Photo by: Ohio State Athletics
Mendez Earns Top Seed at Big Ten Championships at 141
3/2/2026 1:00:00 PM | Wrestling
Seven Buckeyes earn Top 5 seeds
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The pre-seeds for the 2026 Big Ten Championships were announced by the conference office Monday in advance to the league tournament this weekend. Penn State is the host to the 2026 event at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania.
Action gets underway at 10 a.m. ET Saturday with the finals set for 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Senior Jesse Mendez is seeded No. 1 at 141 pounds. He won both the 2024 Big Ten and NCAA championships and repeated as the NCAA champion again in 2025.
Sophomore Ethan Stiles enters the 2026 Big Ten Championships as a No. 2 seed at 149.
Junior Nic Bouzakis is the No. 3 seed at 125. Freshman Ben Davino (133) and junior Nick Feldman (HWT) also are seeded No. 3 in their respective weight classes.
Graduate Carson Kharchla (174) and sophomore Luke Geog (197) enter the league championships as No. 5 seeds.
In all, the Buckeyes boast seven Top 5 seeded wrestlers in 2026.
2026 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
(all times Eastern and subject to change)
Saturday, March 7 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME SESSION Broadcast/Stream
10 a.m. Session I (First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks) // Big Ten Network
5 p.m. Session II (Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks) // B1G+
7 p.m. Session II (Semifinals) // Big Ten Network
Sunday, March 8 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME SESSION Broadcast/Stream
Noon Session III (Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches) // B1G+
4:30 p.m. Session IV (1st-, 3rd- and 5th- Place Matches) // Big Ten Network
NOTE: Big Ten Network and B1G+ will provide live linear and streaming coverage of all four sessions, with Big Ten Network linear coverage also available on the FOX Sports App, while Big Ten Network+ matches can be streamed at bigtenplus.com.
2026 Big Ten Championship Pre-Seeds
125 lbs
Action gets underway at 10 a.m. ET Saturday with the finals set for 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Senior Jesse Mendez is seeded No. 1 at 141 pounds. He won both the 2024 Big Ten and NCAA championships and repeated as the NCAA champion again in 2025.
Sophomore Ethan Stiles enters the 2026 Big Ten Championships as a No. 2 seed at 149.
Junior Nic Bouzakis is the No. 3 seed at 125. Freshman Ben Davino (133) and junior Nick Feldman (HWT) also are seeded No. 3 in their respective weight classes.
Graduate Carson Kharchla (174) and sophomore Luke Geog (197) enter the league championships as No. 5 seeds.
In all, the Buckeyes boast seven Top 5 seeded wrestlers in 2026.
2026 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
(all times Eastern and subject to change)
Saturday, March 7 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME SESSION Broadcast/Stream
10 a.m. Session I (First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks) // Big Ten Network
5 p.m. Session II (Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks) // B1G+
7 p.m. Session II (Semifinals) // Big Ten Network
Sunday, March 8 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME SESSION Broadcast/Stream
Noon Session III (Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches) // B1G+
4:30 p.m. Session IV (1st-, 3rd- and 5th- Place Matches) // Big Ten Network
NOTE: Big Ten Network and B1G+ will provide live linear and streaming coverage of all four sessions, with Big Ten Network linear coverage also available on the FOX Sports App, while Big Ten Network+ matches can be streamed at bigtenplus.com.
