens 2026 NCAA competition Thursday at Rocket Arena with a representative in each of the 10 weight classes that will battle to determine champions in the team and individual competitions.

2026 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
(all times Eastern and subject to change)
Day   Date   Time (ET)   Network
Session 1 - Championship 1st Round   Thursday   March 19 Noon   ESPN2/ESPN+
Session 2 - Championship 2nd Round    Thursday   March 19 7 p.m.   ESPN/ESPN+
       + Consolations
Session 3 - Championship QF Round   Friday   March 20   Noon   ESPNU/ESPN+
       + Consolations
Session 4 - Championship SF Round   Friday   March 20   8 p.m.   ESPN2/ESPN+
       + Blood Round
Session 5 - Medal Round   Saturday   March 21   11 a.m.   ESPNU/ESPN+
Session 6 - Championship Finals   Saturday   March 21   6:30 p.m.   ESPN/ESPN+

2026 Ohio State NCAA Qualifiers
Wt | InterMat Rk./2026 NCAA seed/Name (Yr.)/2025-26 Record/At NCAA Championships
125 | No. 5/3-seed - Nic Bouzakis (R-Jr.)/16-3/3rd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 4-4): 2024 (16-seed/2-2), 2025 (7-seed/2-2)
vs. 30-seed Sulayman Bah (Columbia/23-12)

133 | No. 1/2-seed - Ben Davino (R-Fr.)/27-1/1st Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 0-0):
vs. 31-seed Gable Strickland (Lock Haven/26-9)

141 | No. 1/1-seed - Jesse Mendez (Sr.)/22-0/4th Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 15-3): 2023 (14-seed/5-3/6th), 2024 (1-seed/5-0/1st),
       2025/3-seed/5-0/1st)
vs. 33-seed Aldo Hernandez (APST/18-14) or No. 32 Matthew Martino (Princeton/15-15)

149 | No. 3/7-seed - Ethan Stiles (R-So.)/15-5/2nd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 10-9): 2025 (12-seed/4-2)
vs. 26-seed Anderson Heap (Davidson/20-9)

157 | No. 7/8-seed - Brandon Cannon (R-So.)/18-3/2nd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 3-2 ) 2025 (5-seed/3-2)
vs. 25-seed Mason Shrader (CMU/24-10)

165 | No. 14/16-seed - Paddy Gallagher (R-Sr.)/17-7/3rd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 2-4); 2023 (28-seed/2-2), 2025 (26-seed/0-2)
vs. 17-seed Braeden Scoles (Illinois/16-9)

174 | No. 4/4-seed - Carson Kharchla (Gr.)/18-4/4th Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 6-7): 2022 (7-seed/4-3/7th), 2023 (10-seed/2-2),
       2025 (9-seed/0-2)
vs. 29-seed Avery Bassett (Lock Haven/22-7)

184 | No. 7/12-seed - Dylan Fishback (R-Jr.)/10-9/2nd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 6-4): 2024 (10-seed/3-2), 2025 (15-seed/3-2)
vs. 21-seed Tomas Brooker (APST/26-8)

197 | No. 13/12-seed - Luke Geog (R-So.)/17-7/2nd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 0-2): 2024 (23-seed/0-3)
vs. 21-seed Rune Lawrence (WVU/17-11)

HWT | No. 5/5-seed - Nick Feldman (R-Jr.)/23-5/3rd Appearance
   NCAA History (Rcd.: 8-4): 2024 (5-2/9-seed/5th), 2025 (12-seed/3-2)
vs. 28-seed Jarrett Stoner (Missouri/23-14)

