Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Lions Learn Seeding for 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/11/2026 8:56:00 PM | Wrestling
Columbia sends the largest contingent of qualifiers in program history
NEW YORK – Columbia's seven NCAA Championship qualifiers learned their seeding and first round matchups during the NCAA Wrestling Selection Show on Wednesday night. The 2026 NCAA Championships begin next Thursday, March 21, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sulayman Bah (125), Lorenzo Frezza (141), Kai Owen (157), Cesar Alvan (165), Nick Fine (174), Joe Curtis (184), and Vincent Mueller (285) will represent the Lions at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The seven qualifiers are the most in program history, topping the six sent by Columbia in 2023.
Alvan earned the highest seed of the squad and enters his third NCAA Championships as the No. 12 seed in the 165 bracket. Alvan will face SIUE's Brock Woodcock in the first match on Thursday. Woodcock placed third at the MAC Championships and is 28-9 overall. Alvan, the Ivy League Champion at 165, finished the year 27-8.
Fine makes his second appearance at the NCAAs. He earned the No. 16 seed and will face UNI's Jared Sima, who is ranked No. 17. Sima enters the championships with a 14-9 overall record.
Mueller and Owen also earned rankings in the teens. Mueller, the Ivy League Champion at 285, is the No. 17 seed. He will face Virginia Tech's Jimmy Mullen, who is ranked No. 16. Owen captured the No. 19 seed at 157. He will face No. 14 Ethen Miller from Virginia Tech. Miller captured second at 157 at the ACC Championships.
Frezza and Curtis both earned seeds in the low 20s. Frezza, making his second NCAA Championship appearance, finished the regular season 18-7 overall. He will face Penn's CJ Composto, who earned the No. 11 seed. Curtis, the Ivy League Tournament champion at 184, is ranked No. 24. He will face Illinois' Chris Moore, who is the No. 9 seed.
Sulayman Bah, making his NCAA Championship debut, earned the No. 30 seed. He will face Ohio State's Nic Bouzakis, the No. 3 seed, in the opening round. Bouzakis was the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Championships and finished the regular season 16-2.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Wrestling by following the Lions on X (@CULionsWR), Instagram (@culionswr) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Sulayman Bah (125), Lorenzo Frezza (141), Kai Owen (157), Cesar Alvan (165), Nick Fine (174), Joe Curtis (184), and Vincent Mueller (285) will represent the Lions at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The seven qualifiers are the most in program history, topping the six sent by Columbia in 2023.
Alvan earned the highest seed of the squad and enters his third NCAA Championships as the No. 12 seed in the 165 bracket. Alvan will face SIUE's Brock Woodcock in the first match on Thursday. Woodcock placed third at the MAC Championships and is 28-9 overall. Alvan, the Ivy League Champion at 165, finished the year 27-8.
Fine makes his second appearance at the NCAAs. He earned the No. 16 seed and will face UNI's Jared Sima, who is ranked No. 17. Sima enters the championships with a 14-9 overall record.
Mueller and Owen also earned rankings in the teens. Mueller, the Ivy League Champion at 285, is the No. 17 seed. He will face Virginia Tech's Jimmy Mullen, who is ranked No. 16. Owen captured the No. 19 seed at 157. He will face No. 14 Ethen Miller from Virginia Tech. Miller captured second at 157 at the ACC Championships.
Frezza and Curtis both earned seeds in the low 20s. Frezza, making his second NCAA Championship appearance, finished the regular season 18-7 overall. He will face Penn's CJ Composto, who earned the No. 11 seed. Curtis, the Ivy League Tournament champion at 184, is ranked No. 24. He will face Illinois' Chris Moore, who is the No. 9 seed.
Sulayman Bah, making his NCAA Championship debut, earned the No. 30 seed. He will face Ohio State's Nic Bouzakis, the No. 3 seed, in the opening round. Bouzakis was the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Championships and finished the regular season 16-2.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Wrestling by following the Lions on X (@CULionsWR), Instagram (@culionswr) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
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