Wrestling Set for NCAA Championships

Thursday, March 19

Cleveland, Ohio

All Day

Columbia

NCAA Championships

Photo by: Scott Pilutik

3/18/2026 9:33:00 AM | Wrestling

NCAA Championship Central

A program record seven wrestlers will compete for Columbia

CLEVELAND, OHIO – A program record, seven members of the Columbia wrestling team are set to compete at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling National Championships starting Thursday at the Rocket Arena.

Junior Sulayman Bah (125), Lorenzo Frezza (141), Kai Owen (157), Cesar Alvan (165), Nick Fine (174), Joe Curtis (184), and Vincent Mueller (285) will make up the group representing the Lions this week. The seven wrestlers are a new program record for the most athletes Columbia has sent to the NCAA Championships, besting the six sent by the 2023 squad.

Six of the seven wrestlers qualified after reaching the podium at the Ivy League Championships. Bah was the lone Lion not to qualify as an at-large. He captured third at the Ivies. Alvan, Curtis, and Mueller all punched their tickets by winning their respective weight classes.

For Alvan, this will be his third NCAA Championship appearance, following his 2023 and 2025 appearances. It will be the second NCAA appearance for Fine and Frezza, who both represented the Lions last spring.

NCAA Championship Central

SEEDED LIONS
125: No. 30 Sulayman Bah
141: No. 22 Lorenzo Frezza
157: No. 19 Kai Owen
165: No. 12 Cesar Alvan
174: No. 16 Nick Fine
184: No. 24 Joe Curtis
285: No. 17 Vincent Mueller

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS
125: (30) Sulayman Bah vs. (3) Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State)
141: (22) Lorenzo Frezza vs. (11) CJ Composto (Penn)
157: (19) Kai Owen vs. (14) Ethen Miller (Virginia Tech)
165: (12) Cesar Alvan vs. (21) Brock Woodcock (SIUE)
174: (16) Nick Fine vs. (17) Jarend Simma (UNI)
184: (24) Joe Curtis vs. (9) Chris Moore (Illinois)
285: (17) Vincent Mueller vs. (16) Jimmy Mullen (Virginia Tech)

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The NCAA Championships feature six sessions over three days, with morning and evening sessions daily. The full schedule:
Thursday, March 19 (First/Second Rounds & Consolations)
Session 1 – 12 p.m. ET
Session 2 - 7 p.m. ET

Friday, March 20 (Quarterfinal/Semifinal Rounds, Consolations & Blood Rounds)
Session 3 - 12 p.m. ET
Session 4 - 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 21 (Medal Rounds & Finals)
Session 5 - 11 a.m.
Session 6 - 6:30 p.m.

FOLLOWING THE ACTION
All sessions of the 2025 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships will air nationally on ESPN networks. ESPN+ will stream individual mats, allowing fans to follow the Lions.

Updates will also be provided through the Columbia Wrestling Twitter account (CULionsWR). Fans can follow the action online through live results at www.TrackWrestling.com.

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).