Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Northern Illinois 
A pair of Huskies were in action today (March 20) as the Northern Illinois University wrestling program opened competition at the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
 
Blake West , who was the No. 16 seed heading into the tournament, saw action in two bouts today at 125 pounds. Landen Johnson saw action in three bouts at 157 pounds before being eliminated from the tournament.
 
Both West and Johnson faced the top-seeded wrestler in their weight class.
 
"We are proud of the way the guys are competing. They both got a good start today (and) we look forward to getting after it again tomorrow with Blake," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig.  
 
West faced off against No. 17 seeded-Max Gallagher of Penn in his first match, a rematch of the semifinal match from the Midlands Championships in December. Gallagher grabbed the first take down before West collected a pair of escapes and a takedown of his own. Gallagher had a late reversal to tie the bout at five but West had secured ride time for the win. In the round of 16 bout, West faced off against the No. 1 seed, Luke Lilledahl of Penn State.  West fell in a 19-3 technical fall to Lilledahl as he moved to the consolation bracket.
 
In his first bout, Johnson was down early against Richard Fedalen of Columbia. Johnson earned a four-point nearfall late in the second period before capturing the ride time point for the 5-3 decision in his first match of the day. Johnson faced off against the top-seeded Tyler Kasak of Penn State in his second match, dropping the bout via fall (1:39). In the first consolation round, Johnson took on DJ McGee of George Mason and exited the tournament after a 3-2 decision.
 
Action continues for West at the NCAA Championship on March 21 at 11 a.m. CT.


Central Michigan
Three Central Michigan wrestlers will continue in their quest for All-America honors after opening day on Thursday at the NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center.

CMU's Sean Spidle (133 pounds), Johnny Lovett (157) and Chandler Amaker (165) are in their respective weight class consolation brackets and each is scheduled to wrestle early on Friday.

The Chippewas' Mason Shrader (149) and Alex Cramer (174) each went 0-2 on Thursday and were eliminated from the tournament.

Spidle, Lovett and Amaker must win three consecutive matches in the consolation bracket on Friday to earn a place on the podium and become an All-American.

Spidle, who entered the tournament as the 23^rd seed, opened with a 4-1 upset victory over 10^th-seeded Dylan Sawver of Rutgers, a returning All-American, on Thursday before falling to No. 7 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State, 9-4.

On Friday, Spidle, a redshirt junior who is in the NCAA Championships for the first time, will wrestle No. 25 Kurt Phipps of Bucknell on Friday.

Lovett, the No. 15 seed, opened with an 11-3 major decision win over Iowa's Jacori Teemer, the 18^th seed who is a four-time All-American who last season finished as the national runner-up. Lovett then dropped a 10-4 decision to Cornell's Meyer Shapiro, the No. 2 seed.

Lovett, a graduate student who is wrestling in the NCAA Championships for the fifth titme, will face 17^th-seeded DJ McGee of George Mason on Friday. McGee defeated Lovett in the Mid-American Conference Championships title match two weeks ago.

The 33^rd-seeded Amaker posted an 8-5 sudden victory win over No. 32 Jared Keslar of Pitt in their opening-bout pigtail match and then lost to top-seeded Mitchell Messenbrink of Penn State on a 16-0 technical fall.

Amaker, a redshirt junior who is making his first NCAA appearance, rebounded with an 8-6 win over 17^th-seeded Noah Mulvaney of Bucknell and is scheduled to face Northwestern's Maxx Mayfield, the 18^th seed, on Friday.

Shrader, a redshirt junior who was seeded 24^th, was pinned by Penn's Cross Wasilewski, the No. 9 seed, in 6:03 in his opening bout and then dropped a 7-3 decision to Lehigh's Malyke Hines, the 25^th seed.

Cramer, a graduate student who was seeded 10^th, dropped a 13-2 major decision to MJ Gaitan of Iowa State, the 23^rd seed, in his opening bout. He then dropped a 3-2 decision to Brody Baumann of Purdue, the 26^th seed.

Cramer, a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time MAC champion, closed his career with a 106-51 record. He is one of just 28 wrestlers in program history to have registered 100 wins.


Edinboro
Jared McGill went 1-1 on the opening day of the NCAA National Championships to advance and return to the Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

McGill dropped his opening round match to Jaxon Smith of Maryland pushing him to the consolation round. He faced off with Devan Hendricks of Bellarmine in the consolation bracket.

