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Photo by: Bjorn Franke
Brackets Unveiled for NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/12/2025 8:40:00 PM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Seeding and brackets were announced Wednesday night for the 2025 NCAA Championships, which take place March 20-22 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
With eight automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships and one at-large selection, Minnesota is one of 11 programs in the country to have at least nine qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. It's the 20th time in program history the Gophers have sent nine or more to NCAAs, including in each of the last five seasons.
In his quest to become the first three-time national champion in program history and the sixth heavyweight to win three titles in NCAA annals, Gable Steveson has earned the No. 1 seed. Steveson, who was also the top seed when winning titles in 2021 and 2022, will begin his final run against the winner of the opening round match between No. 32 Stephan Monchery of Appalachian State and No. 33 Hayden Filipovich of Purdue. Steveson defeated Filipovich by tech fall during the regular season and has never faced Monchery. Sporting a 14-0 record overall and a 9-0 record against the field, Steveson is coming off a fourth Big Ten championship last weekend, the first heavyweight to accomplish the feat.Â
Redshirt freshman Max McEnelly is one of two Gophers making their NCAA championship debut. The Big Ten finalist at 184 pounds is 20-1 on the year, including a 9-1 record against others at his weight. He has earned the No. 3 seed and is opening against No. 30 Colin Fegley of Lock Haven in the first meeting between the two.
Vance VomBaur is a returning All-American, finishing in eighth place last year in Kansas City after earning the No. 26 seed in his first trip to the postseason. This year, he returns as the No. 6 seed and he'll first square off with Purdue's No. 27 Greyson Clark in their first ever matchup. VomBaur, a redshirt junior, was a finalist at last weekend's Big Ten Championships and enters NCAAs with a 23-4 record that includes a 9-3 mark against this year's field.
Fifth-year senior Tommy Askey is making his third career trip to the NCAA Championships, but his first in the Maroon and Gold. Last year, he joined Wells in reaching the Blood Round while at Appalachian State. Sporting a career-best No. 9 seed in 2025, Askey will take on No. 20 Dylan Evans of Pitt as the two meet for the first time. Askey, who finished fifth at Big Tens to earn his trip to Philadelphia, is 23-5 on the season, including a 5-5 mark against the 157-field.
Fellow fifth-year senior Andrew Sparks is making his fourth career appearance at the NCAA Championships, and he's returning as a 165 pounder after appearing at 174 pounds last season. Seeded a personal best 10th, Sparks is 23-7 on the season, tying VomBaur and Askey for the team lead in wins. Against the rest of the field, Sparks is 6-7. Coming off a career-best finish of fourth place at Big Tens, he's drawn No. 23 Thomas Snipes of The Citadel in the opening round as the two square off for their first matchup.
Fifth-year senior Isaiah Salazar has claimed the No. 10 seed at 197 pounds. Salazar is 19-6 on the season and 7-4 against the rest of the 197-pound field. He placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships to earn his spot at the championships. He'll take on a familiar face in No. 23 Seth Shumate of Ohio State. They've met twice this year with Salazar winning in overtime in Columbus in the regular season and by major decision at the Big Ten Championships.
Redshirt junior Cooper Flynn has earned the No. 19 seed at 125 pounds and will face No. 14 Spencer Moore of North Carolina. The pair met twice while Flynn was at Virginia Tech with Flynn prevailing in both matchups in 2021 and 2024. This year marks the second time that Flynn has qualified for NCAAs, also doing so last season with the Hokies. Flynn is coming off a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships to earn a spot in the field. Sporting a 14-6 record on the season, he went 4-6 against the field at 125.Â
Sophomore Tyler Wells earned an at-large bid for the second straight season. Wells returns as the No. 22 seed at 133 pounds and he'll open against Iowa State's No. 11 Evan Frost. The pair met last year in the Blood Round with Frost winning 2-1. Wells earned an at-large bid with an 11-8 record, including a 5-4 mark in duals. He went 5-6 against the field this year, though one loss was a medical forfeit.
At 174 pounds, redshirt sophomore Clayton Whiting joins McEnelly as Gophers that will be making their NCAA Championships debut. Whiting will make his run from the No. 28 seed after placing seventh at Big Tens and will take to the mat against No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell. Whiting has posted a 17-10 record on the season so far this year.
Gopher Seeds and Opening Opponents
125: #19 Cooper Flynn vs. #14 Spencer Moore (North Carolina)
133: #22 Tyler Wells vs. #11 Evan Frost (Iowa State)
141: #6 Vance VomBaur vs. #27 Greyson Clark (Purdue)
157: #9 Tommy Askey vs. #24 Dylan Evans (Pitt)
165: #10 Andrew Sparks vs. #23 Thomas Snipes (The Citadel)
174: #28 Clayton Whiting vs. #5 Simon Ruiz (Cornell)
184: #3 Max McEnelly vs. #30 Colin Fegley (LocK Haven)
197: #10 Isaiah Salazar vs. #23 Seth Shumate (Ohio State)
285: #1 Gable Steveson vs. #32 Stephen Monchery (App State) or #33 Hayden Filipovich (Purdue)
With eight automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships and one at-large selection, Minnesota is one of 11 programs in the country to have at least nine qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. It's the 20th time in program history the Gophers have sent nine or more to NCAAs, including in each of the last five seasons.
