University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 8
University Park, PA
3:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Big Ten Championships - Session IV
Players Mentioned
149 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
157 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
149 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
Photo by: Chris Eutsler
Gophers Conclude B1G Championships with Six on the Podium
3/8/2026 6:26:00 PM | Wrestling
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships concluded Sunday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State.
Minnesota saw six wrestlers reach the podium as Jore Volk (125) and Max McEnelly (184) both came in second place, while Vance VomBaur (141) was fourth, Andrew Sparks (165) came in fifth, Koy Hopke (285) earned seventh and and Charlie Millard (157) placed eighth. The Gophers' team score of 76.5 points was good for seventh place.
It was a 1 vs. 2 showdown in the 184-pound championship match as the second-seeded McEnelly faced off with Penn State's top-ranked and undefeated Rocco Welsh. Both wrestlers scored escapes in regulation and neither scored in sudden victory, sending the match to tiebreakers. Welsh won the toss and chose bottom. He escaped in four seconds for a 2-1 lead, though McEnelly nearly had a takedown before time expired in the 30-second period, but it was not called on the mat and not awarded after a Minnesota challenge. McEnelly opted for neutral in the second period of tiebreakers but could not get the winning takedown.
The result marks two straight years as the runner-up at the Big Ten Championships for McEnelly. The last Gopher to finish second or better as both a freshman and sophomore at Big Tens was Gable Steveson in 2019 and 2020.
Minnesota's other championship match saw No. 6 Volk go up against the No. 1 seed, undefeated and defending conference champion Luke Lilledahl of Penn State at 125 pounds. Neither wrestler scored in the opening period, while Volk, who tied for the lowest-seeded Gopher to make a Big Ten final since 2000, needed just 14 seconds to escape from bottom in the second. Lilleldahl answered with one of his own in the third period, and Volk used impressive defense to send the match to overtime.
In the extra session, Lilledahl got the winning takedown with 1:04 to go for the 4-1 victory. Volk's runner-up finish is the second in the last three years for Minnesota at 125, along with Patrick McKee in 2024, and is the second best of his career at a conference championship behind a Big 12 championship in 2024. A senior, Volk heads to the NCAAs with a 22-5 record, including a 9-3 mark against ranked opponents.
As a result of their finishes, both Volk and McEnelly were named Second Team All-Big Ten.
At 141 pounds, VomBaur finished in fourth place after a 7-4 loss against the fourth-seeded Nasir Bailey of Iowa. Scoreless after the first period, VomBaur pulled ahead briefly in the second period after an escape but Bailey got his first takedown of the match afterward. Another escape saw VomBaur enter the third period down 3-2. After Bailey pushed the lead to 7-2 in the third, VomBaur got within two after a locked hands call and escape, but no closer.
A fourth-place finish for VomBaur is the second best of his career after last year's appearance in the finals and makes him the first Gophers wrestler at 141 to post consecutive top-4 finishes since Nick Dardanes was fourth in 2012 and third in 2013.
Like Volk and VomBaur, Sparks also recorded the second best finish of his collegiate career as he came in fifth place at 165 pounds following an 8-6, comeback win over No. 7 Andrew Barbosa of Rutgers. Seeded fifth, Sparks struck first and led 3-0 through the first period, but he started the second on bottom and Barbosa turned him for two points. Sparks escaped but was taken down. An escape in the closing seconds sent the match to the third period tied at 5-5 though Barbosa had riding time over a minute. In the final period, Barbosa escaped early to go up 6-5, but with 30 seconds to go, Sparks used a waterfall to record the winning takedown.
Up next for Minnesota is the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, March 21-23. Six Gophers have already clinched spots, and the remaining at-large bids will be announced on March 10. The full bracket, with seeding, is scheduled to be released March 11.