McGill got on the board first, scoring a takedown just before the end of the first period to grab a 3-0 lead. In the second, McGill needed just 11 seconds to score a reversal and extend the lead to 5-0. McGill would ride out the second period. In the final period Hendricks chose the neutral position and McGill held him off earning the riding time point for a 6-0 decision.

McGill advances in the consolation bracket and will get a rematch of the 184-pound MAC Championship bout with Rider's Isaac Dean. 

Colton Camacho opened his NCAA Championship against Dominick Serrano of Northern Colorado. Serrano scored a first period takedown and Camacho an escape to make it 3-1 after one. Serrano scored an escape and a takedown to build a 7-2 lead after two. Camacho battled back in the third scoring an escape with a 1:08 remaining. He scored a late takedown to trim the lead to 7-6, but the riding time point gave Serrano an 8-6 decision.

In his consolation match, Camacho jumped out 6-2 with a pair of first period takedowns of North Carolina's Ethan Oakley. The Tarheel scored a takedown with 17 seconds left in the first to cut the lead to 6-5 after one.

Oakley scored an escape and takedown in the second to go up 9-6. Camacho escaped to make it 9-7 after two. Oakley outscored Camacho 6-4 in the third to claim the 15-11 decision.

Wrestling begins inside the Wells Fargo Center at noon on Friday.


Lock Haven
Three members of the Lock Haven men's wrestling team advanced to day two of the NCAA DI Men's Wrestling Championship following the completion of the first two sessions on Thursday, inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
 
Anthony Noto (133), Wyatt Henson (141) and Gavin Hoffman (285) all finished day one 1-1 with a pair of major decisions and will compete in the consolation second round during session three of the NCAA Championship on Friday morning.
 
During session one, Hoffman and Henson rolled to victories in their opening round matches at 285 and 141 pounds with a pair of major decisions. The duo earned the Bald Eagles four team points and The Haven finished the morning session in 22^nd out of 53 schools.
 
No. 16 Henson took down No. 17 Shannon Hanna (Campbell) 9-1, while Hoffman made quick work of No. 19 Cory Day (Binghamton), winning 10-2.
 
Henson's lone defeat on the day came at the hands of the No. 1 seed Broke Hardy (Nebraska). Henson will wrestle in the second round of the consolation bracket tomorrow morning against the 15^th seed Joseph Olivieri from Rutgers.
 
Hoffman, seeded 14^th at heavyweight, was edged out in the second round by the third seed Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) and will continue his journey tomorrow morning when he takes on Cornell's No. 29 Ashton Davis in the consolation second round.
 
The No. 16 seed at 133 pounds, Noto, was edged 9-8 in his opening match by No. 18 Julian Farber (Northern Iowa), but quickly bounced back in the consolation opening round by defeating No. 31 Kade Moore (Missouri) with an 8-2 decision.
 
Noto, a returning two-time All-American, will take on Pennsylvania's 16^th-seeded Ryan Miller in the consolation second round tomorrow morning.
 
Avery Bassett (30^th, 174) fell in his opening match to No. 3 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State), before fending off elimination in the consolation pig tail by defeating No. 32 Jack McGill (Columbia) by a 4-3 decision.
 
Bassett's run came to an end in the consolation first round with a loss to No. 19 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa). The senior ends the season with an impressive 27-10 record and his first NCAA Championship appearance.
 
Colin Fegley (184) and Tucker Hogan (197) rounded out the group of six Bald Eagles to compete on the national stage today and were seeded 30^th at 184 pounds and 29^th at 197 pounds, respectively. The duo bowed out of the tournament following session-two's action.
 
Fegley went 22-12 as a red-shirt senior and earned his first NCAA Championship appearance.  
 
Hogan qualified to the championship as only a freshman after going 22-6 during his first collegiate season.
 
The six Lock Haven men's wrestlers that took the mat today are the most The Haven has sent to the National Championship since also sending six in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019.
 
Today marked the first of three days of competition at the 2025 NCAA DI Championship and action will continue tomorrow (Fri., March 21) with Session 3 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
 
Session 3 on Friday is set for 12 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU.
 

George Mason
After wins in wrestlebacks, George Mason's DJ McGee and Malachi DuVall will wrestle tomorrow at the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
 
The George Mason men's wrestling team is being represented by three individuals at the national tournament.