In his quest to become the first three-time national champion in program history and the sixth heavyweight to win three titles in NCAA annals, Gable Steveson has earned the No. 1 seed. Steveson, who was also the top seed when winning titles in 2021 and 2022, will begin his final run against the winner of the opening round match between No. 32 Stephan Monchery of Appalachian State and No. 33 Hayden Filipovich of Purdue. Steveson defeated Filipovich by tech fall during the regular season and has never faced Monchery. Sporting a 14-0 record overall and a 9-0 record against the field, Steveson is coming off a fourth Big Ten championship last weekend, the first heavyweight to accomplish the feat.Â
Redshirt freshman Max McEnelly is one of two Gophers making their NCAA championship debut. The Big Ten finalist at 184 pounds is 20-1 on the year, including a 9-1 record against others at his weight. He has earned the No. 3 seed and is opening against No. 30 Colin Fegley of Lock Haven in the first meeting between the two.
Vance VomBaur is a returning All-American, finishing in eighth place last year in Kansas City after earning the No. 26 seed in his first trip to the postseason. This year, he returns as the No. 6 seed and he'll first square off with Purdue's No. 27 Greyson Clark in their first ever matchup. VomBaur, a redshirt junior, was a finalist at last weekend's Big Ten Championships and enters NCAAs with a 23-4 record that includes a 9-3 mark against this year's field.
Fifth-year senior Tommy Askey is making his third career trip to the NCAA Championships, but his first in the Maroon and Gold. Last year, he joined Wells in reaching the Blood Round while at Appalachian State. Sporting a career-best No. 9 seed in 2025, Askey will take on No. 20 Dylan Evans of Pitt as the two meet for the first time. Askey, who finished fifth at Big Tens to earn his trip to Philadelphia, is 23-5 on the season, including a 5-5 mark against the 157-field.
Fellow fifth-year senior Andrew Sparks is making his fourth career appearance at the NCAA Championships, and he's returning as a 165 pounder after appearing at 174 pounds last season. Seeded a personal best 10th, Sparks is 23-7 on the season, tying VomBaur and Askey for the team lead in wins. Against the rest of the field, Sparks is 6-7. Coming off a career-best finish of fourth place at Big Tens, he's drawn No. 23 Thomas Snipes of The Citadel in the opening round as the two square off for their first matchup.
Fifth-year senior Isaiah Salazar has claimed the No. 10 seed at 197 pounds. Salazar is 19-6 on the season and 7-4 against the rest of the 197-pound field. He placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships to earn his spot at the championships. He'll take on a familiar face in No. 23 Seth Shumate of Ohio State. They've met twice this year with Salazar winning in overtime in Columbus in the regular season and by major decision at the Big Ten Championships.
Redshirt junior Cooper Flynn has earned the No. 19 seed at 125 pounds and will face No. 14 Spencer Moore of North Carolina. The pair met twice while Flynn was at Virginia Tech with Flynn prevailing in both matchups in 2021 and 2024. This year marks the second time that Flynn has qualified for NCAAs, also doing so last season with the Hokies. Flynn is coming off a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships to earn a spot in the field. Sporting a 14-6 record on the season, he went 4-6 against the field at 125.Â
Sophomore Tyler Wells earned an at-large bid for the second straight season. Wells returns as the No. 22 seed at 133 pounds and he'll open against Iowa State's No. 11 Evan Frost. The pair met last year in the Blood Round with Frost winning 2-1. Wells earned an at-large bid with an 11-8 record, including a 5-4 mark in duals. He went 5-6 against the field this year, though one loss was a medical forfeit.
At 174 pounds, redshirt sophomore Clayton Whiting joins McEnelly as Gophers that will be making their NCAA Championships debut. Whiting will make his run from the No. 28 seed after placing seventh at Big Tens and will take to the mat against No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell. Whiting has posted a 17-10 record on the season so far this year.
Gopher Seeds and Opening Opponents
125: #19 Cooper Flynn vs. #14 Spencer Moore (North Carolina)
133: #22 Tyler Wells vs. #11 Evan Frost (Iowa State)
141: #6 Vance VomBaur vs. #27 Greyson Clark (Purdue)
157: #9 Tommy Askey vs. #24 Dylan Evans (Pitt)
165: #10 Andrew Sparks vs. #23 Thomas Snipes (The Citadel)
174: #28 Clayton Whiting vs. #5 Simon Ruiz (Cornell)
184: #3 Max McEnelly vs. #30 Colin Fegley (LocK Haven)
197: #10 Isaiah Salazar vs. #23 Seth Shumate (Ohio State)
285: #1 Gable Steveson vs. #32 Stephen Monchery (App State) or #33 Hayden Filipovich (Purdue)
Gopher Wrestling Tries Gymnastics
Thursday, May 29
Steveson Advances to NCAA Title Match
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Quarterfinals
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Pin
Thursday, March 20