Three University of Northern Iowa wrestlers advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships on March 19, following victories in their opening matches at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Julian Farber, Caleb Rathjen, and Ryder Downey each secured first-round wins, while teammates Jared Simma and Nick Fox moved into the consolation bracket after losses.
The progress of these athletes is significant as it keeps UNI’s hopes alive for strong individual performances at a national level event. The tournament draws top collegiate wrestlers from across the country, making advancement through each round highly competitive.
Farber overcame an early deficit against Jacob Van Dee of Nebraska at 133 pounds, clinching a narrow 5-4 victory with a decisive third-period takedown. This win marked Farber’s first over Van Dee in three NCAA Championship meetings. At 149 pounds, Rathjen defeated Brock Herman of Little Rock by a score of 3-1. After a scoreless first period and an overturned takedown for Herman, Rathjen gained momentum by riding out his opponent and capitalizing on a stalling call before securing an escape in the final period.
Downey delivered a strong comeback at 165 pounds against Matthew Olguin from Oregon State. Trailing early in the third period, Downey scored quickly with an escape and takedown before earning four back points and a riding time point to finish with a commanding 10-4 decision.
Simma lost his match at 174 pounds to Nick Fine of Columbia in a close contest that ended 3-2. Fox was defeated by James Conway from Franklin & Marshall at 184 pounds after conceding a late takedown for a final score of 4-1.
The second session of the championships will continue tonight with both second-round and consolation matches beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time. Fans can follow all matches on ESPN networks or through UNI’s NCAA Championship Hub online.