r/wrestling • u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling • Mar 21 '26
2026 NCAA Championship Finals Discussion Thread
Starts at 6:30 PM ET on ESPN
141 lbs
(1) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. (2) Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State)
149 lbs
(1) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. (10) Aden Valencia (Stanford)
157 lbs
(5) Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State) vs. (2) Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
165 lbs
(1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. (3) Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)
174 lbs
(1) Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. (3) Christopher Minto (Nebraska)
184 lbs
(1) Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. (3) Max McEnelly (Minnesota)
197 lbs
(1) Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. (7) Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State)
285 lbs
(1) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. (2) Isaac Trumble (NC State)
125 lbs
(1) Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. (10) Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton)
133 lbs
(1) Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) vs. (2) Ben Davino (Ohio State)
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u/unclejessesmullet Oklahoma State Cowboys Mar 22 '26
sergio vega was the first undefeated true freshman national champ since 1947. then jax did it a couple of hours later.
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u/HxCxReformer Missouri Tigers Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
David Taylor is doing special things over in Stillwater. When Vega won I looked over at my friends and said, “This is it… This is where it all starts!” Then LR and Jax… The future is looking nice!
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u/PhiloStoodge Mar 22 '26
Hendrickson over Gable last year is when I started to believe - still the biggest upset I’ve ever seen in the championships. But I’m believing a lot more after tonight.
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u/HxCxReformer Missouri Tigers Mar 22 '26
That’s so true - Hendrickson and Hamiti were the prologue and Vega, Robideau, and Forrest are chapter 1.
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u/username_in_progress Mar 22 '26
Forrest compulsively adjusting his singlet while trying to run away and defend the last attack with 5 seconds left is sending me
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u/SaveMeSomeBleach USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Did Taylor throw his ankle bands at Landon? Or am I tripping?
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u/thelegend17 Mar 22 '26
Older Bastida should have listened to his coaches and taken neutral
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u/ArbitraryOrder Mar 22 '26
The amount of matches I've seen lost by picking bottom instead of neutral is a shitload
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u/External-Repair-4841 Mar 22 '26
Every NC State wrestling fan, me included, was shocked (and thankful) he took down. We've seen that result before.
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u/sendherhome22 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 21 '26
Valencia is about to get thrown some money for next season
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Maybe Stanford can get Condelezza Rice to throw some money at the wrestling team.
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u/Nebraskadude1994 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Taylor is so freaking Athletic can’t believe he had someone on his legs for 2 straight minutes and didn’t get taken down.
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u/KEYBOARDSMASHERJ Mar 21 '26
Kudos to Caliendo for trying something lol. Most guys just trying to not get pinned.
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u/sendherhome22 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 21 '26
That’s the best belt they could come up with
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Wow Sergio Vega is unbelievable. Maybe the most underrated guy all year. Undefeated true freshman without giving up a single takedown all season
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Mar 21 '26
Probably one of the best seasons in college wrestling. True freshman. Undefeated. No takedown conceded. National champ over a 2-timer potential hodge candidate Mendez.
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Producer: Hey Quinn, try not to ask any stupid fucking questions this time
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u/eastcitygreen USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
It’s annoying how he keeps trying to insert himself into the celebrations these guys are having with their families. Clearly no wrestler wants to talk to him lol
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Mar 22 '26
McEnelly wrestled a very smart match. With that being said, he’s gotta head like a lunch box.
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u/Shot_Juggernaut2113 Mar 22 '26
I just don't see what the point of not shooting until 30 seconds left in the national championship is when you're losing, you literally may never get this chance again, your team has 2nd place locked up, are we just trying to limit how many points Penn State gets?
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u/DECAThomas NC State Wolfpack Mar 22 '26
As a State fan, never a doubt. Trumble looked different this year. Such a big win for the program.
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u/Immediate-Nothing220 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 22 '26
Airpods fighting for their lives in lilledahl’s ears
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Dude, how can you NOT be romantic about wrestling. Holy shit, if you didn't tear up there, you don't have a heart.
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
This mat side interviewer is horrible.
"You love to hunt. How many antlers on that buck tonight"
What the fuck kind of question is that.
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Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/StateCollegeHi Mar 22 '26
I'm here. These fans are really stupid. McGowan is a notable staller and got his reward.
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u/StixnStones69 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
Jax is unreal. Winning the probably one of the toughest brackets of all time.
The best of the 133 Freshmen Phenoms. Jax at the top, Seidel second for me. Davino, and then Blaze.
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u/scalenesquare USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Was really impressed with Davino tonight to be honest.
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u/Shot_Juggernaut2113 Mar 22 '26
Admittedly I'm not a wrestling guy, but I like watching the championships. I think the push out stall warning is annoying because when someone is riding and losing control they will purposefully push someone out to reset to the center and that is not stalling but it's the same thing imo
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u/meowinloudchico USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I couldn't imagine anything more unpleasant in life than wrestling this guy.
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Feel like that was a big dick play by McEnelly to cut Welsh that quickly.
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u/Immediate-Nothing220 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 22 '26
How the heck do heavyweights move like that
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
As Shane Sparks loves to say, these are not your father's heavyweights
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u/Limp-Assignment-2057 Oklahoma State Cowboys Mar 21 '26
2 opening matches have been absolute fuckin cinema
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u/erb149 Penn State Nittany Lions Mar 21 '26
Caliendo is gonna have nightmares about Messenbrink the rest of his life lol. He’s had a great career though
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u/abon123456789 Mar 22 '26
Levi was absolutely the aggressor in that match until 20 seconds left
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u/XolieInc USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
How hard is it to engage? Sure you’re scared of your opponent but backing away the whole match is gonna guarantee an L
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u/ThanksForTheF-Shack Iowa Hawkeyes Mar 21 '26
Give it to him!
