CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Wabash College wrestling team opened the 2026 National Wrestling Coaches Association / United States Marine Corps National Duals with a split of three matches Friday at the UNI-Dome, earning an opening-round victory before dropping consecutive duals later in the day.
Wabash began the tournament with a 23-16 win over Cornell College, advancing out of the opening round behind bonus-point performances at both ends of the lineup. The Little Giants claimed three of the first four bouts to establish early momentum.
Andrew Punzalan opened the dual with a steady 3-0 decision at 125 pounds over Jase Van Pelt.
James Day followed at 133 with an 11-2 major decision against Eli Sneed before
Branson Weaver delivered the first momentum swing of the match, pinning Jayson Stevens just 1:39 into the 141-pound bout to push Wabash firmly in front.
Cornell responded in the middle weights to tighten the dual, but Wabash regained control at 174 pounds.
Jaylen Young produced one of the decisive performances of the match, rolling to a 15-1 major decision over Elias Chapin to swing the team score back in the Little Giants' favor. Cornell posted narrow victories at 184 and 197 to set up a winner-take-all heavyweight bout.
Titus Waters ensured Wabash would not let the dual slip away. Wrestling at 285 pounds, Waters sealed the victory in emphatic fashion by pinning Braydon Hoffman just 1:14 into the opening period to clinch the 23-16 team triumph and send the Little Giants into the championship bracket.
Wabash's run in the championship bracket came to an end in the second round with a 34-15 loss to second-ranked Augsburg College. The Little Giants showed early resilience against the nationally ranked Auggies, as
Isaac Ash sparked Wabash at 125 pounds with a fall over Keno Vanier at the 6:13 mark. Day followed with a hard-earned 5-4 decision over Chance Suddeth at 133, giving Wabash an early lead.
Augsburg seized control through the middle of the lineup, however, stringing together a series of bonus-point victories at 141 and 149 pounds, followed by an 18-1 technical fall at 157 and a quick pin at 165. Young slowed the momentum at 174 with a narrow 3-2 decision over Nick Alexander, but Augsburg secured the dual with technical fall and pin victories at 184 and 197. Waters closed the match with a 4-1 sudden-victory decision over Tyler Raway at heavyweight.
The Little Giants moved into the consolation bracket in the third round and fell 27-13 to tenth-ranked Coe College. Coe won the opener at 125 pounds before Wabash answered at 133 with Day's 11-2 major decision against Brody Neighbor. The Kohawks took control with four consecutive victories, including a fall at 141 and a technical fall at 149.
Young again provided a lift for Wabash at 174 pounds with a 10-3 decision over Dax Clatt to keep the dual within reach, but Coe clinched the outcome with a win at 197. Waters capped the dual in dominant fashion at heavyweight, pinning Nolen Yeary in just 48 seconds to close the scoring.
Wabash moves to the 13th-through-16th-place bracket and will face Millikin University on Saturday at 10 a.m. Central Time before competing in the placement finals at noon against either Luther College or the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
