Wrestling Earns Two NCAA Qualifiers at Big Ten Championships

Saturday, March 7

State College, Pa.

Michigan State University

Big Ten Championship

Photo by: Kam Beal

Wrestling Earns Two NCAA Qualifiers at Big Ten Championships

3/8/2026 3:35:00 PM | Wrestling

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Michigan State wrestling had two athletes earn automatic bids into the NCAA Championships over the weekend at the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, as redshirt sophomore 149-pounder Clayton Jones and redshirt junior 197-pounder Kael Wisler each earned a trip to Cleveland. It will be the first NCAA Championships appearance for both wrestlers.

Jones lost his opening bout but won two matches on the consolation side to qualify. He beat Purdue's Gavin Brown, 10-2, in his opening consolation match before knocking off No. 18-ranked Chance Lamer of Nebraska with a body lock takedown and fall just 35 seconds into the match.

Clayton Jones knocks off Chance Lamer with a fall to punch his ticket to Cleveland! pic.twitter.com/2fDcLR21W0
— Michigan State Wrestling (@MSU_Wrestling) March 7, 2026

Wisler defeated a pair of ranked opponents throughout the tournament, picking up a come-from-behind decision over No. 33-ranked Hayden Walters of Michigan in the opening round, 6-4. On the consolation side, Wisler defeated No. 29-ranked Gavin Nelson of Minnesota, 7-3.

Redshirt junior 125-pounder Nick Corday and redshirt freshman Darius Marines each scored first round upsets over ranked opponents from Rutgers. Corday earned a sudden victory decision over No. 23-ranked Ayden Smith, 4-1, and Marines earned a 4-3 decision over No. 24-ranked Tony White.

As a team, MSU placed 14th earning 10.5 team points across the two-day event. Spartans that did not earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships await a potential at-large bid into the championship field later this week.

Full Results

125: Nick Corday (2-3)
Won dec. #23 Ayden Smith (Rutgers), 4-1
Lost tech fall #17 Jacob Moran (Indiana), 20-3
Lost dec. Kael Kauridsen (Nebraska), 3-2
Won dec. Ashton Jackson (Purdue), 7-1
Lost major dec. #18 Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin), 12-1

133: Caleb Weiand (0-3)
Lost dec. #10 Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska), 9-3
Lost tech fall Jager Eisch (Minnesota), 15-0
Lost dec. Jager Eisch (Minnesota), 4-0

141: Jaden Crumpler (0-2)
Lost by fall #8 Vance Combaur (Minnesota), 4:10
Lost major dec. Dario Lemus (Maryland), 10-1

149: Clayton Jones (2-3) – NCAA Qualifier
Lost by fall #16 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan), 5:26
Win by major dec. Gavin Brown (Purdue), 10-2
Win by fall #18 Chance Lamer (Nebraska), 0:35
Lost by fall #29 Michael Gioffre (Illinois), 3:34
Medical forfeit vs. Andrew Clark (Rutgers)

157: Darius Marines (2-2)
Win by dec. #24 Tony White (Rutgers), 4-3
Lost by tech fall #13 Cameron Catrabone (Michigan), 15-0
Lost by dec. Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 5-4
Win by fall Mekhi Neal (Maryland), 4:37

165: Jack Conley (2-3)
Lost by fall #3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa), 1:39
Win by dec. Jacob Bostelman (Northwestern), 4-2
Lost by fall #7 LJ Araujo (Nebraska), 2:17
Win by dec. Jacob Bostelman (Northwestern), 4-1
Lost by fall #16 Tyler Lillard (Indiana), 3:38

174: Connor O'Neill (0-3)
Lost by tech fall #5 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State), 20-5
Lost by dec. Luke Condon (Wisconsin), 8-6
Lost by dec. Luke Condon (Wisconsin), 4-1

184: Ryan Boucher (0-3)
Lost by tech fall #7 Brock Mantanona (Michigan), 20-3
Lost by dec. Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (Maryland), 4-2
Lost by dec. Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (Maryland), 8-5

197: #23 Kael Wisler (2-3) – NCAA Qualifier
Win by dec. #33 Hayden Walters (Michigan), 6-4
Lost by tech fall #10 Camden McDanel (Nebraska), 18-2
Lost by dec. #30 Ben Vanadia (Purdue), 7-2
Win by dec. #29 Gavin Nelson (Minnesota), 7-3
Medical forfeit vs. Gabe Arnold (Iowa)

HWT: #28 Josh Terrill (1-3)
Lost by dec. #19 Hunter Catka (Rutgers), 4-2
Lost by dec. #8 Ben Kueter (Iowa), 4-1
Win by dec. Gabe Christenson (Northwestern), 7-2
Lost by fall #19 Hunter Catka (Rutgers), 3:33