Nebraska-Kearney secured the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship on Saturday, March 14, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, finishing with 83 points. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside finished as the runner-up with 78 points, according to NCAA Division II officials.
The championship, held over two days – Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 – saw a tight competition, with only seven points separating the top four teams. McKendree finished third with 76.5 points, followed closely by Central Oklahoma with 76 points. Lander rounded out the top five with 64.5 points.
Several individual wrestlers distinguished themselves during the championships. Shane Corrigan of Wisconsin-Parkside won by major decision over Anthony Aniciete of Tiffin, 13-4, in the 125-pound weight class. James Joplin of Lander secured a victory in the 133-pound class, defeating Dominic Ducato of St. Cloud State by decision, 8-6. In the 141-pound division, Ronan Schuelke of McKendree won by decision over Joseph Airola of Nebraska-Kearney, 5-3.
Matthew Sarbo of Pitt-Johnstown claimed the 149-pound title with a fall over Chris Donathan of Grand Valley State. Gabe Johnson of Central Oklahoma emerged victorious in the 157-pound class, defeating Easton Worachek of Wisconsin-Parkside by decision, 8-1. Trenton Munoz of Nebraska-Kearney won in the 165-pound weight class.
Other notable results included victories for Max Ramberg of Augustana (SD) in the 174-pound class, Dorian Crosby of Gannon in the 184-pound class, and Otgonbayar Batsuuri of Nebraska-Kearney in the 285-pound class. Cody Thompson of Colorado School of Mines won the 157-pound weight class by decision over Matthew Sarbo of Pitt-Johnstown, 5-0.
The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships featured 30 individuals representing Conference Carolinas, according to conference officials. The brackets for the competition were released on March 6, setting the stage for the two-day event hosted by the Sioux Falls Sports Authority and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Nebraska-Kearney’s victory follows their championship win last year, where they defeated Augustana (SD). This marks their latest championship title in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship history.
