CLEVELAND— Four Ohio wrestlers are set for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend (Mar. 19-21) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Derek Raike (Point Pleasant, W. Va.), Garrett Thompson (Murrysville, Pa.), Sal Perrine (Northfield, Ohio), and Zayne Lehman (Akron, Ohio) each earned automatic bids from their performances at the MAC Championships.
 
Competition begins on Thursday, March 19 at 12 p.m. ET. The weekend continues on Friday, March 21 at 12 p.m., before concluding on Saturday, March 22 starting at 11 a.m. All three days will be shown on the ESPN family of networks.
 
Ohio has a strong history of competition at the NCAA Championships, sending multiple qualifiers for the fifth consecutive season. More than 230 Bobcats have qualified for the championships, with four national titles being brought home to Athens. The Bobcats will look to claim their first individual national championship since Dwight Gardner took home the 158-pound title in 1998. Ohio will also look to have their first wrestler place in the NCAA Championships since Peyten Kellar placed fifth in 2024.
 
157: No. 13 Derek Raike vs. No. 20 Jimmy Harrington (Harvard)
Raike won his first MAC title at this year's MAC Championships, punching his ticket to NCAAs. Along the way, he defeated 23^rd seeded DJ McGee of GMU in the semifinal round and 31^st seed Garrett McChesney of Edinboro in the championship match, giving him a 5-3 record against fellow NCAA qualifiers at 157 lbs. Raike is set to face Harvard's Jimmy Harrington, who comes into the tournament carrying a 21-8 record. The two met in December's Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, however Harrington was forced to medically forfeit.
 
Raike enters the tournament with a  21-5 overall record, carrying momentum after winning his past seven matches.
 
174: No. 24 Garrett Thompson vs. No. 9 Beau Mantanona (Michigan)
Thompson qualified for NCAA's by surviving a grueling day two at the MAC championships, fighting through three wrestlebacks to earn the MAC's second automatic qualifier spot at 174 lbs. Thompson makes his third consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, after being the 12 seed at 165 in 2024 and the 4 seed at 174 in 2025.
Thompson's opponent, Beau Mantanona of Michigan, enters the tournament with a 21-7 record. Thompson will enter the tournament carrying a 16-3 record, riding the momentum of three straight wins on day two of the MAC Championships.
 
184: No. 15 Sal Perrine vs. No. 18 Jake Dailey (North Carolina)
Perrine won his first MAC title to secure his third trip to the NCAA Championships as a Bobcat, finishing his collegiate wrestling career close to his hometown of Northfield, Ohio. Perrine went 3-0 in Buffalo, defeating fellow NCAA qualifier Malachi DuVall of George Mason in the championship match.
Perrine will face the 18th seeded Jake Dailey of North Carolina, who enters the tournament with a 18-4 record. Perrine enters the tournament on an eight match win streak, having won 14 of his last 15 matches dating back to January.
 
197: No. 19 Zayne Lehman vs. No. 14 Gabe Sollars (Indiana)
Zayne Lehman won his first MAC title to punch his ticket to Cleveland, his second trip to the NCAA Championships. Lehman compiled a 19-2 record on the season, including a perfect 14-0 mark in dual meets. Lehman is set to face 14^th seeded Gabe Sollars of Indiana, who enters the tournament with a 15-10 record.
Lehman holds a record of 3-2 against fellow NCAA qualifiers, having recently defeated 32^nd ranked Blake Schaffer of Kent State in the 197 lb. championship match at the MAC Championships.
 
For a schedule of events, Thursday's session one will begin at noon ET with first round competition, while session two will start at 7 p.m. ET with second championship round and consolation first round. On Friday, session three will start at 12 p.m. ET with quarterfinals and consolation second and third rounds, while session four is set for 8 p.m. ET with semifinals and fourth and fifth round consolation matches. On Saturday's final day of competition, session five will begin at 11 a.m. ET with consolation semifinals, third, fifth and seventh-place matches, while session six's championship finals are set for 7 p.m. ET. 
 
For complete information regarding the schedule, broadcast, brackets, tickets and more for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling National Championships, follow this link. Additionally, follow Ohio Wrestling's Twitter for live updates and links during the championships.

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