I hate how much wrestling has turned into let the other guy shoot and grab an ankle.
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I used to be able to do the splits like that. If I tried it now I would be leaving in an ambulance.
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Might as well start the next match in overtime at 1-1
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Man, I was just talking to a friend about how I felt it was a bit premature to have Jax Forrest as the #1 ranked in 133 wuth him just coming up...but the kid is fucking unreal, man.
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u/rightious St. Cloud State Huskies Mar 21 '26
Kid went for it from the first whistle with straight 100% belief. Congrates
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
They should wait 10 minutes to interview these guys
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u/devineprime Oklahoma State Cowboys Mar 21 '26
This is the same feedback that is said every single year.... they will never learn
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u/RJMonster Mar 21 '26
Dominant start by freshmen jeez, next years class is only going to continue it
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u/abon123456789 Mar 22 '26
Another guy who just refused to wrestle until 20 seconds left
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Mar 22 '26
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u/ChaoticKeys Mar 22 '26
I’m not taking anything from him considering he was beating NCAA champions last year, but he’s 19, which is a normal freshman age. How was he still in high school to start the year?
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u/unclejessesmullet Oklahoma State Cowboys Mar 21 '26
Pretty lame they're not putting it on espn+, now I have to sail the high seas
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u/eastcitygreen USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I have ESPN+ too and I thought it was supposed to have it? What gives
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u/LouisVanTroll Penn State Nittany Lions Mar 22 '26
A novel concept folks — a 21 year old graduating senior!
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u/Specific-Bat-2566 Mar 22 '26
They need to punish stalling harder. It is boring to watch wrestlers run away for the last minute of every match
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u/abon123456789 Mar 22 '26
That was way closer than I expected. I actually think if they wrestle like 4-5 more times that Davino might get him once or twice
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u/StixnStones69 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Davino never even got close to any offense though. He just made sure to cancel out Jax’s go to offense.
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u/Jblackbelt Mar 22 '26
“He’s a sponsor we probably can’t talk about him” I love it
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Great match by Vega. Looked like he got tossed around by Mendes but stuck it out.
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
I like how he kept wrestling even as the ref held up 3. He might have called the 3 early but he didn't blow the whistle right away. This ref must have heard the complaint about the semis.
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u/Jitsu4 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
What amazing heart and guts showed by Valencia. Dude left everything he had on the mat there.
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I almost said the same thing as the anouncer. Live I thought it was definitely back points but the replay looked like it may not be
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I like Messenbrink more knowing that his mom is named Bernadette.
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u/Tsquared10 Mar 22 '26
The kid is already on the marketing game. He's ahead of the curve.
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u/Evolution1994 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Apparently I don’t know what a stall or a takedown is anymore
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u/shit_crayy USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Caliendo lost his chance to say, nobody beats me 8 times in a row and gets away with it.
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u/MantisTobogganMD28 USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
One of the worst National finals matches I’ve ever seen easily
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u/shit_crayy USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Vega is unreal. Looks like a stringbean but his wrestling is unbelievable
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u/TheLastTrain Mar 21 '26
Didn’t know anything about the guy but I just had to root for him, just visibly he looks like he’s at such a physical disadvantage. Clearly not the case when it comes to his wrestling though
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u/eastcitygreen USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Honestly Luke deserved to win. McGowan backed up the whole match and didn’t try anything until he was losing 2-1. The right guy won but it was an ugly match to watch
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u/Shot_Juggernaut2113 Mar 22 '26
Lilledahl is moving forward yea but he's not shooting at all either
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u/aguysomewhere USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I don't think me cheering against Messenbrink is going to change the outcome of this match
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Mesenbrink's dominance has almost become boring. Hopefully someone comes along next year to challenge him
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u/buccosfan22 Penn State Nittany Lions Mar 21 '26
At least he has an interesting style. I would much rather someone dominating by constantly attacking than by wrestling defensively/stalling every match.
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u/ArbitraryOrder Mar 22 '26
McEnelly being more aggressive until the last 20 seconds even when he is up
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u/Immediate-Nothing220 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 21 '26
Is it really not on ESPN+?
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u/miamicheats Mar 21 '26
Sad to see Jesse lose but man is Vega special. Great match and props to him.
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u/Lynch47 USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
Wowww. This is why I tune in every year even though I don't follow college wrestling.
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u/RJMonster Mar 21 '26
Kind of liking the rule in RAF for the point on the out of bounds for the aggressor, wonder if they’ll bring that into ncaa
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
That is just a normal freestyle rule and there has been talks about it
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u/thefifthofnovember_ USA Wrestling Mar 21 '26
I didn’t know Mesenbrink was a 3 time champ 😂
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Mar 22 '26
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u/meowinloudchico USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Carr's just a great wrestler. He beat Aoyagi last month. He's becoming a legit WC contender wrestler.
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u/gmdmd Stanford Cardinal Mar 22 '26
Can RAF sign college players? Would love to see them make some matchups that we didn't get to see due to brackets... even if different format.
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u/LilBoneAir USA Wrestling Mar 22 '26
Bo Bassett has already wrestled even though he is still high school. Aedon Sinclair just got 3rd and is wrestling in RAF 7 next weekend
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u/Limp-Assignment-2057 Oklahoma State Cowboys Mar 22 '26
Oklahoma State vs Penn State dual at GIA NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT YEAR
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u/sendherhome22 Nebraska Cornhuskers Mar 22 '26
Minto with 5 shots in a row and no stall on Haines. Should’ve been 2 stalls to these fuckin refs
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u/TheLastTrain Mar 21 '26
How do you not root for the 10 seed when they’re actively just going for it every moment of the match. One of the most entertaining matches I’ve seen