University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 7
University Park, PA
9:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Big Ten Championships - Session I
Players Mentioned
149 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
157 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
149 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
Photo by: Chris Eutsler
Four into Semifinals After Opening Session at Big Tens
3/7/2026 2:54:00 PM | Wrestling
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Four Minnesota wrestlers advanced to Saturday night's semifinals following Session I of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships inside the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State.
Max McEnelly, Vance VomBaur, Jore Volk and Andrew Sparks all moved one way away from the championship bout thanks to undefeated performances in the morning session. Additionally, with 45.5 team points, the Golden Gophers are in fourth place behind Penn State (81.0), Ohio State (69.5) and Nebraska (59.5).
Session II starts Saturday night at 4 p.m. CT with consolation matches on Big Ten Plus. The semifinals get underway at 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Minnesota's highest seed in the tournament, McEnelly earned a bye in the opening round as a result of being the No. 2 seed at 184. His quarterfinals match put him up against Rutgers' Shane Cartagena-Walsh, and McEnelly asserted his dominance with a 21-5 (5:04) tech fall. McEnelly had three takedowns in both the first and second periods each, then needed just four seconds in the third period to pick up his team-leading 11th tech fall of the year. Against Cartagena-Walsh, McEnelly is now 4-0 in his career with two tech falls and two major decisions.
Looking to get back to the finals for the second year in a row, McEnelly will face Nebraska's No. 3 Silas Allred in the semifinals. McEnelly is 2-0 lifetime against Allred, including a 4-1 overtime win earlier this season.
No one had a more dominant showing in the opening session than VomBaur, the No. 3 seed at 141 pounds. VomBaur was one of two wrestlers in the entire tournament – along with Michigan's Cameron Catrabone at 157 – to record a tech fall and pin while going 2-0 Saturday morning. VomBaur's first fall of the season came in the opening match against Michigan State's No. 14 Jaden Crumpler. Leading 4-1 in the second period, VomBaur got a takedown then quickly put Crumpler's shoulders on the mat for his first fall since Dec. of 2024, stopping him at 4:10.
Like McEnelly, VomBaur is also looking to reach the finals for the second time in as many years. He got one step closer with a 20-5 (7:00) tech fall over Penn State's Braeden Davis, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterfinals. Trailing 5-4 in the waning seconds of the second period, VomBaur changed the momentum of the match with a takedown and a turn for four points, taking an 11-5 lead into the third. A takedown with four more nearfall points, plus an earlier escape and riding time, gave VomBaur his fourth tech fall of the year. He'll now face Nebraska's No. 2 Brock Hardy in the semifinals, a rematch from last year's championship match.
Competing in his first Big Ten Championships, Volk breezed to a win in his first match before needing overtime to reach the semifinals. Seeded sixth, Volk easily dispatched Nebraska's No. 11 Kael Lauridsen, 16-0 in 5:31. A reversal and pair of four-point turns in the second period turned a 3-0 Volk lead into a 13-0 advantage going to the third before tallying his fifth tech fall of the year. In the quarterfinals, Volk knocked off No. 3 seed Spencer Moore of Illinois. Both wrestlers had escapes in regulation, while in the sudden-victory portion Volk scrambled his way to the winning takedown, ending up on top of Moore.
The 2024 Big 12 champion at Wyoming, Volk will meet No. 2 seed Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State in the semifinals. They met earlier this season at the National Duals Invitational with Bouzakis winning in sudden victory.
Sparks reached the semifinals for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2024 when he ultimately placed sixth. The No. 5 seed at 165, Sparks took care of No. 12 Justin Gates of Michigan in the opener by major decision, 12-3. Leading 3-0 after one period, Sparks blew it open in period two with a reversal, a pair of takedowns and four nearfall points. In the quarterfinals, Sparks avenged a regular-season loss by topping No. 4 LJ Araujo of Nebraska, 3-1. Sparks trailed 1-0 after two periods and chose neutral for the third. He got Araujo into the waterfall position and finished the takedown with less than 20 seconds to go.
Sparks will now face top-seeded and defending national champion Mitchell Mesenbrink in the semifinals.