Final Minnesota Results
125 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
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
Semifinals: #6 Jore Volk dec. #2 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), 8-1
Finals: #1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) dec. #6 Jore Volk, 4-1 SV1
2nd Place: 3-1 record
133 Pounds
First Round: #3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) TF #14 Jager Eisch, 18-2 3:43
Consolations - R1: #14 Jager Eisch TF #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 15-0 6:55
Consolations - R2: #4 Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) dec. #14 Jager Eisch, 5-2 SV1
9th Place Quarterfinals: #14 Jager Eisch dec. #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 4-0
9th Place Semifinals: #8 Braxton Brown (Maryland) MFFL #14 Jager Eisch
Did not place: 2-3 record
141 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
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
Semifinals: #2 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) dec. #3 Vance Vombaur, 9-2
Consolation Semifinals: #3 Vance VomBaur TF #11 Dario Lemus (Maryland), 20-3 5:49
3rd Place Match: #4 Nasir Bailey (Iowa) dec. #3 Vance VomBaur, 7-4
4th Place: 3-2 record
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
Consolations - R2: #9 Michael Gioffre (Illinois) MD #10 Drew Roberts, 12-3
9th Place Quarterfinals: #10 Drew Roberts dec. #14 August Hibler (Northwestern), 5-0
9th Place Semifinals: #6 Chance Lamer (Nebraska) MD #10 Drew Roberts, 11-3
Did not place: 2-3 record
157 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #6 Charlie Millard MD #11 Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 12-4
Quarterfinals: #3 Kannon Webster (Illinois) MD #6 Charlie Millard, 14-2
Consolation Quarters: #6 Charlie Millard dec. #5 Tony White (Rutgers), 4-2
Consolation Semifinals: #7 Brandon Cannon (Ohio State) dec. #6 Charlie Millard, 9-4
7th Place Match: #8 Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) MFFL #6 Charlie Millard
8th Place: 2-3 record
165 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #5 Andrew Sparks MD #12 Justin Gates (Michigan), 16-3
Quarterfinals: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #4 LJ Araujo (Nebraska), 3-1
Semifinals: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) TF #5 Andrew Sparks, 19-4 (6:29)
Consolation Semifinals: #2 Joey Blaze (Purdue) dec. #5 Andrew Sparks, 3-1 TB1
5th Place Match: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #7 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 8-6
5th Place: 3-2 record
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
Consolations - R2: #8 Brody Baumann (Purdue) dec. #7 Ethan Riddle, 8-6
9th Place Semifinals: #12 Luke Condon (Wisconsin) dec. #7 Ethan Riddle, 4-2
11th Place Match: #7 Ethan Riddle MD #10 Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 13-4
11th Place: 2-3 record
184 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
Quarterfinals: #2 Max McEnelly TF #7 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers), 21-6 5:04
Semifinals: #2 Max McEnelly MFFL #3 Silas Allred (Nebraska)
Finals: #1 Rocco Welsh (Penn State) dec. #2 Max McEnelly, 2-1 TB1
2nd Place: 2-1 record
197 Pounds
First Round: #6 Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 5-1
Consolations - R1: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 4-3
Consolations - R2: #4 Branson John (Maryland) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 8-5 SV1
9th Place Quarterfinals: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 5-2
9th Place Semifinals: #7 Kael Wisler (Michigan State) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 7-3
11th Place Match: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #10 Hayden Walters (Michigan), 4-1 SV1
11th Place: 3-3 record
Heavyweight - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #10 Ben Kueter (Iowa) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 5-2
Consolations - R2: #7 Koy Hopke dec. #8 Hunter Catka (Rutgers), 2-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #5 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 8-3
7th Place Match: #7 Koy Hopke dec. #6 Luke Luffman (Illinois), 4-2
7th Place: 2-2 record
Minnesota saw six wrestlers reach the podium as Jore Volk (125) and Max McEnelly (184) both came in second place, while Vance VomBaur (141) was fourth, Andrew Sparks (165) came in fifth, Koy Hopke (285) earned seventh and and Charlie Millard (157) placed eighth. The Gophers' team score of 76.5 points was good for seventh place.
It was a 1 vs. 2 showdown in the 184-pound championship match as the second-seeded McEnelly faced off with Penn State's top-ranked and undefeated Rocco Welsh. Both wrestlers scored escapes in regulation and neither scored in sudden victory, sending the match to tiebreakers. Welsh won the toss and chose bottom. He escaped in four seconds for a 2-1 lead, though McEnelly nearly had a takedown before time expired in the 30-second period, but it was not called on the mat and not awarded after a Minnesota challenge. McEnelly opted for neutral in the second period of tiebreakers but could not get the winning takedown.
The result marks two straight years as the runner-up at the Big Ten Championships for McEnelly. The last Gopher to finish second or better as both a freshman and sophomore at Big Tens was Gable Steveson in 2019 and 2020.
Minnesota's other championship match saw No. 6 Volk go up against the No. 1 seed, undefeated and defending conference champion Luke Lilledahl of Penn State at 125 pounds. Neither wrestler scored in the opening period, while Volk, who tied for the lowest-seeded Gopher to make a Big Ten final since 2000, needed just 14 seconds to escape from bottom in the second. Lilleldahl answered with one of his own in the third period, and Volk used impressive defense to send the match to overtime.
In the extra session, Lilledahl got the winning takedown with 1:04 to go for the 4-1 victory. Volk's runner-up finish is the second in the last three years for Minnesota at 125, along with Patrick McKee in 2024, and is the second best of his career at a conference championship behind a Big 12 championship in 2024. A senior, Volk heads to the NCAAs with a 22-5 record, including a 9-3 mark against ranked opponents.
As a result of their finishes, both Volk and McEnelly were named Second Team All-Big Ten.
At 141 pounds, VomBaur finished in fourth place after a 7-4 loss against the fourth-seeded Nasir Bailey of Iowa. Scoreless after the first period, VomBaur pulled ahead briefly in the second period after an escape but Bailey got his first takedown of the match afterward. Another escape saw VomBaur enter the third period down 3-2. After Bailey pushed the lead to 7-2 in the third, VomBaur got within two after a locked hands call and escape, but no closer.
