NCAA Wrestling Championships 2023: Results, Updated Team Standings After Thursday

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships kicked off from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Thursday with first- and second-round action.

The morning session featured wrestlers from all 10 weight classes taking part in first-round matches. The winners advanced for second-round games in the evening session.

After Day 1, pre-tournament favorite Penn State has the team lead with 26 points. Iowa is second with 21.5 points. Here's a look at the top 10 via Track Wrestling.

Top 10 Teams (Through Thursday)

1. Penn State: 26

2. Iowa: 21.5

3. Missouri: 17.5

4. Minnesota: 16.5

4. NC State: 16.5

6. Cornell: 15.5

6. Nebraska: 15.5

8. Michigan: 14.5

8. Ohio State: 14.5

10. Arizona State: 13

10. Virginia Tech: 13

10. Wisconsin: 13

Team Notes

Penn State entered the NCAA Championships with a perfect 16-0 record and a Big Ten title. Only one of the Nittany Lions' dual meets ended with a single-digit point difference, a 23-14 victory against Iowa. PSU didn't really need to break much of a sweat otherwise.

Per Track Wrestling, Penn State entered nine wrestlers in this tournament, including a pair of No. 1 seeds in Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds, 16-0 record) and Carter Starocci (174 pounds, 19-0).

The Nittany Lions also have a No. 2 seed (Levi Haines, 157 pounds), who went 20-1. They also sport two No. 3 seeds in Aaron Brooks (184) and Greg Kerkvliet (285). All of them are still alive in the tournament.

Iowa also has two No. 1 seeds in three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee (125 pounds) and Real Woods (141 pounds), both of whom went 16-0. They are still the wrestlers to beat in their respective weight classes through two rounds.

Missouri rounds out the top three thanks to some strong showings thus far after tying for sixth after the morning session.

The Tigers have six wrestlers in the quarterfinals: No. 8 Allan Hart (141), No. 6 Brock Mauller (149), No. 2 Keegan O'Toole (165), No. 7 Peyton Mocco (174), No. 3 Rocky Elam (197) and No. 10 Zach Elam (285).

Notable Underdog Runs

Ranked No. 29 in the 165-pound division, Michigan State's Caleb Fish has won his first two matches against No. 4 Julian Ramirez of Cornell (8-4 decision) and No. 20 Holden Heller of Pitt (7-2 decision). He's now in the quarterfinals, where he'll face No. 5 Quincy Monday of Princeton.

Elsewhere, No. 20 Graham Rooks of Indiana is in the quarterfinals of the 149-pound division after a pair of close wins. He took down No. 13 Kellyn March of North Dakota State 4-3 before beating Virginia Tech's Caleb Henson 5-4.

No. 27 Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech, a redshirt freshman, is off to the 125-pound quarterfinals on a magical run that started with a 4-2 sudden victory over No. 6 Stevo Poulin of University of Northern Colorado. He followed that up with a 3-2 win over No. 11 Patrick McKee of Minnesota.

All-American and West Virginia Mountaineer Killian Cardinale is a No. 28 seed in that same bracket, but that's not an accurate representation of his elite talent.

He was forced to take a medical forfeit before the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament but was good to go for the national championship. Cardinale has medically forfeit other matches as well this year as he endures shoulder injuries.

Cardinale has been fantastic thus far, defeating No. 5 Caleb Smith of Appalachian State 3-2 and No. 21 Jore Volk of Wyoming 8-3.

What's Next?

Quarterfinal and semifinal matches will take place on Friday before the championship matches occur on Saturday.