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Photo by: Chris Eutsler
Seeding and Brackets Unveiled for 2026 NCAA Championships
3/11/2026 8:18:00 PM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Seeding and brackets were announced Wednesday night for the 2026 NCAA Championships, which take place March 19-21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
With six automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships, this marks the 10th straight year that Minnesota will be sending at least six wrestlers to the NCAAs. In addition, Gavin Nelson was named an alternate at 197 pounds on Tuesday.
Redshirt sophomore Max McEnelly is looking to build off last year's All-America run at 184 that saw him finish in third place. The Big Ten finalist at 184 pounds is 19-2 on the year and was 11-2 against ranked opponents during the season. He has earned the No. 3 seed for the second straight year and is opening against No. 30 Tyler Bienus of Bucknell in the first meeting between the two.
Jore Volk will make his first appearance at the NCAA Championships as a Gopher, but it'll be the third trip in his career after competing there twice for Wyoming. He debuted in 2023 with a 1-2 record and then became an All-American with a seventh-place finish in 2024. A fellow Big Ten finalist like McEnelly, Volk is 22-5 on the season and has earned the No. 6 seed, Minnesota's highest at the weight since Sean Russell was also No. 6 in 2019. Volk will open up against Brady Roark of South Dakota State, the No. 27 seed. The two met earlier this season in the Gophers' dual against the Jackrabbits on Nov. 25, with Roark winning via a short-time takedown, 5-4.
Vance VomBaur is a returning two-time All-American at 141 pounds, finishing in eighth place each of the last two years. This year, he returns as the No. 8 seed as he looks to become the 29th three-time All-American in Minnesota history. VomBaur will first square off with Virginia Tech's No. 25 Tom Crook in their third matchup of the season. They face each other twice at the National Duals Invitational in November with VomBaur winning both matchups by decision, 5-4 and then 4-1. A redshirt senior, VomBaur finished fourth at last weekend's Big Ten Championships and enters the NCAAs with a 21-6 record.
Sixth-year senior Andrew Sparks is set to become the first Gopher in program history to compete at five NCAA Championships. Previously, Patrick McKee (2020-24) and Gable Steveson (2019-22, '25) each qualified five times, but the 2020 NCAA Championships did not take place because of COVID. Seeded 13th, Sparks is 20-6 on the season. Coming off a fifth-place finish at Big Tens, he's drawn No. 20 Ty Whalen of Princeton in the opening round as the two square off for their first career matchup.
A pair of redshirt freshmen will make their first ever trips to the NCAAs as Koy Hopke grabbed the No. 14 seed at heavyweight, while Charlie Millard garnered the No. 21 seed at 157 pounds.
Hopke was a seventh-place finisher at the conference championships and boasts 21-9 record on the season. He'll start his run by going up against No. 19 seed Nate Schon of Drexel as they face one another for the first time.
Millard finished eighth at the Big Tens, entering the championships with a 19-9 record overall. He'll make his NCAAs debut versus No. 12 Vinny Zerban of Iowa State in their first ever meeting.
Gopher Seeds and Opening Opponents
125: #6 Jore Volk vs. #27 Brady Roark (South Dakota State)
141: #8 Vance VomBaur vs. #25 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech)
157: #21 Charlie Millard vs. #12 Vinny Zerban (Iowa State)
165: #13 Andrew Sparks vs. #20 Ty Whalen (Princeton)
184: #3 Max McEnelly vs. #30 Tyler Bienus (Bucknell)
285: #14 Koy Hopke vs. #19 Nate Schon (Drexel)
With six automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships, this marks the 10th straight year that Minnesota will be sending at least six wrestlers to the NCAAs. In addition, Gavin Nelson was named an alternate at 197 pounds on Tuesday.
Redshirt sophomore Max McEnelly is looking to build off last year's All-America run at 184 that saw him finish in third place. The Big Ten finalist at 184 pounds is 19-2 on the year and was 11-2 against ranked opponents during the season. He has earned the No. 3 seed for the second straight year and is opening against No. 30 Tyler Bienus of Bucknell in the first meeting between the two.
Jore Volk will make his first appearance at the NCAA Championships as a Gopher, but it'll be the third trip in his career after competing there twice for Wyoming. He debuted in 2023 with a 1-2 record and then became an All-American with a seventh-place finish in 2024. A fellow Big Ten finalist like McEnelly, Volk is 22-5 on the season and has earned the No. 6 seed, Minnesota's highest at the weight since Sean Russell was also No. 6 in 2019. Volk will open up against Brady Roark of South Dakota State, the No. 27 seed. The two met earlier this season in the Gophers' dual against the Jackrabbits on Nov. 25, with Roark winning via a short-time takedown, 5-4.
Vance VomBaur is a returning two-time All-American at 141 pounds, finishing in eighth place each of the last two years. This year, he returns as the No. 8 seed as he looks to become the 29th three-time All-American in Minnesota history. VomBaur will first square off with Virginia Tech's No. 25 Tom Crook in their third matchup of the season. They face each other twice at the National Duals Invitational in November with VomBaur winning both matchups by decision, 5-4 and then 4-1. A redshirt senior, VomBaur finished fourth at last weekend's Big Ten Championships and enters the NCAAs with a 21-6 record.
Sixth-year senior Andrew Sparks is set to become the first Gopher in program history to compete at five NCAA Championships. Previously, Patrick McKee (2020-24) and Gable Steveson (2019-22, '25) each qualified five times, but the 2020 NCAA Championships did not take place because of COVID. Seeded 13th, Sparks is 20-6 on the season. Coming off a fifth-place finish at Big Tens, he's drawn No. 20 Ty Whalen of Princeton in the opening round as the two square off for their first career matchup.
A pair of redshirt freshmen will make their first ever trips to the NCAAs as Koy Hopke grabbed the No. 14 seed at heavyweight, while Charlie Millard garnered the No. 21 seed at 157 pounds.
Hopke was a seventh-place finisher at the conference championships and boasts 21-9 record on the season. He'll start his run by going up against No. 19 seed Nate Schon of Drexel as they face one another for the first time.
Millard finished eighth at the Big Tens, entering the championships with a 19-9 record overall. He'll make his NCAAs debut versus No. 12 Vinny Zerban of Iowa State in their first ever meeting.
Gopher Seeds and Opening Opponents
125: #6 Jore Volk vs. #27 Brady Roark (South Dakota State)
141: #8 Vance VomBaur vs. #25 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech)
157: #21 Charlie Millard vs. #12 Vinny Zerban (Iowa State)
165: #13 Andrew Sparks vs. #20 Ty Whalen (Princeton)
184: #3 Max McEnelly vs. #30 Tyler Bienus (Bucknell)
285: #14 Koy Hopke vs. #19 Nate Schon (Drexel)
Gopher Round Table: Wrestling
Wednesday, March 11
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