LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Wrestling 165-pounder
Ryan Vigil is set to wrestle in the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday-Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio, at Rocket Arena.
Vigil was crowned the
2026 Southern Conference Champion and the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler after going 4-0 as the eight seed, earning an automatic bid into the national tournament. Earlier in the week, the Westminster, Colorado, native was tabbed the
33 seed in the 165 bracket.
This season, Vigil finished 14-10 overall, with an 8-5 tournament record. The senior picked up two major decisions and three technical falls.
Vigil is slated to face No. 32 Cody Walsh from Drexel in the pigtail match Thursday at Noon. The winner advances to the next round against the nation's 165-pound leader, Mitchell Mesenbrink from Penn State. The loser of the opening bout will fall to the Wrestlebacks bracket and await the loser of the three and 30 seeds matchup, which happens to include Vigil's first-round opponent in the SoCon Championship, Thomas Snipes from The Citadel.
Regardless of the outcome, Vigil will compete in at least two matches on Thursday. All sessions will be broadcast on various ESPN channels, including ESPN+.
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