Wisconsin heads to Cleveland for NCAA Championships

Thursday, March 19

Cleveland, Ohio

Wisconsin Badgers

2026 NCAA Championships

Photo by: Suvir Grover

Wisconsin heads to Cleveland for NCAA Championships

March 17, 2026 | Wrestling

Badgers represented in eight weight classes at the national level

By: Aliza Manekia

MADISON, Wis - Wisconsin wrestling closes out its postseason this week at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, beginning Thursday, March 19, in Cleveland, Ohio. The three-day tournament runs through March 21 at Rocket Arena, where six Badgers will compete for All-American honors and a national title.

1. The Last Time Out
Wisconsin turned in a strong performance at the Big Ten Championships, with multiple podium finishes and NCAA Championship qualifiers. Zan Fugitt, Joseph Zargo, and Wyatt Ingham led the way with standout runs. At 133, Fugitt opened with a ranked win over Michigan's No. 13 Gauge Botero and battled his way to the third-place match. He ultimately finished fourth after a close decision against Iowa's Drake Ayala. Zargo highlighted the weekend at 149, advancing to the semifinals to secure his NCAA Championship berth. He responded in the consolation rounds with a win over No. 9 Gioffre to earn a fifth-place finish. At 197, Ingham delivered a breakout performance, earning a dominant 15-2 major decision over Rutgers' No. 3 Cotton to punch his ticket to NCAAs. He added another win over Cotton on the backside to finish fifth.

2. Tournament History
Wisconsin has continued to produce All-American performances at the NCAA Championships in recent seasons. From 2021 through 2025, the Badgers have totaled 10 All-American honors across five tournaments. In 2021, Eric Barnett placed eighth at 125, while Trent Hillger earned a sixth-place finish at heavyweight. Wisconsin followed with a strong showing in 2022, tying for 14th and producing three All-Americans in Barnett (7th), Austin Gomez (4th), and Dean Hamiti (6th). Hamiti added another All-American finish in 2023 with a sixth-place performance, alongside Hillger, who placed eighth at heavyweight. In 2024, Eric Barnett led the way with a fourth-place finish at 125. Most recently, Zan Fugitt earned All-American honors in 2025 with a fourth-place finish at 133, continuing Wisconsin's consistency on the national stage.

3. First Round Matchups & Seedings
125 | #23 Nicolar Rivera vs. #10 Marc-Anthony McGowan, Princeton
133 | #16 Zan Fugitt vs. #17 T.K. Davis, Gardner-Webb
149 | #13 Joseph Zargo vs. #20 Chance Lamer, Nebraska
157 | #17 Luke Mechler vs. #16. Cael Swensen, South Dakota State
165 | #28 Cody Goebel vs. #5 LaDarion Lockett, Oklahoma State
174 | #32 Luke Condon vs. #33 Grant O'Dell, Bellarmine
197 | #20 Wyatt Ingham vs. #13 Bennett Berge, South Dakota State
285 | #12 Braxton Amos vs. #21 Juan Mora, Oklahoma

4. Timings and Tournament Central
Live coverage of all sessions will be streamed on ESPN 2, ESPNU, and ESPN.

Thursday, March 19
11:00 a.m. CT: Session I (First Round) - ESPN2
6:00 p.m. CT: Session II (Second Round, Wrestle-backs) - ESPN

Friday, March 20
11:00 a.m. CT: Session III (Quarterfinals, Consolation Matches) - ESPNU
7:00 p.m. CT: Session IV (Semifinals, Consolation Matches) - ESPN2

Saturday, March 21
10:00 a.m. CT: Session V (Consolation Finals) - ESPNU
5:30 p.m. CT: Session VI (Championship Finals) - ESPN

5. Follow Along
Wisconsin Fans are encouraged to follow Wisconsin wrestling via X/twitter at @BadgerWrestling, on Wisconsin Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WisconsinWrestling, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/badgerwrestling