ATHENS, Ohio – Four Ohio Bobcat wrestlers were seeded last night (Mar. 11) for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. Ohio had four qualifiers for the championships, Derek Raike, Garrett Thompson, Sal Perrine and Zayne Lehman.
 
Redshirt junior Derek Raike (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) enters the NCAA Championship as the highest-seeded Bobcat at No. 13 in the 157 lb. bracket, set to face No. 20 seed Jimmy Harrington of Harvard. Raike compiled a 21-5 record in the regular season, including a 6-1 mark in MAC dual matches before going 4-0 at the MAC Championships to secure his first individual conference title. Raike's run included a defeat of 18^th seeded DJ McGee of George Mason in the semifinals.  
 
Redshirt Senior Sal Perrine (Northfield, Ohio) is the 15^th seed in the 184 lb. bracket, set to face No. 18 seed Jake Dailey of the University of North Carolina. Perrine finished the regular season with a 19-4 record, going undefeated in MAC dual matchups before continuing his streak through the MAC Championship to secure his first individual conference title. Perrine defeated 25^th seeded Malachi DuVall of George Mason in the 184 lb. championship match.
 
Redshirt Senior Zayne Lehman (Akron, Ohio) is the 19^th seed in the 197 lb bracket, set to face 14^th seeded Gabe Sollars of Indiana. Lehman finished the regular season with a stellar 19-2 record, going undefeated in dual matches and continuing his unbeaten streak through the MAC Championships, securing his first individual title. Lehman defeated 32^nd seeded Blake Schaffer of Kent State in the 197 lb. championship match.
 
Redshirt senior Garrett Thompson (Murrysville, Pa.) enters the NCAA Championship as the No. 24 seed in the 174 lb. division, set to face No. 9 seed Beau Mantanona of Michigan. Thompson earned his tournament spot by winning the third place match the MAC Championships, before defeating the second place finisher, Rider's Evan Munguia, in a true second place match to clinch the conference's second automatic bid at 174 lbs. Thompson also had a strong season, compiling a record of 16-3 after returning to the Bobcat lineup in January.
 
The Bobcats will kick off the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday, March 19. The championships will wrap up on Saturday, March 21. For more information regarding the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships, follow this link.
 
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