Hawkeyes Put 7 in Quarterfinals

CLEVELAND — The University of Iowa men’s wrestling team advanced seven wrestlers to the quarterfinals and kept two alive in the consolation bracket after day one of the 2026 NCAA Championships at Rocket Arena on Thursday.

The Hawkeyes sit in third place with 25.5 points entering Friday’s sessions.

“It has felt like we have been on the edge for a while now, and you know it’s time to go,” said Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands. “We’ve been saying that for a little while now, and I feel like that message has been sent. They’ve received it, and we’re rolling. We’re looking forward to tomorrow. Keep it going.”

No. 8 seed Dean Peterson advanced to the quarterfinals at 125 pounds with a 4-1 decision over No. 9 seed Maximo Renteria of Oregon State.

At 133, No. 6 seed Drake Ayala added bonus points for Iowa with a 19-4 technical fall over No. 11 seed Tyler Ferrara of Cornell.

“I like that I’m keeping the pace high,” said Ayala. “I need to keep it going. I’m going to need to be better tomorrow than I was today. That’s where I’m at right now.”

No. 7 seed Nasir Bailey made it three straight Hawkeyes into the quarterfinals at 141 pounds, earning an 11-5 decision over No. 10 seed Jack Consiglio of Stanford.

At 149, No. 15 seed Ryder Block dropped to the consolation bracket following a 10-3 loss to No. 2 seed Jaxon Joy of Cornell.

No. 3 seed Michael Caliendo delivered another bonus-point victory at 165 pounds, recording a 20-5 technical fall over No. 19 seed Noah Mulvaney of Bucknell.

At 174 pounds, No. 5 seed Patrick Kennedy won a defensive battle, edging No. 12 seed Carter Schubert of Oklahoma, 2-1.

No. 7 seed Angelo Ferrari advanced at 184 pounds in his first NCAA tournament, securing an 11-5 decision over No. 10 seed Caleb Campos of American.

Heavyweight Ben Kueter rounded out Iowa’s quarterfinalists. The No. 8 seed earned a 4-0 decision over No. 9 seed Cole Mirasola of Penn State at 285 pounds.

In the consolation bracket at 197 pounds, No. 27 seed Gabe Arnold stayed alive with a 7-2 victory over No. 22 seed Devin Wasley of North Dakota State.

SECOND ROUND RESULTS
125 – #8 Dean Peterson dec. #9 Maximo Renteria (Oregon State), 4-1
133 – #6 Drake Ayala tech. fall #11 Tyler Ferrara (Cornell), 19-4
141 – #7 Nasir Bailey dec. #10 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), 11-5
149 – #2 Jaxon Joy (Cornell) dec. #15 Ryder Block, 10-3
165 – #3 Michael Caliendo tech. fall #19 Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell), 20-5
174 – #5 Patrick Kennedy dec. #12 Carter Schubert (Oklahoma), 2-1
184 – #7 Angelo Ferrari vs. #10 Caleb Campos (American), 11-5
285 – #8 Ben Kueter dec. #9 Cole Mirasola (Penn State), 4-0

CONSOLATION ROUND 1 RESULTS
197 – #27 Gabe Arnold dec. #22 Devin Wasley (North Dakota State), 7-2

Attendance: 16,777

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS
125 – #8 Dean Peterson vs. #1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State)
133 – #6 Drake Ayala vs. #3 Marcus Blaze (Penn State)
141 – #7 Nasir Bailey vs. #2 Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State)
165 – #3 Michael Caliendo vs. #27 EJ Parco (Stanford)
174 – #5 Patrick Kennedy vs. #4 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)
184 – #7 Angelo Ferrari vs. #2 Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)
285 – #8 Ben Kueter vs. #1 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State)

CONSOLATION ROUND 2 MATCHUPS
149 – #15 Ryder Block vs. #33 Austin McBurney (Brown)
197 – #21 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia) 

TEAM SCORES
1. Penn State, 40.5
2. Nebraska, 27.0
3. Iowa, 25.5
4. Oklahoma State, 25.0
5. Ohio State, 23.0
6. Iowa State, 21.5
7. Arizona State, 17.0
8. Stanford, 15.0
t9. Cornell, 14.0
t9. Michigan, 14.0
t9. Virginia Tech, 14.0

UP NEXT
Session III of the 2026 NCAA Championships will begin at 11 a.m. (CT) tomorrow and it will be televised live on ESPNU.