8:03 pm CT
157 – No. 3 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska over No. 8 Joey Blaze of Purdue, 4-2 decision
In a match between two wrestlers nobody foresaw in the NCAA finals, it was Taylor emerging victorious to give Nebraska its second NCAA champion of the night.
At the buzzer in the first period, Taylor struck first with a single-leg attack he worked into a takedown and took a 3-0 lead headed to the second. Blaze began the second on top and conceded an escape in 33 seconds to give Taylor a 4-0 advantage that carried into the third period. Blaze escaped from bottom to cut the deficit to 4-1 and Taylor was penalized for stalling to make it 4-2, but the Cornhusker held on for the national title win.
Taylor is the fifth national champion at this NCAAs thus far from the Big Ten conference.
7:37 pm CT
149 – No. 2 Ridge Lovett of Nebraska over No. 1 Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech, 1-0 decision
After a scoreless first period, Henson and Lovett went neutral to start the second period. At the tail end of the frame, Henson was awarded a takedown, but an official review took it off of the board and left things at a 0-0 tie. Lovett chose bottom in the third and Henson cut him, putting the Cornhusker up 1-0 early in the third.
Henson was in on a leg attack late in the third, but Lovett was able to hold on into the end of the clock and survive for a national title.
Henson was the returning national champion at 149 pounds, but the strong weekend for Nebraska continues.
7:21 pm CT
141 – No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State over No. 1 Brock Hardy of Nebraska, 12-9 decision
Finally, the offense was generated in Philadelphia.
Mendez is a back-to-back NCAA champion after he rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the first period, being taken down by Hardy and turned for two near-fall points. From that moment, Mendez went on to score escape, get two takedowns, earn the riding-time point and turn Hardy for four near-fall points to outpace the Cornhusker.
That’s now three Big Ten champions on the night with Alirez, Lucas Byrd of Illinois at 133 and Carter Starocci of Penn State at 184.
7:02 pm CT
133 – No. 1 Lucas Byrd of Illinois over No. 2 Drake Ayala of Iowa, 3-2 TB win
For the third finals match in a row, we had a scoreless first period as the two Big Ten 133-pounders felt one another out for the first three minutes. Byrd started on bottom in the second and broke the scoreless tie with an escape in five seconds to make it 1-0, but no shots were taken by either wrestler as we went into the third period. Ayala also drew a stall warning before the second came to a close.
In the final period, Ayala started on bottom and escaped in six seconds to tie it at 1-1. Byrd looked to have Ayala taken down near the edge of the mat with under 20 seconds to go, but Ayala dodged out of bounds. Officials reviewed the call, but confirmed no takedown with five seconds left in the bout, taking the match to overtime.
In overtime, Byrd got in on several attacks, including initiating a scramble late in the extra frame. Ayala nearly won the scramble, but the clock ran out and took it to tiebreakers. Ayala escaped in six seconds to make it 2-1, but as he and Byrd went out of bounds, Ayala was dinged a second time for stalling and made the match 2-2.
In the second frame of tiebreakers, Byrd chose neutral and Ayala was unable to get the takedown. With six seconds of riding time to Ayala’s zero, he won in tiebreakers.
It’s the second season in a row with Ayala coming up short in the NCAA finals, losing this heartbreaker to Byrd as he was unable to find his offense in a gritty bout.
6:39 pm CT
125 – No. 4 Vincent Robinson of North Carolina State over No. 7 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State, 2-1 TB win
Robinson and Spratley engaged in a scoreless first period with a couple of offensive attacks, but no serious threat. To start the second, Robinson escaped in seven seconds to take a 1-0 lead, but there was no action from there. In the third, Spratley escaped in just over 30 seconds to tie it at one each and eventually send the bout to overtime.
In overtime, the two’s continuous handfight for another two minutes before it went into tiebreakers. There, Robinson started on bottom and escape in two seconds. With such a quick escape, Spratley chose neutral but could not score a takedown as Robinson held on to win.
Robinson is just a redshirt freshman and has three more shots at national titles.
6:19 pm CT
184 – No. 1 Carter Starocci of Penn State over No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa, 4-3 decision
What a match!
Starocci and Keckeisen each had one offensive attack in the first period, but neither capitalized and were tied at zero headed to the second. Starocci started on bottom and escaped in 10 seconds to take a 1-0 lead to start the middle frame, but was scoreless otherwise. In the third from bottom, Keckeisen escaped in just three seconds to tie the match at 1-1.
Midway through the third period, Starocci and Keckeisen entered a scramble and the Nittany Lion was awarded a takedown. Keckeisen’s corner challenged the call, but the call was confirmed a takedown to give a 4-1 edge. Keckeisen escaped with just under 30 seconds to go and got a stall call on Starocci to make it 4-3, but was unable to secure a takedown to take a win
Starocci has now won his fifth NCAA title with Penn State. Just like the NWCA All-Star Classic match, this one was a one takedown match that was decided on narrow margins.
