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2026 College Postseason

Live Updates: NCAA DI Men’s Wrestling Championships Semifinals & Blood Round

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by Brian Reinhardt

Josh Barr (Penn State) works for a takedown in the round-of-16 at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships.

Josh Barr (Penn State) works for a takedown in the round-of-16 at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships.

Session 4 begins at 8 p.m. (ET), TV coverage on ESPN2.

Semifinals – Win tonight and you wrestle for a national championship tomorrow. Lose tonight, and you return tomorrow for placement matches.

Blood Round – Win your first match and you are an All-American and have one more match during the session before coming back tomorrow for placement matches. Lose and your season is over and you fall one win shy of All-American honors.

11:20 PM - The heavyweights saved some of the best for the final two bouts. #1 Bastida of Iowa State blasted off the whistle with a takedown and put up 10 points in the first period for a 15-7 win over #4 Ferrari. One of the best scrambles of the session came at heavyweight, with #2 Trumble of NC State getting the takedown rewarded as time expired to take out #3 Ghadiali, 4-1.

10:58 PM - #1 Barr of Penn State will take his 100% bonus rate into the final for the second straight year. He secured a 14-3 major decision over #5 Novak of Wyoming. R-Fr. #7 Merrill of Oklahoma State secured his spot in the final, using ride time to down #3 Little of Little Rock in tiebreakers.

10:36 PM - #1 Welsh will return to the NCAA finals - this time at 184 pounds and at Penn State. He scored a third-period takedown and defeated #5 Mantanona of Michigan, 4-3. #3 McEnelly of Minnesota outlasted #7 Ferrari of Iowa in ride outs.

10:11 PM - All Big Ten final at 174 pounds. Top seed Haines of Penn State goes bonus for the fourth straight match, 18-3 over #5 Patrick Kennedy of Iowa. On the bottom of the bracket, workman like decision for #3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska over #7 Cam Steed of Missouri, 5-1.

9:54 PM - Penn State vs. Iowa in the final at 165 pounds. #1 Mesenbrink of Penn State cruises to a 15-0 tech fall over #12 Alvan of Columbia. In a battle of Big Ten rivals, #3 Caliendo secured the takedown just 7 seconds into extra time and takes out #2 Blaze of Iowa, 8-5.

9:39 PM - Returning national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska will be going for a second straight title. The #2 seed used a third period takedown to get past #11 Waters of West Virginia, 4-2. He will battle freshman #5 Robideau of Oklahoma State who used a reversal in extra time to take out top seed Duke of Penn State, 3-1.

9:16 PM - Another double digit makes the NCAA final, another freshman as well in #10 Aden Valencia of Stanford downed four-time All-American #11 McNeil of Michigan. #1 seed Van Ness of Penn State cruised to a 22-1 tech fall over #20 Lamer of Nebraska.

8:59 PM - It will be #1 vs. #2, a four-time All-American (two-time defending champion) vs. a true freshman in the 141 finals. #1 Mendez of Ohio scored a takedown 25 seconds into extra time to defeat #5 Stanich of Lehigh. On the bottom side, #2 Vega of Oklahoma State used an escape and ride time point to prevail over returning NCAA finalist #3 Hardy of Nebraska, 5-3.

8:42 PM - Cleveland is LOUD as #2 Davino Ohio edges #3 Blaze of Penn State in ride outs. It was their 3rd meeting of the year, all going to ride outs. In the top half, #1 Forrest beat #4 Seidel of Virginia Tech for the second time this year, this time a 14-3 major.

8:16 PM - #10 McGowan will wrestle for a national championship tomorrow as his takedown with just 3 seconds left downs #14 Moran of Indiana. He will face top seeded Lilledahl of Penn State in the final, who used an eight-point first period to take out 2025 NCAA finalist #5 Spratley of Oklahoma State.

7:50 PM - Wrestlers, clear the mats!

Semifinal Results


125 pounds

#1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) dec. #5 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State); 8-3

#10 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) dec. #14 Jacob Moran (Indiana); 4-1


133 pounds

#1 Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) major dec. #4 Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech); 14-3

#2 Ben Davino (Ohio State) dec. #3 Marcus Blaze (Penn State); 3-2 (TB1)


141 pounds

#1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) dec. #5 Luke Stanich (Lehigh); 4-1 (SV1)

#2 Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State) dec. #3 Brock Hardy (Nebraska); 5-3


149 pounds

#1 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) tech fall #20 Chance Lamer (Nebraska); 22-1

#10 Aden Valencia (Stanford) dec. #11 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan); 9-5


157 pounds

#5 Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State) dec. #1 PJ Duke (Penn State); 3-1 (TB1)

#2 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) dec. #11 Ty Watters (West Virginia); 4-2


165 pounds

#1 Mitchell Messenbrink (Penn State) tech fall #12 Cesar Alvan (Columbia); 15-0

#3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) dec. #2 Joey Blaze (Purdue); 8-5 (SV1)


174 pounds

#1 Levi Haines (Penn State) tech fall #5 Patrick Kennedy (Iowa); 18-3

#3 Christopher Minto (Nebraska) dec. #7 Cam Steed (Missouri); 5-1


184 pounds

#1 Rocco Welsh (Penn State) dec. #5 Brock Mantanona (Michigan); 4-3

#3 Max McEnelly (Minnesota) dec. #7 Angelo Ferrari (Iowa); 3-2 (TB1)


197 pounds

#1 Josh Barr (Penn State) major dec. #5 Joey Novak (Wyoming); 14-3

#7 Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State) dec. #3 Stephen Little (Little Rock); 3-2 (TB1)


285 pounds

#1 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) dec. #4 AJ Ferrari (Nebraska) 15-7

#2 Isaac Trumble (NC State) dec. #3 Taye Ghadiali (Michigan); 4-1