George Mason Seeds
149: #27 Kaden Cassidy 
157: #17 DJ McGee 
184: #21 Malachi DuVall 
 # = NCAA Tournament Seed
 
GEORGE MASON MATCHES 
149 | Kaden Cassidy (19-6)
In his first NCAA Championship, Kaden Cassidy dropped the opening round match to North Carolina All-American No. 6 Lachlan McNeil, by major decision, 10-0. In wrestlebacks, North Dakota State's Gavin Drexler defeated Cassidy with a major decision. The redshirt junior ends his season with a 19-6 record.

Championship Rd 1 -- #6 Lachlan McNeil (UNC) over Cassidy (GMU), MD, 10-0
Wrestlebacks -- Gavin Drexler (NDSU) over Cassidy (GMU), MD
 
157 | DJ McGee (22-6)
DJ McGee will wrestle on Friday after finishing with a 1-1 record today. The redshirt sophomore was defeated by Iowa State's scrappy No. 16 Cody Chittum, 8-1 in the opening round. The Stafford, Va. native bounced back with a 3-2 decision against Northern Illinois Johnson in wrestlebacks. 

McGee finished 1-2 in his first NCAA Championship. 

Championship Rd 1 -- #16 Cody Chittum (Iowa St) over DJ McGee (GMU), Dec. 8-1
Wrestlebacks -- DJ McGee (GMU) over Johnson (NIU), 3-2

184 | Malachi DuVall (18-6)
In his second NCAA Championship, Malachi DuVall won his first NCAA Championship match with a major decision against Denis Robin in wrestlebacks.

DuVall battled hard in the opening match against former Big Ten Champion and a two-time top 12 NCAA finisher Silas Allred. DuVall jumped out to a 10-1 lead early with two takedowns and a near fall to lead, 10-1, after the first period. The second period Allred fought back with two takedowns of his own. The junior was down, 14-15, before Allred earned the fall in the middle of the third.

Championship Rd 1 --#12 Silas Allred (Neb) #21 Malachi DuVall (GMU)
Wrestlebacks -- Malachi DuVall (GMU) over Dennis Robin (xx) major decision to 13-0

Rider
Three Broncs advanced to day two of the 2025 NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center, keeping their hopes of achieving All-American status alive.

(11) Sammy Alvarez - 149 lbs
Sammy Alvarez began his tournament going up against North Dakota State's Gavin Drexler in the first round. Leading 1-0 heading into the third period, Alvarez sealed the victory with the only takedown of the match to pull out the 4-2 decision. 

In the second round, Sammy Alvarez faced No. 6 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina). McNeil scored the biggest takedown of the match to take an early lead, but Alvarez responded with an escape, making it 3-1 after the first period. McNeil extended his lead to 4-1 with an escape in the second period, while Alvarez continued pressing for a takedown. In the third period, Alvarez chose the bottom position and escaped, narrowing the deficit to two points. Despite his late efforts, Alvarez was unable to secure a takedown, moving him to the consolation bracket.

(22) Enrique Munguia - 165 lbs
Munguia opened up his day against No. 11 Braeden Scoles (Illinois). After giving up the first takedown, Munguia scrambled out of the position to earn a reversal and caught Scoles in a cradle to put him on his back, nearly getting the fall. Munguia went ahead 6-3 after one. In the second period, Scoles earned the escape and put Munguia in trouble on his back and eventually earned the fall. 

Munguia faced No. 27 Tyler Lillard (Indiana) in the consolation bracket and ultimately fell to Lillard ending his stellar 2025 season. 

(33) Michael Wilson - 174 lbs
Michael Wilson started his championship run in the pigtails, taking on Columbia's Jack McGill. Seven minutes was not enough to determine a winner. Wilson dug deep to secure the overtime victory to get the 4-1 decision. 

Wilson moved on to the first round and fell to top-seeded and 2x NCAA Champion Keegan O'Toole (Missouri). 

Wilson fell to No. 17 Sergio Desiante (Chatanooga) in the consolation bracket to end his final season with the Broncs. 

(7) Isaac Dean - 184 lbs
Dean met with No. 22 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) in the opening round. Two takedowns were the difference en route to a 7-2 victory for the senior. 

