Ohio State wrestlers Ben Davino and Jesse Mendez won individual Big Ten Championships on March 8, helping the Buckeyes secure a second-place team finish at the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships held at Penn State University’s Bryce Jordan Center.
The event was significant for Ohio State, as it marked their highest team placement since 2019. Both Davino, a redshirt freshman at 133 pounds, and Mendez, competing at 141 pounds, contributed to the team’s total of 148.5 points. The Buckeyes finished with two champions, one runner-up, four third-place finishes, a fourth place, and two seventh places.
All ten Ohio State wrestlers qualified for the upcoming NCAA Championships in Cleveland from March 19-21. Head coach Tom Ryan has now qualified ten wrestlers for nationals in consecutive years and five times during his tenure. Over his twenty years leading the program in Columbus, Ryan has sent 167 athletes to the NCAA championships with 75 earning All-America honors.
Mendez is now a four-time NCAA qualifier and two-time defending national champion at his weight class. He was also named Wrestler of the Year for the conference. Davino earned Freshman of the Year honors after winning his first league title. The championship saw strong attendance across all sessions with a total of 39,545 spectators.
Looking ahead, Ohio State’s qualifiers will compete in the NCAA tournament later this month. The selection show is scheduled for March 11 and will be streamed on NCAA.com.