Huskers Secure Third-Place Finish at 2026 NCAA Championships

Antrell Taylor (157) and Christopher Minto (174) each finished as runner-ups at the 2026 NCAA Championships, helping the Nebraska wrestling team secure a third-place finish with 100.5 points. NU recorded the second-highest point total in program history and its first-ever back-to-back top-three team finish. This also marks the program’s first consecutive top-five team finish since 2008-09. 

The Big Red collected seven All-American honors, including five semifinalists and two finalists. With Taylor and Minto as runner-ups, Nebraska has now produced multiple finalists in back-to-back NCAA Championships for the first time. 

The Huskers’ third-place finish ties for the second-best team result in program history, matching the 1993 squad that produced six All-Americans, two champions (Tony Purler and Corey Olson) and 79.5 points. 

No. 2 Antrell Taylor, the 2025 NCAA champion, returned to the finals for the second consecutive year, facing No. 5 Landon Robideau. After a scoreless first period, Robideau took a 2-0 lead with nearfall points. Taylor added an escape in the second, but ultimately fell 4-2, finishing the season 26-4 with 13 bonus-point wins and earning All-American status for the third straight year.  

In the 174 championship bout, No. 3 Christopher Minto faced undefeated No. 1 Levi Haines for the third time this season. Tied 0-0 through the first period, Haines collected an escape and a penalty point in the second. Minto added an escape in the third, but it wasn't enough as Haines claimed a 2-1 victory. Minto finished the season 24-6 as an NCAA runner-up. 

Day three began with the consolation semifinals, where No. 20 Chance Lamer opened the morning for the Huskers with a rematch against reigning ACC champion No. 4 Collin Gaj (VT). The lowest-seeded All-American in the tournament upset Gaj 4-2 for the second time this postseason, marking Lamer’s 70th career victory and advancing him to the third-place match as the No. 20 seed. In the final bout of his collegiate career, Lamer fell 10-5 to No. 11 Lachlan McNeil (MICH), finishing fourth. Lamer concluded a remarkable NCAA tournament run, upsetting four top-15 seeds, earning his first All-American honor, and placing fourth at 149. 

No. 3 Brock Hardy advanced to the third-place match after No. 4 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) medically forfeited the consolation semifinal. Hardy then faced No. 5 Luke Stanich (LEH) but fell 7-2 to finish fourth. The senior closed his historic Husker career as a four-time All-American, 2025 Big Ten Champion and NCAA finalist. Hardy finished with a 111-31 career record, ranking 16th in Nebraska history in career wins, just behind Gary Albright (1981-86: 112-19-4) and Aaron Studebaker (2013-17 - 112-38-0). 

No. 11 Camden McDanel competed in the consolation semifinals against No. 5 Joey Novak (WYO), scoring the bout’s first takedown before falling 7-3. The Ohio native bounced back in the fifth-place match, defeating No. 9 Angelo Posada (STAN) 13-6 to secure fifth, matching his finish at last year’s NCAA Championships.  

In the seventh-place bout, No. 13 Jacob Van Dee took on reigning NCAA champion No. 7 Lucas Byrd. Byrd struck first with takedown and an escape, but Van Dee answered with his own takedown and escape to tie the match 4-4, sending it to sudden victory. The bout moved to tiebreakers, where Van Dee secured a reversal to win 6-5, earning his second consecutive seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships. At heavyweight, No. 4 AJ Ferrari medically forfeited both placement matches, finishing sixth. 

Nebraska’s final podiums featured two runner-ups, two fourth-place finishes and one each in fifth, sixth and seventh. With seven Huskers earning podium spots the program has not had five or more All-Americans for the third consecutive year. 

Final Team Standings 

1. Penn State (181.5)
2. Oklahoma State (131)
3. Nebraska (100.5)
4. Iowa (92.5)
5. Ohio State (84.5)
6. Stanford (67.5)
7. Michigan (66)
8. Iowa State (52)
9. Minnesota (48.5)
10. NC State (44.5)

125: No. 25 Kael Lauridsen DNP (1-2)
First Round: No. 8 Dean Peterson (IOWA) major dec. No. 25 Kael Lauridsen (NEB) 9-1
Cons. Round 1: No. 25 Kael Lauridsen (NEB) dec. No. 24 Ayden Smith (RUT) 5-1
Cons. Round 2: No. 7 Nico Provo (STAN) major dec. No. 25 Kael Lauridsen (NEB) 16-4

133: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee 7th (5-2) All-American
First Round: No. 20 Julian Farber (UNI) dec. No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) 5-4
Cons. Round 1: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 29 Luke Willochell (WYO) SV-1 10-7
Cons. Round 2: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 19 Gage Walker (MIZZ) 4-2
Cons. Round 3: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) major dec. No. 28 Garrett Grice (ISU) 12-1
Cons. Round 4: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 8 Markel Baker (NIU) 2-1
Cons. Round 5: No. 15 Tyler Knox (STAN) dec. No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) 6-3
7th Place Match: No. 13 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 7 Lucas Byrd (ILL) TB-1 6-5

