The NCAA has rolled out the seeds and brackets for the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, taking place from March 19-21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the moment wrestling fans have been waiting for, as Arizona State stands out with seven wrestlers making the cut for the big event.
Leading the charge for the Sun Devils are redshirt freshman Kaleb Larkin at 157 pounds and redshirt sophomore Nicco Ruiz at 165 pounds. Fresh off their impressive Big 12 title wins on March 7, both have snagged a No. 4 seed in their respective weight classes. These young grapplers are looking to make a splash on the national stage, and their recent performances suggest they’re more than ready.
Not far behind, freshman Kyler Larkin at 133 pounds and graduate student David Szuba in the heavyweight division are also making waves with No. 5 and No. 10 seeds, respectively. Their top-10 placements highlight the depth and talent within the Arizona State squad.
Adding to the Sun Devils' impressive roster, graduates Colton Hawks at 197 pounds and Cael Valencia at 174 pounds secured their spots by finishing in the top seven at the Big 12 Championships. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Pierson Manville at 141 pounds clinched an at-large bid, rounding out the formidable lineup heading to Cleveland.
Here’s a look at the opening-round matchups on Thursday, March 19:
- 133 lbs: No. 5 seed Kyler Larkin (18-2) takes on No. 28 seed Garrett Grice from Iowa State (6-3).
- 141 lbs: No. 28 seed Pierson Manville (17-9) faces a tough challenge against No. 5 seed Luke Stanich from Lehigh (13-0).
- 157 lbs: No. 4 seed Kaleb Larkin (24-2) squares off against No. 29 seed Bryce Lowery from Indiana (12-11).
- 165 lbs: No. 4 seed Nicco Ruiz (23-5) meets No. 29 seed Ryan Burgos from Edinboro (20-7).
- 174 lbs: No. 31 seed Cael Valencia (16-10) goes up against the formidable No. 2 seed Simon Ruiz from Cornell (16-0).
- 197 lbs: No. 29 seed Colton Hawks (7-9) challenges No. 4 seed Sonny Sasso from Virginia Tech (25-5).
- HWT: No. 10 seed David Szuba (22-9) battles No. 23 seed Stephen Monchery from Appalachian State (23-7).
Arizona State has a rich history of wrestling excellence, boasting 13 national titles won by 10 individuals. Notable champions include Richard Figueroa (2024), Zahid Valencia (2018, 2019), and Anthony Robles (2011).
With such a storied past, the Sun Devils are looking to add more names to this illustrious list. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on these athletes to see if they can rise to the occasion and etch their names in the annals of wrestling history.