Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: Steven Schoenfelder
Wrestling Places Five in the NCAA National Championships; Seedings Announced
3/11/2026 8:46:00 PM | Wrestling
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell Wrestling has experienced a recent renaissance in the past few years and the 2025-26 campaign has been its most successful since the 2015-26 season. The Bison tied its best team finish (3rd) at the EIWA Championships, earned the most points (126.5) at said event in program history, and for the first time won two individual titles. Four Orange & Blue grapplers, Dillon Bechtold (197), Dylan Chappell (141), Noah Mulvaney (165), and Myles Takats (174) earned automatic bids and Tyler Bienus (184) received an At-Large selection.Â
"I am proud of our five National Qualifiers," said head coach Dan Wirnsberger. "These guys continue to set the standard by paving the way for the rest of the team. They are all self motivated and believe in the preparation process. We are sending a lot of experience to the NCAA Tournament and the goal is performing at their best at the tournament and bring home hardware and our first ever National Champion. This is the third consecutive year that we are sending five guys to the tournament showcasing the consistency within our program. Coach Smith, Coach Flitz, and Coach Neff have done an outstanding job with the development of our guys."
Bechtold overcame early season injuries which held him out of the Navy Classic and the Midlands Championships to built upon his highly successful freshman campaign. The Bison sophomore finished runner-up at the 2025 EIWA Championships. He entered the 2026 edition as the number one seed and performed to expectations, winning three matches to earn Bucknell's first 197-pound EIWA crown. Bechtold posted a 15-4 record this season, including a 6-4 mark against ranked foes. His masterpiece bout came in an upset over Pitt's No. 5 Mac Stout. He returns to the National Championships for the second straight season, after finishing 2-2 at last year's nationals.Â
Takats, too, dealt with occasional injuries that caused absences at various duals. He won the 174-pound title at the Midlands and used that momentum to push himself into the top 20 in national rankings. The Bison junior headed into the EIWA Championships as the number one seed, and like Bechtold, he handled the pressure. Takats was especially driven after finishing sixth at the 2025 EIWA Championships. He recorded a tech fall and two decisions to claim Bucknell's first 174-pound EIWAÂ crown. He owns a 22-6 record and has passed the 20-win mark in every season. His consistency against unranked foes resulted in a 17-0 mark. Takats seeks National Championships redemption after posting a 0-2 mark as the 12th seed in 2025. He is 3-for-3 in qualifying for the NCAA Championships.Â
Bienus became Bucknell's breakout wrestler of 2025-26, posting a 20-14 overall record, 12-7 in duals, and three wins against ranked foes. He inched his way into the national rankings and finished sixth at the Midlands Championships. He picked up three wins at the EIWA Championships to finish fifth, including a revenge win over Navy's #32 Daniel Williams. The Midshipman had beaten him twice before Bienus edged him 1-0 in the Fifth Place Match. Bienus is the only Bison making his NCAA National Championship debut but the sophomore has four experienced teammates for guidance and insight.Â
"I couldn't be more proud of these guys and how they are performing this postseason," said upper-weights coach Thomas Flitz. "Bechtold and Takats winning EIWA titles and Tyler Bienus having to push through some adversity and earning an at-large bid. These three have been focused all season long and I believe they have worked harder than anybody in the country. It is awesome to see it all starting to pay off. Each one of them have the ability to find themselves at the top of the podium. I cant wait for them to start turning heads in Cleveland next weekend."
Chappell joins Bobby Ferraro (1992-95), David Marble (2007-10), Andy Rendos (2007-10), Joe Stolfi (2013-26), Tyler Smith (2015-18), and Zach Hartman (2019-22) in the select group of Bucknell wrestlers to punch four tickets to the NCAA National Championships. The veteran grappler recorded his fifth straight season of 20+ wins and crossed the 100-victory milestone against Carter Park (LIU) on Jan. 4. His 109 triumphs are tied for sixth in Bucknell history with Paul Petrov (2012-16). Chappell's streak of three EIWA runner-up finishes was broken but he finished third to guarantee his return to the NCAA Championships. He has a 4-6 record at the National Championships and nearly won All-American honors last year.Â
His weight coach, Tyler Smith, is an experienced hand on collegiate wrestling's biggest mat having represented the Orange & Blue four times himself. "Dylan Chappell has shown his best performances in the month of March, said Smith. "In his final season, I know he is willing to do whatever it takes to get on that podium this year in Cleveland. He is peaking at the right time and he is ready to excel on the big stage here at NCAAs."
