The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced on March 11 the release of the brackets for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will begin on March 19 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Six wrestlers from West Virginia University have qualified for this year’s tournament, matching the program’s highest number of qualifiers since 2023.
The announcement is significant for West Virginia University as it highlights a strong showing by its wrestling team, with six athletes earning spots in one of college wrestling’s most prestigious events.
In the first round matchups, Jett Strickenberger (No. 17 seed) will face Ezekiel Witt (No. 16, North Dakota State) at 125 pounds. Gunner Andrick (No. 18) is set to compete against Tyler Knox (No. 15, Stanford) at 133 pounds. Jordan Titus (No. 29) will take on Anthony Echemendia (No. 4, Iowa State) at 141 pounds.
Other Mountaineers competing include Ty Watters (No. 11), who will wrestle Colton Washleski (No. 22, Virginia) at 157 pounds; Ian Bush (No. 17), who faces Rylan Rogers (No. 16, Lehigh) at 184 pounds; and Rune Lawrence (No. 21), matched up with Luke Geog (No.12, Ohio State) at the 197-pound weight class.
This year’s participation underscores continued progress for West Virginia University’s wrestling program as it sends a full slate of competitors to challenge some of the nation’s top collegiate wrestlers.