Keckeisen ends his career a five-time NCAA All-American, five-time Big 12 Champion and one-time national champion.
5:52 pm CT
The last 10 matches of the season are nearly underway
It all comes down to this.
Who will be the 10 national champions crowned in Philadelphia? Tune into ESPN to find out, as Carter Starocci and Parker Keckeisen get started at 6 p.m. CT.
5:30 pm CT
Order of the NCAA finals matchups
We’re going a tad bit unconventional for the NCAA finals tonight, beginning at 184 pounds, then pivoting back to the top of the weight sheet to 125 pounds. The finals are bookended with two stellar stories, with Keckeisen looking to deny Starocci a fifth title and ended by Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson looking for his third NCAA title.
- 184 – No. 1 Carter Starocci of Penn State vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa
- 125 – No. 4 Vincent Robinson of North Carolina State vs. No. 7 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State
- 133 – No. 1 Lucas Byrd of Illinois vs. No. 2 Drake Ayala of Iowa
- 141 – No. 1 Brock Hardy of Nebraska vs. No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State
- 149 – No. 1 Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech vs. No. 2 Ridge Lovett of Nebraska
- 157 – No. 8 Joey Blaze of Purdue vs. No. 3 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska
- 165 – No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink vs. No. 3 Michael Caliendo of Iowa
- 174 – No. 1 Keegan O’Toole of Missouri vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State
- 197 – No. 2 Stephen Buchanan of Iowa vs. No. 4 Josh Barr of Penn State
- 285 – No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota vs. No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State
5:00 pm CT
Hear from UNI’s Parker Keckeisen before his finals match with Carter Starocci
Keckeisen vs. Starocci will be the first match of the night for the NCAA finals that begin at 6 p.m. CT.
4:24 pm CT
Ahead of the NCAA finals, hear from Iowa’s three finalists
All three Hawkeyes participated in press conferences following their semifinal wins. Hear from those guys below:
3:54 pm CT
UNI coach Doug Schwab wins coach of the year
The 2025 NWCA coach of the year has been awarded to Schwab, who is in the midst if hs most successful season at UNI in his 15th season as head coach.
Read more about his successful season below.
More: Northern Iowa wrestling coach Doug Schwab awarded NWCA Coach of the Year honors
12:59 pm CT
NCAA finals matchups
- 125 – No. 4 Vincent Robinson of North Carolina State vs. No. 7 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State
- 133 – No. 1 Lucas Byrd of Illinois vs. No. 2 Drake Ayala of Iowa
- 141 – No. 1 Brock Hardy of Nebraska vs. No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State
- 149 – No. 1 Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech vs. No. 2 Ridge Lovett of Nebraska
- 157 – No. 8 Joey Blaze of Purdue vs. No. 3 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska
- 165 – No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink vs. No. 3 Michael Caliendo of Iowa
- 174 – No. 1 Keegan O’Toole of Missouri vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State
- 184 – No. 1 Carter Starocci of Penn State vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa
- 197 – No. 2 Stephen Buchanan of Iowa vs. No. 4 Josh Barr of Penn State
- 285 – No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota vs. No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State
12:53 pm CT
Hear from Patrick Kennedy on his fourth-place finish
12:41 pm CT
NCAA Championships team scores ahead of the finals
- 1st – Penn State (169 team points)
- 2nd – Nebraska (109)
- 3rd – Oklahoma State (94.5)
- 4th – Iowa (77)
- 5th – Minnesota (51.5)
- 6th – Cornell (50)
- 7th – Ohio State (47.5)
- 8th – Northern Iowa (45.5)
- 9th – North Carolina State (42.5)
- 10th – Virginia Tech (41)
- T27th – Iowa State and Pittsburgh (18)
12:13 pm CT
Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy finishes in 4th place
Against Penn State’s Levi Haines, Kennedy conceded a takedown in the first, then lost a scramble for a takedown in the second and third periods to lose in a 11-3 major decision.
Regardless of the result, Kennedy finishes fourth after being seeded No. 11 at this tournament entering in and ranking as a fringe All-American in Intermat’s 174-pound rankings most of the season. He also went toe-to-toe with NCAA finalist Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals.
All-in-all, quite the tournament for the Minnesota native.
11:58 am CT
Hear from coach Kevin Dresser and Jacob Frost as the Cyclones’ season concludes
11:56 am CT
Cael Happel finishes his college career in fifth place for UNI
Facing Navy’s Josh Koderhandt for the second time this tournament, Happel recorded two takedowns in a 7-2 win by decision in the fifth-place match. His final match in college, he ends as a winner and a first-time All-American for UNI. He is the highest-placed wrestler for UNI at the weight since Dylan Long, who was a runner-up in 2003.