A fourth-place finish for VomBaur is the second best of his career after last year's appearance in the finals and makes him the first Gophers wrestler at 141 to post consecutive top-4 finishes since Nick Dardanes was fourth in 2012 and third in 2013.
Like Volk and VomBaur, Sparks also recorded the second best finish of his collegiate career as he came in fifth place at 165 pounds following an 8-6, comeback win over No. 7 Andrew Barbosa of Rutgers. Seeded fifth, Sparks struck first and led 3-0 through the first period, but he started the second on bottom and Barbosa turned him for two points. Sparks escaped but was taken down. An escape in the closing seconds sent the match to the third period tied at 5-5 though Barbosa had riding time over a minute. In the final period, Barbosa escaped early to go up 6-5, but with 30 seconds to go, Sparks used a waterfall to record the winning takedown.
Up next for Minnesota is the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, March 21-23. Six Gophers have already clinched spots, and the remaining at-large bids will be announced on March 10. The full bracket, with seeding, is scheduled to be released March 11.
Final Minnesota Results
125 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
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
Semifinals: #6 Jore Volk dec. #2 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), 8-1
Finals: #1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) dec. #6 Jore Volk, 4-1 SV1
2nd Place: 3-1 record
133 Pounds
First Round: #3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) TF #14 Jager Eisch, 18-2 3:43
Consolations - R1: #14 Jager Eisch TF #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 15-0 6:55
Consolations - R2: #4 Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) dec. #14 Jager Eisch, 5-2 SV1
9th Place Quarterfinals: #14 Jager Eisch dec. #11 Caleb Weiand (Michigan State), 4-0
9th Place Semifinals: #8 Braxton Brown (Maryland) MFFL #14 Jager Eisch
Did not place: 2-3 record
141 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
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
Semifinals: #2 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) dec. #3 Vance Vombaur, 9-2
Consolation Semifinals: #3 Vance VomBaur TF #11 Dario Lemus (Maryland), 20-3 5:49
3rd Place Match: #4 Nasir Bailey (Iowa) dec. #3 Vance VomBaur, 7-4
4th Place: 3-2 record
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
Consolations - R2: #9 Michael Gioffre (Illinois) MD #10 Drew Roberts, 12-3
9th Place Quarterfinals: #10 Drew Roberts dec. #14 August Hibler (Northwestern), 5-0
9th Place Semifinals: #6 Chance Lamer (Nebraska) MD #10 Drew Roberts, 11-3
Did not place: 2-3 record
157 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #6 Charlie Millard MD #11 Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 12-4
Quarterfinals: #3 Kannon Webster (Illinois) MD #6 Charlie Millard, 14-2
Consolation Quarters: #6 Charlie Millard dec. #5 Tony White (Rutgers), 4-2
Consolation Semifinals: #7 Brandon Cannon (Ohio State) dec. #6 Charlie Millard, 9-4
7th Place Match: #8 Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) MFFL #6 Charlie Millard
8th Place: 2-3 record
165 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #5 Andrew Sparks MD #12 Justin Gates (Michigan), 16-3
Quarterfinals: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #4 LJ Araujo (Nebraska), 3-1
Semifinals: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) TF #5 Andrew Sparks, 19-4 (6:29)
Consolation Semifinals: #2 Joey Blaze (Purdue) dec. #5 Andrew Sparks, 3-1 TB1
5th Place Match: #5 Andrew Sparks dec. #7 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 8-6
5th Place: 3-2 record
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
Consolations - R2: #8 Brody Baumann (Purdue) dec. #7 Ethan Riddle, 8-6
9th Place Semifinals: #12 Luke Condon (Wisconsin) dec. #7 Ethan Riddle, 4-2
11th Place Match: #7 Ethan Riddle MD #10 Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 13-4
11th Place: 2-3 record
184 Pounds - Automatic Qualifier
Quarterfinals: #2 Max McEnelly TF #7 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers), 21-6 5:04
Semifinals: #2 Max McEnelly MFFL #3 Silas Allred (Nebraska)
Finals: #1 Rocco Welsh (Penn State) dec. #2 Max McEnelly, 2-1 TB1
2nd Place: 2-1 record
197 Pounds
First Round: #6 Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 5-1
Consolations - R1: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 4-3
Consolations - R2: #4 Branson John (Maryland) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 8-5 SV1
9th Place Quarterfinals: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #14 Alex Smith (Northwestern), 5-2
9th Place Semifinals: #7 Kael Wisler (Michigan State) dec. #11 Gavin Nelson, 7-3
11th Place Match: #11 Gavin Nelson dec. #10 Hayden Walters (Michigan), 4-1 SV1
11th Place: 3-3 record
Heavyweight - Automatic Qualifier
First Round: #10 Ben Kueter (Iowa) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 5-2
Consolations - R2: #7 Koy Hopke dec. #8 Hunter Catka (Rutgers), 2-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #5 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec. #7 Koy Hopke, 8-3
7th Place Match: #7 Koy Hopke dec. #6 Luke Luffman (Illinois), 4-2
7th Place: 2-2 record
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