Buckeyes Send Four to Quarterfinals at NCAA Championships

Thursday, March 19

Cleveland, Ohio

Noon

Ohio State

2026 NCAA Championships

Buckeyes Send Four to Quarterfinals at NCAA Championships

3/19/2026 10:55:00 PM | Wrestling

Bracket -- Session II Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Action resumes Friday at Noon

Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Led by two-time defending national champion Jesse Mendez, Ohio State will have four Buckeyes in the quarterfinals after the first day of competition at the 2026 NCAA Championships Thursday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Ohio State totaled 23 points on the first day of competition, good for fifth place.

Mendez (141), Ben Davino (133), Brandon Cannon (157) and Carson Kharchla (174) remain in contention for national titles after winning both their matches in the championship side of the bracket on opening day.

Quarterfinal action starts at noon Friday and will be televised by ESPNU and ESPNs. Six Buckeyes remain in contention for third place in the consolation bracket. Consolation matches also start at noon Friday.

Nic Bouzakis (125), Ethan Stiles (149), Paddy Gallagher (165), Dylan Fishback (184), Luke Geog (197) and Nick Feldman (HWT) will wrestle in the second round of consolation matches Friday.

Ohio State advanced nine-of-10 wrestlers to the second round after the morning session. As a team, the Buckeyes scored 14.5 team points in the first session, just a half point behind No. 2 Iowa (15).

There are 28 Ohio natives in the championships, four of which are Buckeyes.

In the recent Big Ten Championships, Ohio State scored 148.5 points and came away with two champions, a second-place finisher, four thirds, a fourth, and two seventh-place finishes.

The team finish was the highest since a second-place effort in 2019.

All 10 Buckeyes earned a spot in the 2026 NCAA Championships, one of six schools to qualify a wrestler in all 10 weight classes.

Tom Ryan, head coach of the Buckeyes, has qualified 10 wrestlers for the NCAA championships for the second-consecutive year and for the fifth time in his Ohio State career. In all, 167 Buckeyes have made the NCAA championships in Ryan's 20 years in Columbus with 75 earning All-America honors.

Mendez, the two-time defending national champion at 141, is the 19^th NCAA qualifier at that weight during Ryan's career in Columbus. He has sent 18 qualifiers at 149, 165, 174 and 184.

The @bigten champion at 133 lbs Ben Davino handled his business in the first round of #NCAAWrestling Champs ??

The @wrestlingbucks freshman secured a 17-2 TF in the second period to defeat Gable Strickland of Lock Haven ?? pic.twitter.com/Kzx2L0i5vL
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) March 19, 2026

Light work ?????

(2) Ben Davino (133) of @wrestlingbucks defeats (15) Tyler Knox of Stanford with a 21-5 tech fall. #NCAAWrestling x ?? ESPN pic.twitter.com/dnjdQtAyhE
— NCAA Men's Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 20, 2026

NCAA Wrestling Championship Schedule

Friday, March 20
- Quarterfinals and wrestle-backs | Noon
- Semifinals and wrestle-backs | 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 21
- Consolation finals | 11 a.m.
- Championship finals | 6:30 p.m.

2026 NCAA Championships -- Session II
125-Nic Bouzakis
Champ. Rnd. 2-(14) Jacob Moran (IND) def. (3) Nic Bouzakis (OSU), MD, 10-2
Moran scored the opening takedown of the bout for a 3-1 lead after a Bouzakis escape. Moran added another takedown near the end of the first for a 6-1 lead going to the second. Bouzakis opened the second with an escape but Moran added a takedown for a 9-2 advantage after two periods. Moran added an escape point in the third to get the win by major decision, 10-2.

133-Ben Davino
Champ. Rnd. 2-(2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (15) Tyler Knox (STAN), TF, 21-5
Davino recorded a pair of quick takedowns for a 6-2 lead. Another takedown made it 9-3. Davino finished off the opening period with two more takedowns to lead 12-3. A barrage of takedowns, three in succession, earned Davino a 21-5 win by major decision.