2026 Big Ten Championship Pre-Seeds
125 lbs
- Luke Lilledahl (PSU)
- Spencer Moore (ILL)
- Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
- Jacob Moran (IND)
- Jore Volk (MINN)
- Ayden Smith (RU)
- Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
- Dean Peterson (IOWA)
- Diego Sotelo (MICH)
- Dedrick Navarro (NU)
- Kael Lauridsen (NEB)
- Nick Corday (MSU)
- Ashton Jackson (PUR)
- Abram Cline (MD)
- Marcus Blaze (PSU)
- Lucas Byrd (ILL)
- Ben Davino (OSU)
- Zan Fugitt (WIS)
- Drake Ayala (IOWA)
- Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
- Sean Spidle (NU)
- Braxton Brown (MD)
- Dylan Shawver (RU)
- Blake Boarman (PUR)
- Caleb Weiand (MSU)
- Blaine Frazier (IND)
- Gauge Botero (MICH)
- Jager Eisch (MINN)
- Jesse Mendez (OSU)
- Brock Hardy (NEB)
- Vance VomBaur (MINN)
- Nasir Bailey (IOWA)
- Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
- Greyson Clark (PUR)
- Braeden Davis (PSU)
- Billy Dekraker (NU)
- Henry Porter (IND)
- Joey Olivieri (RU)
- Dario Lemus (MD)
- Danny Pucino (ILL)
- Carson Exferd (WIS)
- Jaden Crumpler (MSU)
- Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
- Ethan Stiles (OSU)
- Joseph Zargo (WIS)
- Lachlan McNeil (MICH)
- Carter Young (MD)
- Chance Lamer (NEB)
- Andrew Clark (RU)
- Ryder Block (IOWA)
- Michael Gioffre (ILL)
- Drew Roberts (MINN)
- Joey Buttler (IND)
- Gavin Brown (PUR)
- Clayton Jones (MSU)
- August Hibler (NU)
- Antrell Taylor (NEB)
- PJ Duke (PSU)
- Kannon Webster (ILL)
- Anthony White (RU)
- Cameron Cartabone (MICH)
- Charlie Millard (MINN)
- Brandon Cannon (OSU)
- Luke Mechler (WIS)
- Stoney Buell (PUR)
- Victor Voinovich III (IOWA)
- Bryce Lowery (IND)
- Darius Marines (MSU)
- Mekhi Neal (MD)
- Ty Wilson (NU)
- Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)
- Michael Caliendo (IOWA)
- Joey Blaze (PUR)
- Andrew Sparks (MINN)
- LJ Araujo (NEB)
- Braeden Scoles (ILL)
- Andrew Barbosa (RU)
- Paddy Gallagher (OSU)
- Tyler Lillard (IND)
- Cody Goebel (WIS)
- Jacob Bostelman (NU)
- Justin Gates (MICH)
- AJ Rodrigues (MD)
- Jack Conley (MSU)
- Christopher Minto (NEB)
- Levi Haines (PSU)
- Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
- Beau Mantanona (MICH)
- Carson Kharchla (OSU)
- Derek Gilcher (IND)
- Ethan Riddle (MINN)
- Brody Baumann (PUR)
- Colin Kelly (ILL)
- Lenny Pinto (RU)
- Eddie Enright (NU)
- Luke Condon (WIS)
- Connor O'Neil (MSU)
- Seth Digby (MD)
- Rocco Welsh (PSU)
- Max McEnelly (MINN)
- Silas Allred (NEB)
- Brock Mantanona (MICH)
- Chris Moore (ILL)
- Dylan Fishback (OSU)
- Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU)
- Angelo Ferrari (IOWA)
- Sam Goin (IND)
- James Rowley (PUR)
- J.D. Perez (NU)
- Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (MD)
- Ryan Boucher (MSU)
- Cale Anderson (WIS)
- Josh Barr (PSU)
- Camden McDanel (NEB)
- Remy Cotton (RU)
- Branson John (MD)
- Luke Geog (OSU)
- Wyatt Ingham (WIS)
- Kael Wisler (MSU)
- Gabe Sollars (IND)
- Ben Vanadia (PUR)
- Hayden Walters (MICH)
- Gavin Nelson (MINN)
- Dylan Connell (ILL)
- Gabe Arnold (IOWA)
- Alex Smith (NU)
- Taye Ghadiali (MICH)
- AJ Ferrari (NEB)
- Nick Feldman (OSU)
- Cole Mirasola (PSU)
- Braxton Amos (WIS)
- Luke Luffman (ILL)
- Koy Hopke (MINN)
- Hunter Catka (RU)
- Josh Terrill (MSU)
- Ben Kueter (IOWA)
- Hayden Filipovich (PUR)
- Joey Schneck (MD)
- Gabe Christenson (NU)
- Caleb Marzolino (IND)
#GoBucks
Players Mentioned
133 lbs.
/ Wrestling
149/157 lbs.
/ Wrestling
157
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133
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HWT
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
157 lbs
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs
/ Wrestling
133/141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
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