Minnesota's other six wrestlers are all still alive heading into session two.
No. 10 seed Drew Roberts scored a small upset at 149 pounds when he topped No. 7 Andrew Clark of Rutgers, 4-3. Tied 1-1 in the third, Roberts got the go-ahead takedown as the match approached the final minute. In the semifinals, Roberts battled No. 2 seed Ethan Stiles of Ohio State to a 4-1 loss, dropping to the consolations.
At 157 pounds, No. 6 Charlie Millard posted a major decision in his opening match and then had the tables turned on him for a major decision loss in the quarterfinals. He defeated Indiana's No. 11 Bryce Lowery, 12-4, before No. 3 Kannon Webster topped him, 14-2. Against Lowery, Millard trailed 3-1 through one period before outsourcing him 11-1 the rest of the way thanks to three takedowns over the final two periods.
Like Roberts and Millard, Ethan Riddle also won his opening match before dropping to consolations. The No. 7 seed at 174, Riddle secured a 4-1 decision over No. 10 Eddie Enright of Northwestern in the opener. The match was tied with 40 seconds to go before Riddle fought his way through for the eventual winning takedown. In the quarterfinals, Riddle was handed a major decision loss by No. 2 Christopher Minto of Nebraska, 11-1.
Jager Eisch and Gavin Nelson both took losses in their opening matches but still advanced to the evening session.
The No. 14 seed at 133, Eisch lost his Big Ten Championships by tech fall to No. 3 Ben Davino of Ohio State, 18-2 (3:43), but bounced back in the consolations with a tech fall of his own. Facing No. 11 Caleb Weiand, Eisch posted a 15-0 (6:55) to advance. Scoreless after the first period, Eisch had a reversal and four-point nearfall in the second period, while in the third he recorded a takedown and nearfall turns of four and two points, respectively.
Nelson, the No. 11 seed at 197, dropped a 5-1 decision to No. 6 Wyatt Ingham of Wisconsin in the opener. In the consolation bracket, Nelson led No. 14 Alex Smith of Northwestern 4-0 through two periods. Smith rallied back with an escape and a pair of stall points, but Nelson's defense was tough enough for the 4-3 victory.
At heavyweight, No. 7 Koy Hopke wrestled just once in the morning session. After losing to Iowa's No. 10 Ben Keuter, 5-2, in the opening bout, Hopke had a bye in the consolations.
Minnesota Results through Session I
125 Pounds
First Round: #6 Jore Volk TF #11 Kael Lauridsen (Nebraska), 16-0 5:31
Quarterfinals: #6 Jore Volk dec. #3 Spencer Moore (Illinois), 4-1 SV1
133 Pounds
First Round: #3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) TF #14 Jager Eisch, 18-2 3:43
Consolations: #14 Jager Eisch TF #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 15-0 6:55
141 Pounds
First Round: #3 Vance VomBaur fall #14 Jaden Crumpler (Michigan State), 4:10
Quarterfinals: #3 Vance VomBaur TF #6 Braeden Davis (Penn State), 20-5 7:00
149 Pounds
First Round: #10 Drew Roberts dec. #7 Andrew Clark (Rutgers), 4-3
Quarterfinals: #2 Ethan Stiles (Ohio State) dec. #10 Drew Roberts, 4-1
157 Pounds
First Round: #6 Charlie Millard MD #11 Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 12-4
Quarterfinals: #3 Kannon Webster (Illinois) MD #6 Charlie Millard, 14-2
165 Pounds
First Round: #5 Andrew Sparks MD #12 Justin Gates (Michigan), 16-3
Quarterfinals: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #4 LJ Araujo (Nebraska), 3-1
174 Pounds
First Round: #7 Ethan Riddle Dec. #10 Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 4-1
Quarterfinals: #2 Christopher Minto (Nebraska) MD #7 Ethan Riddle, 11-1
184 Pounds
Quarterfinals: #2 Max McEnelly TF #7 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers), 21-6 5:04
197 Pounds
First Round: #6 Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 5-1
Consolations: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 4-3
Heavyweight
First Round: #10 Ben Kueter (Iowa) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 5-2
Max McEnelly, Vance VomBaur, Jore Volk and Andrew Sparks all moved one way away from the championship bout thanks to undefeated performances in the morning session. Additionally, with 45.5 team points, the Golden Gophers are in fourth place behind Penn State (81.0), Ohio State (69.5) and Nebraska (59.5).