141: No. 3 Brock Hardy 4th (4-2) All-American
First Round: No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) tech. fall No. 30 Dario Lemus (MD) (5:47) 18-1
Second Round: No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) dec. No. 14 Braeden Davis (PSU) 9-4
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) dec. No. 6 Vince Cornella (COR) 5-3
Semifinal: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OKST) dec. No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) 5-3
Cons. Semi: No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) over No. 4 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) MFFL
3rd Place Match: No. 5 Luke Stanich (LEH) dec. No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB) 7-2

149: No. 20 Chance Lamer 4th (4-2) All-American
First Round: No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) dec. No. 13 Joseph Zargo (WIS) 4-1
Second Round: No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) dec. No. 4 Collin Gaj (VT) 3-1
Quarterfinal: No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) major dec. No. 12 Carter Young (MD) 12-0
Semifinal: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) tech. fall No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) (5:21) 22-1
Cons. Semi: No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) dec. No. 4 Collin Gaj (VT) 4-2 
3rd Place Match: No. 11 Lachlan McNeil (MICH) dec. No. 20 Chance Lamer (NEB) 10-5

157: No. 2 Antrell Taylor 2nd (4-1) All-American
First Round: No. 2 Antrell Taylor (NEB) tech fall. No. 31 Garrett McChesney (EDIN) (5:31) 19-4
Second Round: No. 2 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 15 Cameron Catrabone (MICH) 5-3
Quarterfinal: No. 2 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 7 Kannon Webster (ILL) 5-2
Semifinal: No. 2 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 11 Ty Watters (WVU) 4-2
1st Place Match: No. 5 Landon Robideau (OKST) dec. No. 2 Antrell Taylor (NEB) 4-2

165: No. 6 LJ Araujo DNP (1-2)
First Round: No. 27 EJ Parco (STAN) dec. No. 6 LJ Araujo (NEB) 8-7
Cons. Round 1: No. 6 LJ Araujo (NEB) tech. fall No. 22 Matthew Olguin (ORST) (5:51) 16-0
Cons. Round 2: No. 5 LaDarion Lockett (OKST) dec. No. 6 LJ Araujo (NEB) TB-1 8-3

174: No. 3 Christopher Minto 2nd (4-1) All-American
First Round: No. 3 Christopher Minto (NEB) tech. fall No. 30 Riley Davis (WYO) (6:05) 20-4
Second Round: No. 3 Christopher Minto (NEB) major dec. No. 19 Logan Messer (GMU) 11-3
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Christopher Minto (NEB) major dec. No. 11 MJ Gaitan (ISU) 11-3
Semifinal: No. 3 Christopher Minto (NEB) dec. No. 7 Cam Steed (MIZZ) 5-1
1st Place Match: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) dec. No. 3 Christopher Minto (NEB) 2-1

184: No. 8 Silas Allred DNP (2-2)
First Round: No. 8 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 25 Malachi DuVall (GMU) 3-1
Second Round: No. 8 Silas Allred (NEB) major dec. No. 9 Chris Moore (ILL) 15-5
Quarterfinal: No. 1 Rocco Welsh (PSU) injury def. No. 8 Silas Allred (NEB) (5:11) 7-1
Cons. Round 4: No. 22 Zack Ryder (OKST) over No. 8 Silas Allred (NEB) (MFFL)

197: No. 11 Camden McDanel 5th (5-2) All-American
First Round: No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) dec. No. 22 Devin Wasley (NDSU) 7-2
Second Round: No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) major dec. No. 6 Justin Rademacher (ORST) 13-5
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Stephen Little (LR) dec. No. 11 Camden McDanel SV-1 4-1
Cons. Round 4: No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) dec. No. 18 Andrew Reall (BRWN) 4-2
Cons. Round 5: No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) dec. No. 27 Gabe Arnold (IOWA) 4-2
Cons. Semi: No. 5 Joey Novak (WYO) dec. No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) 7-3
5th Place Match: No. 11 Camden McDanel (NEB) dec. No. 9 Angelo Posada (STAN) 13-6

HWT: No. 4 AJ Ferrari 6th (3-3) All-American
First Round: No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) tech. fall No. 29 Luke Rasmussen (SDSU) (6:01) 17-2
Second Round: No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) major dec. No. 20 Dayton Pitzer (PITT) 12-0
Quarterfinal: No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) dec. No. 21 Juan Mora (OKST) 4-3
Semifinals: No. 1 Yonger Bastida (ISU) major dec. No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) 15-7
Cons. Semi: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OKST) over No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) MFFL
5th Place Match: No. 8 Ben Kueter (IOWA) over No. 4 AJ Ferrari (NEB) MFFL