Dean faced No. 10 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) in the second round. After seven minutes, the match was tied thanks to a pair of escapes. In overtime, Ruth was initially awarded a controversial takedown, but Rider's coaches successfully challenged the call, resulting in the takedown being overturned. With the score still tied, the match advanced to ride-outs. Ruth started on bottom and escaped within three seconds in the first ride-out. In the second ride-out, Dean was unable to escape within three seconds, making the ten-second differential the deciding factor as Dean dropped to the consolation bracket.

(26) Brock Zurawski - 197 lbs
Zurawski delivered the most thrilling match of the day for the Broncs in the first round against No. 7 Wyatt Voelker. In the second period, a controversial takedown by Zurawski prompted a challenge from the Rider coaches. After review, the call was overturned, keeping the score tied at 1-1. With the match extending into overtime, Zurawski executed a perfectly timed shot to secure a stunning 4-1 upset.

In the second round, Zurawski faced No. 23 Seth Shumate from Ohio State. Zurawski scored the first takedown, but Shumate responded with an escape and a four-point near-fall to take a 6-3 lead. Shumate then secured a reversal, extending his lead to 8-3. Zurawski managed a takedown in the final period, but Shumate sealed the match with his second reversal, resulting in an 11-6 final score.

Cleveland State
Cleveland State heavyweight, Daniel Bucknavich was eliminated on the first day of the 2025 NCAA Championships on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.

No. 23 Bucknavich, a senior, was making his second straight appearance at the championships. In his first match of the day, he fell to No. 10 Dayton Pitzer of Pitt, 6-2. In the consolation round, Bucknavich was unable to overcome No. 26 Peter Ming of Stanford, 4-2, as he was eliminated from the championships.

Bucknavich concludes his career as a three-time MAC placer, two-time NCAA qualifier, and four-time All-Academic honoree. He ended his time with 78 career victories, seven major decision, one technical fall, and 23 falls.

Daniel Bucknavich – 285 Pounds
Champ Round 1 | No. 10 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) DEC No. 23 Bucknavich (CSU), 6-2
Cons Round 1 | No. 26 Peter Ming (Stan) DEC No. 23 Buckanvich (CSU), 4-2


Ohio
Ohio Wrestling's two NCAA qualifiers wrapped up their first day of action at the 2025 NCAA Championships last night (March 20) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fresh off their podium finishes at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, Garrett Thompson and Jordan Greer entered the national stage eager to showcase their skills.

Thousands of fans made their way across the country to Philadelphia to watch 330 wrestlers from 66 schools compete on the brightest stage. The day was broken into two sessions. The first which included the opening round matches and the second, which entailed the round of 16 matches and early consolation rounds. 

SESSION ONE :

Redshirt junior Garrett Thompson (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 4 seed in the 174-pound division, kicked off the day for the Bobcats against No. 29 Jackson Turley of Rutgers. Fresh off his MAC Individual Championship title, Thompson showcased his dominance on the mat in the first championship round, securing an impressive victory by technical fall in the second period with a commanding 16-1 score. With this win, Thompson advanced to the Round of 16 during Session Two of Day One. 

Redshirt senior Jordan Greer (Avon, Ohio), ranked No. 20 in the heavyweight division, began his championship run against No. 13 Seth Nevills of Maryland. Greer battled hard but ultimately fell to Nevills in a 5-0 decision.

SESSION TWO:

As in the first session, Thompson was the first to take the mat for the Bobcats, facing No. 13 Cade DeVos in the Round of 16. After a hard-fought match, Thompson fell to DeVos in a 9-3 decision, sending him to the consolation bracket for Day Two, where he still has a chance to place third overall.

In the first consolation round, Greer faced No. 29 Ashton Davis of Cornell. Despite a tough battle, he fell to Davis in a 7-1 decision. The loss marked the end of Greer's season, but he capped off an impressive campaign—going undefeated in the regular season and MAC duals while finishing as the MAC runner-up in the heavyweight division.

UP NEXT:

Thompson will return to the Wells Fargo Center today (March 21) with a chance to become an All-American, following in the footsteps of Peyton Kellar from the 2024 NCAA Championship. He will begin his run in the second consolation round. 

The first session will include the championship quarterfinals and second and third round consolation rounds will begin at 12:00 p.m. ET. The second session starts at 8:00 p.m. ET and will include the championship semifinals as well as the fourth and fifth consolations round. The fifth round of the consolation bracket will determine who becomes an All-American.