ASHEVILLE, N.C. – VMI Wrestling 165-pounder
Ryan Vigil survived the gauntlet as the underdog eight seed and came out on top, earning the 2026 Southern Conference title Saturday afternoon at Kimmel Arena.
Vigil becomes the first Keydet to win a conference title since Neal Richards in 2020, and gives VMI its first NCAA qualifier since fellow first-classman
Dyson Dunham was an at-large bid in 2024.
Staged against the SoCon's two seed, Appalachian State's Anthony Conetta, in the finals, Vigil used a key reversal and four near-fall points to break open the scoring. Vigil would hold on for a 7-2 decision, earning a riding time point in the process, to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 19.
Vigil, who was tabbed the eight seed in the 165 bracket, had a long way to the finals by running through four wrestlers, the most by any finalist in any bracket this year. After clawing through the most bouts in this year's tournament, Vigil was dubbed the 2026 SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler.
In his path to the first-place bout, Vigil posted a technical fall in the pigtail match, 17-2. Less than a couple of hours later, the Colorado native upset the nation's 24th-ranked 165-pounder and the SoCon's one seed from The Citadel with a sudden victory decision.
In the semifinals, Vigil used a last-minute third-period takedown to etch his name into the championship round with a 5-4 decision. With the wins on day one, Vigil became the first Keydet since Neal Richards in 2020 to make it to the championship match.
Not selling anyone short, the Keydets had two wrestlers compete in the third-place match, earning guaranteed placements. 141-pounder
Dyson Dunham and 197-pounder
Toby Schoffstall advanced to the consolation finals bout after winning their semifinal matches this morning.
Dunham, who finished in fourth, dominated his semifinal matchup with a 16-6 major decision, while Schoffstall, who also claimed fourth place, used a 14-8 decision to move on to the finals.
As a team, the Keydets earned 36 team points and finished in seventh place, scoring the most points in a SoCon tournament since 2010.
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