New Headline: "Cassidy's Gymnastics Dream Comes True as She Captures Olympic Glory
Our previews of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships move on to the 174 lb bracket, which yet again has a Penn State wrestler seeded No. 1. Levi Haines (Penn State) is the top wrestler in this weight class, and it's not clear who is particularly close to him.
He has had very few scares this season. Could we see a surprise at these Championships? And who could it come from?
Let's dive into the bracket. Favorite: Levi Haines (Penn State) Haines is the 2024 NCAA Champion. And, honestly, it's surprising that he's only won one.
He lost an elite final in 2023 to Austin O'Connor (North Carolina), and last year he took third place after losing to Dean Hamiti in the semifinals. This year, though, Hamiti has graduated, and it's not so clear who in this bracket can challenge him. It's likely not No.
2 seed Simon Ruiz (Cornell). Like Haines, Ruiz is undefeated on the season. Unlike Haines, though, he's done it against a relatively weaker caliber of wrestlers.