2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships Preview

Thursday, March 19

Cleveland, Ohio

TBA

Brown University

NCAA Tournament

Photo by: Geoffrey Riccio

2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships Preview

3/17/2026 10:00:00 AM | Wrestling

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - With the 2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships slated to kick off this Thursday, several Bears will make the trip to Rocket Arena in Cleveland for an opportunity to compete for national glory. The tournament takes place from March 19-21, with 33 wrestlers per weight class competing. Several Bruno wrestlers qualified for this year's tournament, marking the first time since the 2019 season that Brown has sent multiple wrestlers to nationals. Below is a breakdown of their seasons.

No. 18/No. 17 Andrew Reall (197)

2026 Ivy Champion at 197 lbs, defeating NA/No. 33 Jack Wehmeyer (Columbia) via sudden victory decision, 4-1, in the championship match
Earned the 18th seed in his bracket and will face 15th seed No. 16/No. 10 Remy Cotton (Rutgers, 18-7 record)
Unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection, making him the first Brown wrestler to earn that distinction since Jon Viruet (165) and Ian Butterbrodt (285) in 2019
34-4 overall record, earning the most wins in a season for any Brown wrestler since Justin Staudenmayer (32-12) in 2014-15
His 34 overall wins put him three victories behind Steve Thoma (37, 1991-92) for most wins in a season in program history
13-1 record in dual competition and 9-0 in Ivy League competition
Enters the NCAA Tournament on a 13-match winning streak, beginning on January 16 at the Davidson Duals
Four pinfalls, seven tech falls, and seven major decisions on the season

No. 25/No. 22 Alex Semenenko (285)

Second Team All-Ivy
Finished in second place at the 2026 Ivy Championships
Earned the 25 seed in his bracket and will face 8 seed No. 8/NA Ben Kueter (Iowa, 9-7 record)
25-7 overall record, including 12-2 in dual competition and 7-2 in Ivy League competition
Tied for sixth place in NCAA Division I with nine pinfalls against DI competition
23 total pinfalls over the last two seasons
Ten pinfalls, two tech falls, and one major decision on the season

NA/No. 35 Austin McBurney (149)

Finished in third place at the 2026 Ivy Championships, defeating No. 18/No. 14 Eligh Rivera (Princeton) via decision, 8-2, to secure his NCAA qualification
Earned the 33rd seed in his bracket and will face 32nd seed NA/No. 48 Clayton Jones (Michigan State, 11-15 record)
21-13 overall record, including 8-6 in dual competition and 3-7 in Ivy League competition
Five major decisions and two tech falls on the season

All matches will be streamed on ESPN+, as well as ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on X, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.