141-Jesse Mendez
Champ. Rnd. 2-(1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (17) Caedyn Ricciardi (NAVY), TF, 22-6
Mendez attacked and scored a takedown, four nearfall points and another takedown for a quick 10-1 lead midway through the opening period. Mendez added another pair of takedowns for a 16-4 advantage after the end of the first period. Ricciardi escaped to start the second before a Mendez takedown made it 19-6. Mendez finished off the match with a takedown for a win by major decision, 22-6.

Not his first rodeo ??

(1) Jesse Mendez (141) of @wrestlingbucks wins by fall over (33) Aldo Hernandez of Appalachian State. #NCAAWrestling x ?? ESPN 2 pic.twitter.com/XYwfBFBS2Y
— NCAA Men's Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 19, 2026

149-Ethan Stiles
Champ. Rnd. 2-(10) Aden Valencia (STAN) def. (7) Ethan Stiles (OSU), D, 7-5
There was no score in the opening period. Stiles put the first point on the board with an escape to start the second. He added a takedown with 30 seconds to end the second with the Buckeyes leading 4-0. Stanford challenged the sequence to end the second seeking a reversal. After review, no points were awarded. Valencia added an escape and a takedown to make it 4-all. Stiles escaped but Valencia added another takedown to go up 7-5 for the win by decision.

157-Brandon Cannon
Champ. Rnd. 2-(8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (9) Daniel Cardenas (STAN), D, 8-7
Cannon fell behind 3-0 after a Cardenas takedown going to the second. Cannon added two escapes around another Cardenas takedown to trail 6-2 after two periods. Cannon was awarded a point after a stalling call against Cardenas to make it 6-3. Cannon got a reversal and Cardenas escaped to make it 7-5 Stanford. Cannon then got a takedown to lead 8-7. Cannon held on for the win by decision, 8-7.

165-Paddy Gallagher
Champ. Rnd. 2-(1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) def. (16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU), MD, 12-0
Mesenbrink opened with a takedown and a penalty point for a Gallagher stalling call for a 4-0 lead after the first three minutes. Mesenbrink started the second with an escape and added a takedown for an 8-0 advantage. Stalling was called again to make it 9-0 Penn State going to the third. Mesenbrink finished off the match to win by major decision, 12-0.

174-Carson Kharchla
Champ. Rnd. 2-(4) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (20) Daschle Lamer (ORST), MD, 13-3
Kharchla started with a takedown and added a reversal in the second period for a 5-2 lead after five minutes. Kharchla scored eight points in the final 32 seconds of the third period with an escape, takedown and four-point nearfall to win by major decision, 13-3.

184-Dylan Fishback
Champ. Rnd. 2-(5) Brock Mantanona (MICH) def. (12) Dylan Fishback (OSU), MD, 13-5
Mantanona started the scoring with a takedown with under a minute gone in the first period. Fishback escaped before a Michigan takedown made it 6-1. Fishback added another escape to go to the second trailing 6-2. Mantanona opened the second with an escape and takedown for a 10-2 advantage. Fishback added an escape point go to head to the third down 10-3. Another Fishback escape cut it to 10-4 Wolverines. The match ended with Mantanona winning by major decision, 13-5.

197-Luke Geog
Cons. Rnd. 1-(12) Luke Geog (OSU) def. (28) Kael Wisler (MSU), D, 6-4.
Geog put a pair of takedowns together in the early going for a 6-2 lead after the opening period. There was not scoring in the second while Wisler built riding time to 1:30. Wisler escaped quickly in the third to make it 6-3 Buckeyes. After a scramble at the edge of the mat and no call, Michigan State challenged for a takedown call with nine seconds left. After review, no takedown was confirmed. After a point for riding time, Geog held on for the 6-4 win by decision.

285-Nick Feldman
Champ. Rnd. 2-(21) Juan Mora (OKLA) def. (5) Nick Feldman (OSU), D, 4-2
Neither wrestler managed to score in the opening period. Mora opened with an escape and takedown to start the second for a 4-0 lead. Feldman added an escape at the midway point of the first period. He added another to start the third to make it 4-2 Oklahoma. Mora held on to win by decision, 4-2.

IN THE FINAL TEN SECONDS??

