Seven University of Iowa wrestlers have been seeded eighth or higher in the pre-seeds for the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, according to an announcement from the conference office on Monday. The event is scheduled to take place this weekend in State College, Pennsylvania.
Among Iowa’s top contenders is Michael Caliendo, who has earned the No. 2 seed at 165 pounds. Patrick Kennedy holds the No. 3 seed at 174 pounds, while Nasir Bailey and Drake Ayala are seeded fourth at 141 pounds and fifth at 133 pounds, respectively. Dean Peterson (125), Ryder Block (149), and Angelo Ferrari (184) are each seeded eighth in their respective weight classes.
Victor Voinovich III and Ben Kueter are both entering as No. 10 seeds at 157 and heavyweight (285) pounds, with Gabe Arnold seeded No. 13 at 197 pounds.
The release notes that Block and Ferrari will be making their first appearances in postseason competition, while Bailey and Voinovich will make their debuts at the Big Ten tournament.
The Hawkeyes have a strong history in conference wrestling, having won a total of 37 team titles—more than double the number claimed by Illinois, which has secured 17 championships.
Official brackets and final seeds for all competitors will be published on Friday afternoon after the Big Ten Conference coaches meet. More details about the championship can be found on bigten.org.
“Iowa Pre-Seeds | 2026 Big Ten Championships
125 – #8 Dean Peterson
133 – #5 Drake Ayala
141 – #4 Nasir Bailey
149 – #8 Ryder Block
157 – #10 Victor Voinovich III
165 – #2 Michael Caliendo
174 – #3 Patrick Kennedy
184 – #8 Angelo Ferrari
197 – #13 Gabe Arnold
285 – #10 Ben Kueter”