2026 College Postseason
USAW
College

Big Ten Wrestling Pre-Seeds Announced

Share:

by Big Ten Communications

Big Ten announces Pre-Seeds for 2026 Wrestling Championships

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the preliminary seeds for the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 7-8 at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Four schools boast at least one top-seeded wrestler, with Penn State leading the way with six No. 1 seeds.

The pre-seeds, produced through WrestleStat’s Tournament Seeder Program utilizing allocation criteria approved by conference coaches, rank 14 starters in all 10 weight classes. The Nittany Lions have six top-seeded wrestlers with 125-pounder Luke Lilledahl, 133-pounder Marcus Blaze, 149-pounder Shayne Van Ness, 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink, 184-pounder Rocco Welsh and 197-pounder Josh Barr. Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157) and Christopher Minto (174), Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (141) and Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali (285) round out the group of top-ranked wrestlers. 

This year’s field contains five returning Big Ten individual champions from 2025 and four wrestlers who won NCAA individual titles last year. The Big Ten features the nation’s top-ranked wrestler in nine weight classes.

The complete list of Big Ten Championships pre-seeds can be found below: 


125 lbs
  1. Luke Lilledahl (PSU)
  2. Spencer Moore (ILL)
  3. Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
  4. Jacob Moran (IND)
  5. Jore Volk (MINN)
  6. Ayden Smith (RU)
  7. Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
  8. Dean Peterson (IOWA)
  9. Diego Sotelo (MICH)
  10. Dedrick Navarro (NU)
  11. Kael Lauridsen (NEB)
  12. Nick Corday (MSU)
  13. Ashton Jackson (PUR)
  14. Abram Cline (MD) 

133 lbs
  1. Marcus Blaze (PSU)
  2. Lucas Byrd (ILL)
  3. Ben Davino (OSU)
  4. Zan Fugitt (WIS)
  5. Drake Ayala (IOWA)
  6. Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
  7. Sean Spidle (NU)
  8. Braxton Brown (MD)
  9. Dylan Shawver (RU)
  10. Blake Boarman (PUR)
  11. Caleb Weiand (MSU)
  12. Blaine Frazier (IND)
  13. Gauge Botero (MICH)
  14. Jager Eisch (MINN)

141 lbs
  1. Jesse Mendez (OSU)
  2. Brock Hardy (NEB)
  3. Vance VomBaur (MINN)
  4. Nasir Bailey (IOWA)
  5. Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
  6. Greyson Clark (PUR)
  7. Braeden Davis (PSU)
  8. Billy Dekraker (NU)
  9. Henry Porter (IND)
  10. Joseph Olivieri (RU)
  11. Dario Lemus (MD)
  12. Danny Pucino (ILL)
  13. Carson Exferd (WIS)
  14. Jaden Crumpler (MSU) 

149 lbs
  1. Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
  2. Ethan Stiles (OSU)
  3. Joseph Zargo (WIS)
  4. Lachlan McNeil (MICH)
  5. Carter Young (MD)
  6. Chance Lamer (NEB)
  7. Andrew Clark (RU)
  8. Ryder Block (IOWA)
  9. Michael Gioffre (ILL)
  10. Drew Roberts (MINN)
  11. Joey Buttler (IND)
  12. Gavin Brown (PUR)
  13. Clayton Jones (MSU)
  14. August Hibler (NU) 

157 lbs
  1. Antrell Taylor (NEB)
  2. PJ Duke (PSU)
  3. Kannon Webster (ILL)
  4. Anthony White (RU)
  5. Cameron Catrabone (MICH)
  6. Charlie Millard (MINN)
  7. Brandon Cannon (OSU)
  8. Luke Mechler (WIS)
  9. Stoney Buell (PUR)
  10. Victor Voinovich III (IOWA)
  11. Bryce Lowery (IND)
  12. Darius Marines (MSU)
  13. Mekhi Neal (MD)
  14. Ty Wilson (NU)  

165 lbs
  1. Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)
  2. Michael Caliendo (IOWA)
  3. Joey Blaze (PUR)
  4. Andrew Sparks (MINN)
  5. LJ Araujo (NEB)
  6. Braeden Scoles (ILL)
  7. Andrew Barbosa (RU)
  8. Paddy Gallagher (OSU)
  9. Tyler Lillard (IND)
  10. Cody Goebel (WIS)
  11. Jacob Bostelman (NU)
  12. Justin Gates (MICH)
  13. AJ Rodrigues (MD)
  14. Jack Conley (MSU)

174 lbs
  1. Christopher Minto (NEB)
  2. Levi Haines (PSU)
  3. Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
  4. Beau Mantanona (MICH)
  5. Carson Kharchla (OSU)
  6. Derek Gilcher (IND)
  7. Ethan Riddle (MINN)
  8. Brody Baumann (PUR)
  9. Colin Kelly (ILL)
  10. Lenny Pinto (RU)
  11. Eddie Enright (NU)
  12. Luke Condon (WIS)
  13. Connor O’Neil (MSU)
  14. Seth Digby (MD)

184 lbs
  1. Rocco Welsh (PSU)
  2. Max McEnelly (MINN)
  3. Silas Allred (NEB)
  4. Brock Mantanona (MICH)
  5. Chris Moore (ILL)
  6. Dylan Fishback (OSU)
  7. Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU)
  8. Angelo Ferrari (IOWA)
  9. Sam Goin (IND)
  10. James Rowley (PUR)
  11. J.D. Perez (NU)
  12. Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (MD)
  13. Ryan Boucher (MSU)
  14. Cale Anderson (WIS)

197 lbs
  1. Josh Barr (PSU)
  2. Camden McDanel (NEB)
  3. Remy Cotton (RU)
  4. Branson John (MD)
  5. Luke Geog (OSU)
  6. Wyatt Ingham (WIS)
  7. Kael Wisler (MSU)
  8. Gabe Sollars (IND)
  9. Ben Vanadia (PUR)
  10. Hayden Walters (MICH)
  11. Gavin Nelson (MINN)
  12. Dylan Connell (ILL)
  13. Gabe Arnold (IOWA)
  14. Alex Smith (NU) 

285 lbs 
  1. Taye Ghadiali (MICH)
  2. AJ Ferrari (NEB)
  3. Nick Feldman (OSU)
  4. Cole Mirasola (PSU)
  5. Braxton Amos (WIS)
  6. Luke Luffman (ILL)
  7. Koy Hopke (MINN)
  8. Hunter Catka (RU)
  9. Josh Terrill (MSU)
  10. Ben Kueter (IOWA)
  11. Hayden Filipovich (PUR)
  12. Joey Schneck (MD)
  13. Gabe Christenson (NU)
  14. Caleb Marzolino (IND)