(5) Nick Feldman (285) of @wrestlingbucks gets the late takedown and 5-4 victory over (28) Jarrett Stoner of Missouri. #NCAAWrestling x ?? ESPN 2 pic.twitter.com/M3xMuHiRtx
— NCAA Men's Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 19, 2026

2026 NCAA Championships -- Session I
125 | (3) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (30) Sulayman Bah (COL), D, 9-5
Bouzakis got things underway for the Buckeyes in the 2026 NCAA Championships with a takedown with just over a minute to go in the opening period. With more than a minute of riding time in the opening three minutes, Bouzakis chose bottom to start the second. He quickly escaped to go up 4-0. Bah scored a takedown to make it 4-3. Bouzakis managed a reversal before a Bah escape to send the bout to the third with Ohio State leading 6-4. From a neutral start, Bouzakis added a late takedown for a 9-5 advantage after an escape by Bah. Bouzakis got the win by decision, 9-5.

133 | (2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (31) Gable Strickland (LHU), TF, 17-2
In his first NCAA Tournament appearance, Davino earned a quick takedown with a two-point nearfall for a 5-1 lead after a Strickland escape. Davino added another takedown and four-point nearfall to go up 12-1 in just over a minute gone in the opening frame. After another Strickland escape, Davino added another takedown for a 15-2 lead at the two-minute mark. Davino escaped to open the second and finished off the match with an escape in the third for a win by technical fall, 17-2.

141 | (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (33) Aldo Hernandez (APST), F, 2:14
Mendez began defense of back-to-back NCAA Championships with a quick pair of opening takedowns. Mendez added another just 45 seconds into the match to lead 9-3. Mendez added another takedown before getting the pin at 2:14.

149 | (7) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. (26) Anderson Heap (DAV), MD, 10-2
Stiles opened his second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first as a Buckeye, struck first with a takedown in under 30 seconds for a 3-1 advantage after a Heap escape. Stiles added another takedown near the end of the first before opening the second period with an escape for a 7-1 lead. Heap opened the third with an escape. Stiles finished off the match with a win by major decision after a late takedown, 10-2.

157 | (8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (25) Mason Shrader (CMU), D, 10-4
Cannon got the opening score with a takedown before a Shrader escape. With a reversal to start the second, Cannon built a 5-1 advantage after five minutes. Central Michigan challenged a no call on a takedown and won to make it 6-4 Cannon with 1:14 to go in the third. Cannon added a late takedown to get the win by decision, 10-4 with a point for riding time.

165 | (16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. (17) Braeden Scoles (ILL), MD, 13-4
Gallagher, one of four Ohio natives representing the Buckeyes and one of 28 Ohio natives at the championships, scored the opening takedown to lead 3-1 after the opening three minutes. From neutral to start the second, Gallagher added a takedown to go up 6-1. Scoles escaped to make it 6-2 after the opening two periods. Scoles chose bottom to start the third. Gallagher began to build riding time before a Scoles escape and Gallagher takedown made it 9-4. Gallagher added another takedown to get the win by major decision after a point for riding time, 13-4.

174 | (4) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (29) Avery Bassett (LHU), D, 8-3
Kharchla, a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Buckeyes, got out to a 3-0 lead with a takedown midway through the opening frame. He added another after a Bassett escape for a 6-1 advantage after three minutes. Bassett started the second with an escape. Kharchla led 6-2 after the second. He started from bottom in the third and was penalized a point for stalling to make it 6-3. Kharchla then scored a reversal to get the win by decision, 8-3.

184 | (12) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. (21) Tomas Brooker (APST), D, 8-6
Making his first NCAA Championship appearance, Fishback opened with takedowns around a Brooker escape for a 6-1 lead. Brooker escaped late in the first before Fishback opened the second with one of his own for a 7-2 advantage after five minutes. Brooker added an escape point and takedown up close it to 7-6 Fishback with 49 seconds left. Appalachian State challenged for the addition of nearfall points and after review no points were added. When the match resumed, Fishback added an escape point to earn the win by decision, 8-6.

