NCAA WRESTLING BRACKETS REVEALED

INDIANAPOLIS — South Dakota State's six qualified wrestlers found out their first-round matchups and seeds on Wednesday as the NCAA revealed the brackets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Brady Roark, a first-time NCAA Qualifier, was the first Jackrabbit to hear his name called on Wednesday as the 27-seed at 125 pounds. The redshirt sophomore from Seneca will have an eagerly anticipated rematch with Minnesota's Jore Volk in the first round, a matchup Roark took 5-4 back in November. Roark holds a record of 20-7 overall and placed sixth at the Big 12 Championships last weekend.

Julian Tagg was the next Jackrabbit to find his spot in the tournament. The senior from Lodi, Ohio received the 20-seed at 141 pounds, facing off with 13-seed Wyatt Henson from Lock Haven. Tagg has a record of 18-6 overall and will look to build on last year's round of 16 finish in his home state this year.

Cael Swensen found himself placed in the 16-17 first-round matchup as the 16-seed. Coming off a fourth-place finish at 157 pounds at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships, Swensen squares off with Wisconsin's Luke Mechler. Swensen holds a record of 24-7 overall and is a three-time NCAA Qualifier. His highest finish at the tournament was the Blood Round in 2023.

Moses Espinoza-Owens is the second-highest-seeded Jackrabbit heading into his first NCAA Wrestling Championship. He received the 14-seed and has a first-round matchup with 19-seed Logan Messer of George Mason. Espinoza-Owens put together an impressive season in his first go-round at 174 pounds, putting together a 27-8 record overall and capping it off with a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.

Three-time NCAA Qualifier and 2024 All-American Bennett Berge found himself placed as the 13-seed at 197 pounds. The redshirt junior from Mantorville, Minnesota, will face Wyatt Ingham of Wisconsin in his opening round match, the second match between the Jackrabbits and Badgers in the first round. Berge has a record of 16-5 and finished fifth at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.

Luke Rasmussen rounded out the Jackrabbits who heard their names called on Wednesday. He received the 29-seed and has an opening round match with former NCAA Champion AJ Ferrari from Nebraska. Rasmussen has a record of 11-11 and stole a spot at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships last weekend, making the quarterfinals before finishing sixth at 285 pounds.

The NCAA Wrestling Championships start next Thursday, March 19th through the 21st at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be available through the ESPN family of networks.

SEEDS AND MATCHUPS
125: No. 27 Brady Roark vs. No. 6 Jore Volk (MINN)
141: No. 20 Julian Tagg vs. No. 13 Wyatt Henson (LH)
157: No. 16 Cael Swensen vs. No. 17 Luke Mechler (WIS)
174: No. 14 Moses Espinoza-Owens vs. No. 19 Logan Messer (GMU)
197: No. 13 Bennett Berge vs. No. 20 Wyatt Ingham (WIS)
285: No. 29 Luke Rasmussen vs. No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB)

-GoJacks.com-

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Bennett Berge

Moses Espinoza-Owens

Luke Rasmussen

Brady Roark

Cael Swensen

Julian Tagg

Upcoming Event: Wrestling versus NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 19, 2026

Completed Event: Wrestling versus Big 12 Championships on March 6, 2026 , , 6th of 14 Teams (8 Placers)

Completed Event: Wrestling versus North Dakota State on February 22, 2026 , Loss , 13, to, 20

Completed Event: Wrestling versus Jackrabbits Open on February 15, 2026 , , 4 Champions

Completed Event: Wrestling versus #19 Northern Iowa on February 8, 2026 , Loss , 13, to, 19

Completed Event: Wrestling versus Northern Colorado on February 1, 2026 , Win , 31, to, 10

Completed Event: Wrestling versus Air Force on January 30, 2026 , Win , 37, to, 5

South Dakota State University Athletics