Ohio State wrestlers Jesse Mendez, Ben Davino, and Ethan Stiles will compete for individual titles at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Sunday. The event is being held at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State.
Mendez, a senior and top seed at 141 pounds, advanced to the finals after defeating Nasir Bailey of Iowa by technical fall. He will face Nebraska’s Brock Hardy in a rematch of last year’s final, where Mendez was victorious.
Davino, a redshirt freshman seeded third at 133 pounds, secured his spot in the championship match with a technical fall win over Purdue’s Blake Boarman. He will wrestle against Marcus Blaze of Penn State for the title.
Stiles, a redshirt sophomore and second seed at 149 pounds, won his semifinal match against Joseph Zargo of Wisconsin by decision. Stiles is set to meet top-seeded Shayne Van Ness from Penn State in the final.
Several other Ohio State wrestlers remain in contention for third place finishes. Nic Bouzakis (125), Brandon Cannon (157), Carson Kharchla (174), Luke Geog (197), and Nick Feldman (heavyweight) are scheduled to compete in consolation semifinals on Sunday.
All ten Ohio State competitors have qualified for the upcoming NCAA Championships. This marks the second consecutive year that Ohio State has had qualifiers in each weight class for the national tournament.
After Saturday’s sessions, Ohio State stands second in team points with 115, trailing host Penn State which leads with 146.5 points.
Session III of the championships begins Sunday at noon and includes consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches. The finals session starts at 4:30 p.m., featuring first-, third-, and fifth-place bouts. Coverage will be available on B1G+ and Big Ten Network platforms.