197 | (21) Rune Lawrence (WVU) def. (12) Luke Geog (OSU), SV, 9-6
Geog started strong with a takedown 40 seconds into the opening period to lead 3-1 after three minutes. Lawrence added an escape point to start the second before a Geog takedown upped the lead to 6-2. Lawrence earned another escape and then a takedown to even the score at 6-all late in the second. From neutral to start the third. Geog appeared to score a takedown at the edge of the mat with 1:12 to go but it was not awarded. Ohio State challenged but was unsuccessful. The match went to sudden victory Where Lawrence got the winning takedown for a 9-6 win by decision.

HWT | (5) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. (28) Jarrett Stoner (MIZZ), D, 5-4
Feldman fell behind 4-0 after a scoreless opening period. Stoner started the second with an escape and takedown. Feldman scored an escape to make it 4-1 Missouri. Feldman added an escape point to start the third. Stoner earned a stall warning before a Feldman takedown to make it 5-4 Buckeyes with six seconds left for the win by decision.

Ohio State at the 2026 NCAA Championships
125-Nic Bouzakis
Champ. Rnd. 1-(3) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (30) Sulayman Bah (COL), D, 9-5
Champ. Rnd. 2-(14) Jacob Moran (IND) def. (3) Nic Bouzakis (OSU), MD, 10-2
Cons. Rnd. 2-(3) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) vs. (29) Tyler Chappell (PITT)

133-Ben Davino
Champ. Rnd. 1-(2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (31) Gable Strickland (LHU), TF, 17-2
Champ. Rnd. 2-(2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (15) Tyler Knox (STAN), TF, 21-5
QFs-(2) Ben Davino (OSU) vs. (7) Lucas Byrd (ILL)

141-Jesse Mendez
Champ. Rnd. 1-(1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (33) Aldo Hernandez (APST), F, 2:13
Champ. Rnd. 2-(1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (17) Caedyn Ricciardi (NAVY), TF, 22-6
QFs-(1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) vs. (8) Vance Vombaur (MINN)

149-Ethan Stiles
Champ. Rnd. 1-(7) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. (26) Anderson Heap (DAV), MD, 10-2
Champ. Rnd. 2-(10) Aden Valencia (STAN) def. (7) Ethan Stiles (OSU), D, 7-5
Cons. Rnd. 2-(7) Ethan Stiles (OSU) vs. (25) Michael Gioffre (ILL)

157-Brandon Cannon
Champ. Rnd. 1-(8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (25) Mason Shrader (CMU), D, 10-4
Champ. Rnd. 2-(8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (9) Daniel Cardenas (STAN), D, 8-7
QFs-(8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) vs. (1) P.J. Duke (PSU)

165-Paddy Gallagher
Champ. Rnd. 1-(16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. (17) Braeden Scoles (ILL), MD, 13-4
Champ. Rnd. 2-(1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) def. (16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU), MD, 12-0
Cons. Rnd. 2-(16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) vs. (31) Jared Keslar (PITT)

174-Carson Kharchla
Champ. Rnd. 1-(4) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (29) Avery Bassett (LHU), D, 8-3
Champ. Rnd. 2-(4) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (20) Daschle Lamer (ORST), MD, 13-3
QFs-(4) Carson Kharchla (OSU) vs. (5) Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)

184-Dylan Fishback
Champ. Rnd. 1-(12) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. (21) Tomas Brooker (APST), D, 8-6
Champ. Rnd. 2-(5) Brock Mantanona (MICH) def. (12) Dylan Fishback (OSU), MD, 13-5
Cons. Rnd. 2--(12) Dylan Fishback (OSU) vs. (11) Shane Cartagena-Welsh (RUT)

197-Luke Geog
Champ. Rnd. 1-(21) Rune Lawrence (WVU) def. (12) Luke Geog (OSU), SV, 9-6
Cons. Rnd. 1-(12) Luke Geog (OSU) def. (28) Kael Wisler (MSU), D, 6-4
Cons. Rnd. 2-(12) Luke Geog (OSU) vs. (6) Justin Rademacher (ORST)

285-Nick Feldman
Champ. Rnd. 1-(5) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. (28) Jarrett Stoner (MIZZ), D, 5-4
Champ. Rnd. 2-(21) Juan Mora (OKLA) def. (5) Nick Feldman (OSU), D, 4-2
Cons. Rnd. 2-(5) Nick Feldman (OSU) vs. (6) Nathan Taylor (LEH)

#GoBucks