The Buckeyes qualified wrestlers in all 10 weight classes last weekend at the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Bryce Jordan Center on the Penn State University campus.
Ohio State took second at the 2026 Big Ten Championships with 148.5 points. Senior Jesse Mendez, the two-time defending NCAA champion at 141, won his second league title while redshirt freshman Ben Davino took the title at 133. Mendez is a No. 1 seed and Davino a No. 2 in the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Mendez was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year while Davino was named the league's 2026 Freshman of the Year. Tom Ryan took home 2026 Coach of the Year honors.
The Buckeyes also boasted a second-place finisher at the most recent Big Ten championships (Ethan Stiles at 149) and four who earned third-place honors. Nic Bouzakis (125), Carson Kharchla (174), Luke Geog (197) and Nick Feldman (HWT) stood on the third step on the Big Ten Championships podium in their respective weight classes.
Ryan has sent nine or more wrestlers to the national tournament 10 times during his 20-year Ohio State career (2007-present). The Buckeyes are one of six teams nationally in 2026 to send 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament. Ryan has sent a full complement of 10 wrestlers to the national tournament five times and in each of the last two campaigns.
Ohio State has had 167 NCAA Qualifiers under Ryan. The Buckeyes have earned 75 All-America honors and have finished in the Top 5 10 times. Sixteen teams have finished among the Top 10.
The 2015 team won the NCAA title and five teams have placed second.
Ohio State took fifth(t) in the 2025 NCAA Championships and were eighth in 2024.
Ohio State opened the 2025-26 dual season with 12 NCAA qualifiers and now has 13 on its roster. Brendan McCrone (29-seed/2024, 20/2025), Nic Bouzakis (16/2024, 7/2025, 2026), Jesse Mendez (14/2023, 1/2024, 2/2025, 2026), Ethan Stiles (12/2025 at Oregon State, 2026 at Ohio State), Brandon Cannon (5/2025, 2026), Paddy Gallagher (28/2023, 26/2025, 2026), Carson Kharchla (7/2022, 10/2023, 9/2025, 2026), Ryder Rogotzke (18/2024, 26/2025), Dylan Fishback (10/2024, 15/2025 at NC State, 2026 at Ohio State), Seth Shumate (23/2025), Luke Geog (23/2024, 2026) and Nick Feldman (9/2024, 12/2025, 2026). Redshirt freshman Ben Davino is making his first NCAA Tournament appearance.
In all, Ohio State's roster in 2026 has combined to qualify for the NCAA Tournament 32 times.
Mendez owns three Top 8 finishes at the NCAA Championship, good for as many All-America honors. He placed sixth in 2023 at 133 and won the 141 title in both 2024 and 2025. Kharchla earned All-America honors in 2022 with a seventh-place finish at 165. Feldman battled to a fifth-place finish for All-America recognition at HWT in 2024. Stiles was an All-American a year ago as a redshirt freshman at Oregon State.
The Buckeyes defeated No. 5 Iowa in the third-consecutive and final home dual at the Covelli Center in 2026. Ohio State defeated No. 25 Wisconsin (30-10) and No. 13 Michigan (26-16) before taking down the Hawkeyes (24-9).
Ohio State recorded the best start in program history at 17-0. The Buckeyes finished the home season 7-0, the best home record in the Covelli Center. Ohio State's 17-consecutive dual victories also is a school record.
Against the ranked, Ohio State finished 4-1 against Top 5 teams, 8-1 against Top 10 and 11-1 against Top 25 teams this season.
Ohio State entered the match with the No. 1 Nittany Lions at 17-0. Its the most dual wins since an 18-2 campaign for Tom Ryan and the Buckeyes in 2009-10.
Now in his 20th year at Ohio State, Ryan has guided the Buckeyes to 10 or more wins in 15 seasons in Columbus.
Over the course of three days, Ohio State earned a pair of Top 10 road wins at No. 7 Minnesota (W, 29-9) and then at No. 6 Nebraska (W, 17-16). The Buckeyes trailed the Cornhuskers going into the final match of the night at heavyweight. Ohio State's Nick Feldman secured the comeback victory with a 4-1 win in sudden victory over No. 4 AJ Ferrari.
Ohio State cruised through the 2025 National Duals Invitational Nov. 15-16, 2025 with four team-dual victories on its way to the event title and a check for $200,000. The Buckeyes defeated Wyoming, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 3 Iowa for the title. Ohio State went 20-0 at 125, 133, 141, 149 and 157 while losing just five total matches over the two-days.
Highlight wins at the National Duals, 125-Nic Bouzakis defeated (8) Jore Volk (MINN) and (10) Dean Peterson (Iowa/F, 1:34); 133-Ben Davino defeated (2) Drake Ayala (Iowa, D, 10-4); 141-Jesse Mendez defeated (8) Vance VomBaur (MINN), (2) Brock Hardy (NEB) and (9) Nasir Bailey (Iowa); 157-Brandon Cannon defeated defending NCAA Champion and top ranked Antrell Taylor (NEB/MD, 16-4); 174-Carson Kharchla defeated No. 4 Christopher Minto (NEB); 184-Dylan Fishback defeated (6) Silas Allred (NEB); HWT: Nick Feldman defeated (2) AJ Ferrari (NEB/D, 5-4).
Jesse Mendez opened the 2025-26 season at the 2025 NWCA All-American Championships in Piscataway, New Jersey, against Anthony Echemendia of Iowa State. Mendez, ranked No. 1 nationally at 141, defeated No. 6 Echemendia, 7-3.
Tom Ryan, now in his 20th year at Ohio State, has sent 167 Buckeyes to the NCAA Championships. In 10 seasons, the Buckeyes have sent nine or more (9/2009-13-17-23-24 and 10/2015-18-19-25-26) to the final weekend. The 2020 Championship was canceled (Covid).
Ryan has produced 75 All-Americans during his tenure with the Buckeyes, including an Ohio State record of eight in 2018.
By weight, Ryan has coached 19 NCAA qualifiers at 141 pounds with six NCAA Champions (Jaggers-2, Stieber-2, Mendez-2). Eighteen have qualified at 149, 174 and 184.
Ohio State has won 14 individual national titles in six weight classes under Ryan's direction (125-1, 133-2, 141-6, 174-1, 184-1, HWT-3).

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