Session II starts Saturday night at 4 p.m. CT with consolation matches on Big Ten Plus. The semifinals get underway at 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Minnesota's highest seed in the tournament, McEnelly earned a bye in the opening round as a result of being the No. 2 seed at 184. His quarterfinals match put him up against Rutgers' Shane Cartagena-Walsh, and McEnelly asserted his dominance with a 21-5 (5:04) tech fall. McEnelly had three takedowns in both the first and second periods each, then needed just four seconds in the third period to pick up his team-leading 11th tech fall of the year. Against Cartagena-Walsh, McEnelly is now 4-0 in his career with two tech falls and two major decisions.
Looking to get back to the finals for the second year in a row, McEnelly will face Nebraska's No. 3 Silas Allred in the semifinals. McEnelly is 2-0 lifetime against Allred, including a 4-1 overtime win earlier this season.
No one had a more dominant showing in the opening session than VomBaur, the No. 3 seed at 141 pounds. VomBaur was one of two wrestlers in the entire tournament – along with Michigan's Cameron Catrabone at 157 – to record a tech fall and pin while going 2-0 Saturday morning. VomBaur's first fall of the season came in the opening match against Michigan State's No. 14 Jaden Crumpler. Leading 4-1 in the second period, VomBaur got a takedown then quickly put Crumpler's shoulders on the mat for his first fall since Dec. of 2024, stopping him at 4:10.
Like McEnelly, VomBaur is also looking to reach the finals for the second time in as many years. He got one step closer with a 20-5 (7:00) tech fall over Penn State's Braeden Davis, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterfinals. Trailing 5-4 in the waning seconds of the second period, VomBaur changed the momentum of the match with a takedown and a turn for four points, taking an 11-5 lead into the third. A takedown with four more nearfall points, plus an earlier escape and riding time, gave VomBaur his fourth tech fall of the year. He'll now face Nebraska's No. 2 Brock Hardy in the semifinals, a rematch from last year's championship match.
Competing in his first Big Ten Championships, Volk breezed to a win in his first match before needing overtime to reach the semifinals. Seeded sixth, Volk easily dispatched Nebraska's No. 11 Kael Lauridsen, 16-0 in 5:31. A reversal and pair of four-point turns in the second period turned a 3-0 Volk lead into a 13-0 advantage going to the third before tallying his fifth tech fall of the year. In the quarterfinals, Volk knocked off No. 3 seed Spencer Moore of Illinois. Both wrestlers had escapes in regulation, while in the sudden-victory portion Volk scrambled his way to the winning takedown, ending up on top of Moore.
The 2024 Big 12 champion at Wyoming, Volk will meet No. 2 seed Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State in the semifinals. They met earlier this season at the National Duals Invitational with Bouzakis winning in sudden victory.
Sparks reached the semifinals for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2024 when he ultimately placed sixth. The No. 5 seed at 165, Sparks took care of No. 12 Justin Gates of Michigan in the opener by major decision, 12-3. Leading 3-0 after one period, Sparks blew it open in period two with a reversal, a pair of takedowns and four nearfall points. In the quarterfinals, Sparks avenged a regular-season loss by topping No. 4 LJ Araujo of Nebraska, 3-1. Sparks trailed 1-0 after two periods and chose neutral for the third. He got Araujo into the waterfall position and finished the takedown with less than 20 seconds to go.
Sparks will now face top-seeded and defending national champion Mitchell Mesenbrink in the semifinals.
Minnesota's other six wrestlers are all still alive heading into session two.
No. 10 seed Drew Roberts scored a small upset at 149 pounds when he topped No. 7 Andrew Clark of Rutgers, 4-3. Tied 1-1 in the third, Roberts got the go-ahead takedown as the match approached the final minute. In the semifinals, Roberts battled No. 2 seed Ethan Stiles of Ohio State to a 4-1 loss, dropping to the consolations.