Mulvaney, healthy after his injury-plagued sophomore season, notched the highest win total for Bucknell, posting a 25-7 record, including a 17-3 mark in duals. He finished fifth at the Navy Classic and Midlands Championships. He developed a reputation for sudden victory wins, earning a 4-0 mark. One of the victories came in the EIWA Semifinals where he pinned Army's Gunner Filipowicz. In one stroke, he achieved revenge for Filipowicz's pin in the regular season dual and advanced to the finals. Mulvaney finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive year but unlocked his third straight NCAA bid. Last year, less than fully healthy, he finished 0-2 at nationals. This season, he is in his best shape and ready to earn All-American status and more.Â
"Noah has been locked in all year and is ready to compete next week," said coach Dan Neff. "He knows what he wants, and nobody works harder, both on and off the mat, to ensure he reaches those goals. He has experience at the national tournament, and is going into it healthier and more confident than ever. He's ready."
Bucknell's seedings are as follows: Takats #10 (174), Bechtold #17 (197), Mulvaney #19 (165), Chappell #23 (141), and Bienus #30 (184). Takats' seeding is the highest for Bison wrestler since Zach Hartman ranked fifth in 2021.Â
In the first round, Chappell faces No. 10 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), Mulvaney duels No. 14 Anthony Barbosa (Rutgers) in a rematch of their Midlands meeting, Takats reunites with No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pitt) - he defeated the Panther 5-3 during the teams' regular season dual, Bienus challenges No. 3 Max McNelly (Minnesota), and Bechtold meets No. 16 Branson John (Maryland).Â
The top eight in each weight class earn the coveted All-American honor. Bucknell's last All-American was Zach Hartman (165) in 2021 when the Bison legend finished sixth.
The national championships are held in Cleveland at Rocket Arena from March 19-21 with overall coverage on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU and dedicated mat coverage on ESPN+.Â
"I am proud of our five National Qualifiers," said head coach Dan Wirnsberger. "These guys continue to set the standard by paving the way for the rest of the team. They are all self motivated and believe in the preparation process. We are sending a lot of experience to the NCAA Tournament and the goal is performing at their best at the tournament and bring home hardware and our first ever National Champion. This is the third consecutive year that we are sending five guys to the tournament showcasing the consistency within our program. Coach Smith, Coach Flitz, and Coach Neff have done an outstanding job with the development of our guys."
Bechtold overcame early season injuries which held him out of the Navy Classic and the Midlands Championships to built upon his highly successful freshman campaign. The Bison sophomore finished runner-up at the 2025 EIWA Championships. He entered the 2026 edition as the number one seed and performed to expectations, winning three matches to earn Bucknell's first 197-pound EIWA crown. Bechtold posted a 15-4 record this season, including a 6-4 mark against ranked foes. His masterpiece bout came in an upset over Pitt's No. 5 Mac Stout. He returns to the National Championships for the second straight season, after finishing 2-2 at last year's nationals.Â
Takats, too, dealt with occasional injuries that caused absences at various duals. He won the 174-pound title at the Midlands and used that momentum to push himself into the top 20 in national rankings. The Bison junior headed into the EIWA Championships as the number one seed, and like Bechtold, he handled the pressure. Takats was especially driven after finishing sixth at the 2025 EIWA Championships. He recorded a tech fall and two decisions to claim Bucknell's first 174-pound EIWAÂ crown. He owns a 22-6 record and has passed the 20-win mark in every season. His consistency against unranked foes resulted in a 17-0 mark. Takats seeks National Championships redemption after posting a 0-2 mark as the 12th seed in 2025. He is 3-for-3 in qualifying for the NCAA Championships.Â
Bienus became Bucknell's breakout wrestler of 2025-26, posting a 20-14 overall record, 12-7 in duals, and three wins against ranked foes. He inched his way into the national rankings and finished sixth at the Midlands Championships. He picked up three wins at the EIWA Championships to finish fifth, including a revenge win over Navy's #32 Daniel Williams. The Midshipman had beaten him twice before Bienus edged him 1-0 in the Fifth Place Match. Bienus is the only Bison making his NCAA National Championship debut but the sophomore has four experienced teammates for guidance and insight.Â
"I couldn't be more proud of these guys and how they are performing this postseason," said upper-weights coach Thomas Flitz. "Bechtold and Takats winning EIWA titles and Tyler Bienus having to push through some adversity and earning an at-large bid. These three have been focused all season long and I believe they have worked harder than anybody in the country. It is awesome to see it all starting to pay off. Each one of them have the ability to find themselves at the top of the podium. I cant wait for them to start turning heads in Cleveland next weekend."
