INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded on March 21 at the conclusion of the Division I Wrestling Championships.
The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons.
For results to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the falls and tech falls categories are broken based on the aggregate time.
The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of team points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Wrestlers need a minimum of 17 matches and must qualify for the national tournament to win the award. Points per match are awarded as follows.
Points per match are awarded as follows:
- Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss)
- Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss)
- Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss)
- Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss)
RANKINGS: Latest DI NWCA Coaches Poll
The Big 10 Conference 165-pound champion, Mitchell Mesenbrink, leads Division 1 for Most Dominant Wrestler with a 5.18 average. Next up is his teammate at Penn State Josh Barr. He secures second with an average of 5 points. The Big 10 Conference holds the top three spots with Jesse Mendez of Ohio State sitting third at a 4.86 average.
Joe Curtis of Columbia stays ahead of his teammate Vincent Mueller for first in Division I with 11 falls in 17:52 on the season. Mueller is in second with 11 in 20:32. George Mason’s 184-pounder Malachi DuVall stays third with 10 falls in 19:34.
HISTORY: Every DI men's wrestling champion since 1928
Heavyweight Yonger Bastida stays in the lead for Division I tech falls with 15 in 68:37. He leads over Ohio State’s 133-pounder Ben Davino who has 13 tech falls in 62:16.
Falls leaders through 3/9/26
| NAME | INSTITUTION | WEIGHT | # OF FALLS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Curtis | Columbia | 184 | 11 | 17:52:00 |
| Vincent Mueller | Columbia | 285 | 11 | 20:32:00 |
| Malachi DuVall | George Mason | 184 | 10 | 19:34:00 |
| Dominic Ferraro | Edinboro | 149 | 10 | 27:27:00 |
| Gavin Hawk | Princeton | 157 | 10 | 35:39:00 |
| Nick O'Neill | North Carolina | 141 | 9 | 17:47:00 |
| Alex Semenenko | Brown | 285 | 9 | 21:03:00 |
| Jeb Prechtel | Bellarmine | 157 | 9 | 23:54:00 |
| James Campbell | Michigan State | 285 | 9 | 24:52:00 |
| PJ Duke | Penn State | 157 | 8 | 19:11:00 |
Tech Falls leaders through 3/9/26
| NAME | INSTITUTION | WEIGHT | # OF TF | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonger Bastida | Iowa State | 285 | 15 | 68:37:00 |
| Ben Davino | Ohio State | 133 | 13 | 62:16:00 |
| Aaron Seidel | Virginia Tech | 133 | 12 | 47:28:00 |
| Wyatt Henson | Lock Haven | 141 | 12 | 59:52:00 |
| James Conway | Franklin & Marshall | 184 | 12 | 69:26:00 |
| Aeoden Sinclair | Missouri | 184 | 11 | 47:23:00 |
| T.K. Davis | Gardner-Webb | 133 | 11 | 48:06:00 |
| Sam Gautreau | Lock Haven | 184 | 11 | 49:38:00 |
| Max McEnelly | Minnesota | 184 | 11 | 51:29:00 |
| Josh Barr | Penn State | 197 | 10 | 53:07:00 |
Most dominant DI men's wrestler standings through 3/9/2026
| NAME | INSTITUTION | WEIGHT | AVG PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Mesenbrink | Penn State | 165 | 5.18 |
| Josh Barr | Penn State | 197 | 5 |
| Jesse Mendez | Ohio State | 141 | 4.86 |
| Levi Haines | Penn State | 174 | 4.76 |
| Shayne Van Ness | Penn State | 149 | 4.67 |
| PJ Duke | Penn State | 157 | 4.5 |
| Yonger Bastida | Iowa State | 285 | 4.48 |
| Aeoden Sinclair | Missouri | 184 | 4.41 |
| Luke Lilledahl | Penn State | 125 | 4.25 |
| T.K. Davis | Gardner-Webb | 133 | 4.16 |
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