Hear from Happel below on his career with the Panthers:
11:33 am CT
Ben Kueter finishes in 8th place at heavyweight
Against Michigan’s Joshua Heindselman, the Wolverine was awarded two points for Kueter’s stalling penalties that saw Kueter lose a 2-1 match.
The redshirt freshman finishes his season as an All-American, only losing matches to seniors, redshirt seniors or graduate students this season. If he returns to wrestling, his path will be much more open leading into another NCAA Championship run.
11:10 am CT
Iowa State’s Jacob Frost places 7th at 141 pounds
With four takedowns in the seventh place match to Minnesota’s Vance VomBaur’s zero, as well as four near-fall points to close the bout, Frost ended his season with a 17-3 major decision win and a seventh-place finish at NCAAs.
He is Iowa State’s lone All-American.
10:45 am CT
Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy to wrestle for third
Against Southeast Polk alum Cade DeVos (South Dakota State), the two traded escapes from bottom in an otherwise actionless seven minutes of regulation. In overtime, Kennedy got a takedown in just nine seconds to punch his ticket to the third-place match.
Regardless of whether he finishes third or fourth up next against Levi Haines of Penn State, he’s had one of the better tournaments of the weekend for Iowa.
10:21 am CT
Northern Iowa’s Cael Happel drops consolation semifinals match
Penn’s CJ Compsoto got the best of Happel in one of the first matches of the morning.
Happel and Composto engaged in a handfight for essentially the entire first period, leaving it a scoreless tie after the first three minutes of action. Happel escaped quickly to start the second, but Composto completed an attack for a takedown in the first offensive moment of the bout. Happel escaped to cut the deficit to 3-2 going into the third period.
Composto escaped to start the third and extended his advantage to 4-2. Happel was in on a single-leg shot, but Compsoto got out of bounds and later secured a second takedown of the match to win 7-2.
He’ll drop to the fifth-place match later this session, facing Navy’s Josh Koderhandt for the second time this tournament after defeating him in the quarterfinals on day two.
10:01 am CT
Wrestling is underway for session five
Introductions have been made and whistles have been blown for the fifth session of the NCAA Championships, as third-eighth place will get settled this afternoon ay each weight class. Stick here for live updates, on the two Hawkeyes, one Cyclone and the one Panther trying to climb the podium.
9:30 am CT
Matchups for Iowa, Iowa State and UNI on Saturday of the NCAA Championships
Iowa
Iowa has five All-Americans, the most the program has had since they had six in 2023. With three guys into the finals, they currently sit comfortably in fourth place ahead of the final day of NCAAs.
NCAA finals matchups
- 133 – No. 2 Drake Ayala (Iowa) vs. No. 1 Lucas Byrd (Illinois)
- 165 – No. 3 Michael Caliendo (Iowa) vs. No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State)
- 197 – No. 2 Stephen Buchanan (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Josh Barr (Penn State)
Consolation semifinal matchup
- 174 – No. 11 Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) vs. No. 13 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State)
Seventh place matchup
- 285 – No. 5 Ben Kueter (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Joshua Heindselman (Michigan)
Iowa State
The Cyclones have one guy alive headed into the final day of NCAAs in Jacob Frost. One All-American for Iowa State is the least amount they have had since Kyven Gadson was the lone All-American for ISU in 2015. They currently sit in a tie for 26th place.
Seventh place matchup
- 141 – No. 9 Jacob Frost (Iowa State) vs. No. 6 Vance VomBaur (Minnesota)
Northern Iowa
The Panthers had a tough fourth session, with Trever Anderson, Cael Happel, and Wyatt Voelker all losing matches. However, Parker Keckeisen’s thrilling win (more below) keeps sprits high. Happel is a first-time NCAA All-American for UNI.
The Keckeisen vs. Carter Starocci match is going to be the match of the finals tomorrow, seemingly the bout that could finish off the night.
9:01 am CT
Iowa experiences the highs and lows of the NCAA Championships
From sending three to the finals to seeing NCAA greats Kyle Parco and Jacori Teemer having their careers cut short, the Hawkeyes had a roller coaster of emotions on Friday like the NCAA tournament tends to do.
Read more below on the Hawkeyes’ crazy day, along with all the raw human emotion we saw out of the program last night.
More: Iowa wrestling experiences roller coaster of emotions on Friday at NCAA Championships
8:30 am CT
How Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa fared at the NCAA Championships on Friday night
For all the semifinals and bloodround action for the three state of Iowa programs, check out our live blog from yesterday.
More: NCAA Wrestling Championships semifinals: Live updates, results, highlights, where to watch
8:02 am CT
How to watch NCAA Wrestling finals and placement matches
Times are listed in CT.
Saturday, March 22
- Session 5 (consolation finals) – 10 a.m., ESPNU
- Session 6 (finals) – 6 p.m., ESPN