Chappell joins Bobby Ferraro (1992-95), David Marble (2007-10), Andy Rendos (2007-10), Joe Stolfi (2013-26), Tyler Smith (2015-18), and Zach Hartman (2019-22) in the select group of Bucknell wrestlers to punch four tickets to the NCAA National Championships. The veteran grappler recorded his fifth straight season of 20+ wins and crossed the 100-victory milestone against Carter Park (LIU) on Jan. 4. His 109 triumphs are tied for sixth in Bucknell history with Paul Petrov (2012-16). Chappell's streak of three EIWA runner-up finishes was broken but he finished third to guarantee his return to the NCAA Championships. He has a 4-6 record at the National Championships and nearly won All-American honors last year.Â
His weight coach, Tyler Smith, is an experienced hand on collegiate wrestling's biggest mat having represented the Orange & Blue four times himself. "Dylan Chappell has shown his best performances in the month of March, said Smith. "In his final season, I know he is willing to do whatever it takes to get on that podium this year in Cleveland. He is peaking at the right time and he is ready to excel on the big stage here at NCAAs."
Mulvaney, healthy after his injury-plagued sophomore season, notched the highest win total for Bucknell, posting a 25-7 record, including a 17-3 mark in duals. He finished fifth at the Navy Classic and Midlands Championships. He developed a reputation for sudden victory wins, earning a 4-0 mark. One of the victories came in the EIWA Semifinals where he pinned Army's Gunner Filipowicz. In one stroke, he achieved revenge for Filipowicz's pin in the regular season dual and advanced to the finals. Mulvaney finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive year but unlocked his third straight NCAA bid. Last year, less than fully healthy, he finished 0-2 at nationals. This season, he is in his best shape and ready to earn All-American status and more.Â
"Noah has been locked in all year and is ready to compete next week," said coach Dan Neff. "He knows what he wants, and nobody works harder, both on and off the mat, to ensure he reaches those goals. He has experience at the national tournament, and is going into it healthier and more confident than ever. He's ready."
Bucknell's seedings are as follows: Takats #10 (174), Bechtold #17 (197), Mulvaney #19 (165), Chappell #23 (141), and Bienus #30 (184). Takats' seeding is the highest for Bison wrestler since Zach Hartman ranked fifth in 2021.Â
In the first round, Chappell faces No. 10 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), Mulvaney duels No. 14 Anthony Barbosa (Rutgers) in a rematch of their Midlands meeting, Takats reunites with No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pitt) - he defeated the Panther 5-3 during the teams' regular season dual, Bienus challenges No. 3 Max McNelly (Minnesota), and Bechtold meets No. 16 Branson John (Maryland).Â
The top eight in each weight class earn the coveted All-American honor. Bucknell's last All-American was Zach Hartman (165) in 2021 when the Bison legend finished sixth.
The national championships are held in Cleveland at Rocket Arena from March 19-21 with overall coverage on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU and dedicated mat coverage on ESPN+.Â
Players Mentioned
197
/ Wrestling
174/184
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
174
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