Trending Now - Ohio State's Mendez and Davino Set for NCAA Title Matches
WHO:
Jesse Mendez and Ben Davino were both Ohio State wrestlers competing for national titles at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Jesse Mendez, Ohio State wrestler, competing at 141 lbs.
Sergio Vega, Oklahoma State wrestler, competing against Mendez for the title.
Ben Davino, Ohio State redshirt freshman, competing at 133 lbs.
Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State wrestler, competing against Davino for the title.
Logan Stieber, four-time NCAA champion from Ohio State.
Kyle Snyder, NCAA champion from Ohio State.
Cael Sanderson, coach involved in a challenge during the semifinals.
WHAT:
Jesse Mendez lost to Oklahoma State’s No. 2-seeded Sergio Vega with a score of 4-1 in overtime on March 21, 2026.
Ben Davino lost to Oklahoma State’s No. 1-seeded Jax Forrest with a score of 5-2 on March 21, 2026.
Ohio State finished fifth in the team standings with 84.5 points at the 2026 NCAA Championships, behind Penn State (181.5), Oklahoma State (131), Nebraska (100.5), and Iowa (92.5).
Penn State clinched their 13th national title in 15 years before the tournament reached its championship bouts, qualifying a record-setting six finalists.
Mendez won his semifinal match against Luke Stanich of Lehigh with a score of 4-1 in sudden victory.
Mendez aims to win his third consecutive national championship.
Davino defeated Marcus Blaze of Penn State in the semifinals to reach the finals.
Davino is the No. 2 seed in the 133 lbs weight class.
Ohio State wrestlers Mendez and Davino aim to become the first pair from the university to win national championships in the same season since 2015.
Penn State leads the team standings with 69.5 points and has qualified six wrestlers for the championship finals.
WHERE:
The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships are being held in Cleveland, Ohio.
WHEN:
The NCAA championship finals are scheduled for March 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
WHY:
Mendez seeks to join the ranks of Ohio State wrestlers who have won three NCAA championships and complete an undefeated season.
HOW:
Mendez's loss was his first of the season, and he aimed to join Logan Stieber and Kyle Snyder as the only Buckeyes to win three individual NCAA championships.
Davino, a redshirt freshman, was the No. 2 seed in the 133 lbs weight class and had previously won the Big Ten championship.
Mendez's victory in the semifinals was achieved through a sudden victory decision.
Davino's semifinal win was decided in tiebreaker (TB) after a close match against Blaze.
(UPDATED March 22, 2026 05:25 UTC)
In a tough day for Ohio State at the 2026 NCAA Championships, Jesse Mendez suffered his first loss of the season, falling to Oklahoma State’s No. 2-seeded Sergio Vega with a score of 4-1 in overtime, while Ben Davino lost to the top-seeded Jax Forrest 5-2. Ohio State finished fifth in the team standings with 84.5 points, trailing behind Penn State, which clinched its 13th national title in 15 years, as well as Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and Iowa. Mendez was aiming to join the ranks of Logan Stieber and Kyle Snyder as the only Buckeyes to win three individual NCAA championships.
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(UPDATED March 21, 2026 19:09 UTC)
In a thrilling semifinal at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, Jesse Mendez of Ohio State secured his spot in the finals by defeating Luke Stanich of Lehigh with a score of 4-1 in sudden victory, while Ben Davino also advanced after a nail-biting tiebreaker win over Marcus Blaze of Penn State. Both Mendez and Davino are aiming to make history as the first pair of Ohio State wrestlers to win national championships in the same season since 2015, with Mendez seeking his third consecutive title. The championship finals are set to kick off tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Penn State currently leading the team standings with 69.5 points and six wrestlers qualified for the finals.