Cornell University announced on Mar. 17 that five members of its men’s wrestling team will compete at the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which will take place from March 19 to 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
The event is significant as it brings together top collegiate wrestlers from across the country, with matches broadcast on ESPN networks and streamed on ESPN+. Cornell’s qualifiers—Tyler Ferrara (133 pounds), Vince Cornella (141), Jaxon Joy (149), Meyer Shapiro (157), and Simon Ruiz (174)—earned their spots after helping the Big Red secure the Ivy League Wrestling Championship title with a total of 132.5 points.
Ferrara, a sophomore seeded No. 11 at 133 pounds, holds a season record of 23-7 and recently won his weight class at the Ivy League tournament. Senior captain Cornella enters as the No. 11 seed at 141 pounds with a record of 19-1, having also claimed an Ivy League title this year. Freshman Joy is seeded second at 149 pounds with a standout debut season record of 24-1 and has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Junior captain Shapiro, seeded third at 157 pounds with a record of 15-1, is recognized for his aggressive style and is a two-time All-American. Sophomore captain Ruiz remains undefeated this season at 16-0 and is seeded second at 174 pounds; he earned All-America honors last year.
The tournament brackets feature first-round matchups for all five Cornell qualifiers among other top competitors nationwide. The schedule includes six sessions over three days, starting Thursday afternoon and concluding Saturday evening with championship finals.
Cornell’s wrestling program has produced more than one hundred NCAA All-Americans and twenty-five individual national champions throughout its history. Last season, all ten starters qualified for nationals, resulting in a sixth-place team finish and three wrestlers earning All-America honors—including returning competitors Shapiro and Ruiz.