At 157 pounds, No. 6 Charlie Millard posted a major decision in his opening match and then had the tables turned on him for a major decision loss in the quarterfinals. He defeated Indiana's No. 11 Bryce Lowery, 12-4, before No. 3 Kannon Webster topped him, 14-2. Against Lowery, Millard trailed 3-1 through one period before outsourcing him 11-1 the rest of the way thanks to three takedowns over the final two periods.
Like Roberts and Millard, Ethan Riddle also won his opening match before dropping to consolations. The No. 7 seed at 174, Riddle secured a 4-1 decision over No. 10 Eddie Enright of Northwestern in the opener. The match was tied with 40 seconds to go before Riddle fought his way through for the eventual winning takedown. In the quarterfinals, Riddle was handed a major decision loss by No. 2 Christopher Minto of Nebraska, 11-1.
Jager Eisch and Gavin Nelson both took losses in their opening matches but still advanced to the evening session.
The No. 14 seed at 133, Eisch lost his Big Ten Championships by tech fall to No. 3 Ben Davino of Ohio State, 18-2 (3:43), but bounced back in the consolations with a tech fall of his own. Facing No. 11 Caleb Weiand, Eisch posted a 15-0 (6:55) to advance. Scoreless after the first period, Eisch had a reversal and four-point nearfall in the second period, while in the third he recorded a takedown and nearfall turns of four and two points, respectively.
Nelson, the No. 11 seed at 197, dropped a 5-1 decision to No. 6 Wyatt Ingham of Wisconsin in the opener. In the consolation bracket, Nelson led No. 14 Alex Smith of Northwestern 4-0 through two periods. Smith rallied back with an escape and a pair of stall points, but Nelson's defense was tough enough for the 4-3 victory.
At heavyweight, No. 7 Koy Hopke wrestled just once in the morning session. After losing to Iowa's No. 10 Ben Keuter, 5-2, in the opening bout, Hopke had a bye in the consolations.
Minnesota Results through Session I
125 Pounds
First Round: #6 Jore Volk TF #11 Kael Lauridsen (Nebraska), 16-0 5:31
Quarterfinals: #6 Jore Volk dec. #3 Spencer Moore (Illinois), 4-1 SV1
133 Pounds
First Round: #3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) TF #14 Jager Eisch, 18-2 3:43
Consolations: #14 Jager Eisch TF #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 15-0 6:55
141 Pounds
First Round: #3 Vance VomBaur fall #14 Jaden Crumpler (Michigan State), 4:10
Quarterfinals: #3 Vance VomBaur TF #6 Braeden Davis (Penn State), 20-5 7:00
149 Pounds
First Round: #10 Drew Roberts dec. #7 Andrew Clark (Rutgers), 4-3
Quarterfinals: #2 Ethan Stiles (Ohio State) dec. #10 Drew Roberts, 4-1
157 Pounds
First Round: #6 Charlie Millard MD #11 Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 12-4
Quarterfinals: #3 Kannon Webster (Illinois) MD #6 Charlie Millard, 14-2
165 Pounds
First Round: #5 Andrew Sparks MD #12 Justin Gates (Michigan), 16-3
Quarterfinals: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #4 LJ Araujo (Nebraska), 3-1
174 Pounds
First Round: #7 Ethan Riddle Dec. #10 Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 4-1
Quarterfinals: #2 Christopher Minto (Nebraska) MD #7 Ethan Riddle, 11-1
184 Pounds
Quarterfinals: #2 Max McEnelly TF #7 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers), 21-6 5:04
197 Pounds
First Round: #6 Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 5-1
Consolations: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 4-3
Heavyweight
First Round: #10 Ben Kueter (Iowa) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 5-2
Highlights: Big Ten Wrestling Session II
Saturday, March 07
Highlights: Big Ten Wrestling Session I
Saturday, March 07
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Smash the Spartans on Senior Day
Thursday, February 19
Highlights: Gophers 37, Michigan State 6
Sunday, February 15