New Headline: "Rumble-Rush 149-pound Lightweight Epic in 2026 NCAA Wrestling Madness!
Check out the bracket at 149 pounds for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
The lone New Jersey wrestler who is a No. 1 seed is on the top line of the 149-pound bracket at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Penn State junior Shayne Van Ness , a former Blair wrestler and two-time All-American, is undefeated and the consenus favorite to win his first national title in Cleveland.
There are other locals in the mix including Penn sophomore Cross Wasilewski, a Delbarton graduate who is seeded third. Wisconsin sixth-year senior Joe Zargo, a Bergen Catholic graduate, is coming off the best season in his career and could find his way onto the podium. And don’t count out Rutgers ’ Andy Clark and Princeton’s Eligh Rivera, who are both dangeorus despite being seeded in the 20s.
2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships When : March 19-21 Where : Rocket Arena, Cleveland TV : ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU Streaming : ESPN+ Schedule Thursday, March 20 Session 1 (pigtails and first-round competition), noon (ESPN2 and ESPN+); Session 2 (Second round and wrestleback first round), 7 p. m. (ESPN and ESPN+) Friday, March 21 : Session 3 (quarterfinals, wrestleback second and third rounds), noon (ESPNU and ESPN+); Session 4 (Semifinals, blood round and wrestleback fifth round), 8 p.
m. (ESPN2 and ESPN+) Saturday, March 22 : Session 5 (Wrestleback semifinals and medal rounds), 11 a. m.