Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: Lauren Medeiros
Wrestling Collects Several Wins on First Day of NCAA National Championships
3/19/2026 10:16:00 PM | Wrestling
CLEVELAND, OHIO- Bucknell Wrestling recorded three wins in the first round and four out of five wrestlers remain alive after day one of the NCAA National Championships. Three Bison grapplers, Dillon Bechtold (197), Noah Mulvaney (165), and Myles Takats (174)Â advanced to the Championship Round Two but all three Orange & Blue wrestlers fell to favored foes.Â
Takats, seeded tenth - the highest ranked Bison -, won his opening round match over No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) in dramatic fashion. The Bucknell wrestler defeated Augustine during the teams'Â dual and the Panther was aiming for revenge. He quickly gained a takedown on Takats and rode a 3-2 advantage into the final period. Augustine added an escape point and looked to pull the upset before Takats gained a takedown with eight seconds left. That move along with riding time gave Takats the 6-4 win.Â
His time in the winner's bracket ended swiftly in the next round. No. 17 Cam Steed (Missouri) scored a takedown and then pinned Takats in two minutes. Takats will wrestle another regular season foe No. 25 Sergio Desiante (Virginia Tech)Â in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Bechtold, seeded 17th, scored a minor upset with his sudden victory win over No. 16 Branson John (Maryland). The Bison wrestler specialized turning his bouts into low-scoring grinders and the first round match did not break that trend. The two wrestlers traded escape points and spent the final minute of the third period trying to gain that decisive takedown. Bechtold obtained the precious takedown with 22 seconds remaining in the first overtime.Â
His reward for winning merited facing undefeated and number one seed Josh Barr (Penn State) in the second round. The Route 45 Rivalry match went according to seed. Barr scored three takedowns en route to an 11-3 major decision.Â
Mulvaney, seeded 19th, upset No. 14 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) in the first round. The Bison junior avenged his Midlands Championships defeat to the Scarlet Knight by winning an 8-2 decision. Mulvaney changed up his usual tactic of absorbing his opponent's first blow and then counterattacking. He paired an escape and a takedown for the early lead. A third period takedown and riding time padded the final score.Â
He faced another Big Ten foe in the second round. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) proved a tougher nut to crack. The Hawkeye star racked up four takedowns in the first period and closed out the 20-5 tech fall victory in the second period. Mulvaney will wrestle No. 20 Ty Whalen (Princeton) in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Dylan Chappell (141), seeded 23rd, suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round. The Bison fifth-year senior had the early advantage over No. 10 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), building a 4-0 lead through two periods. The cracks in the dam began to show with 1:19 left in the third period. The Cardinal scored a reversal. Chappell slipped free for an escape but Consiglio began to smell an opportunity. Chappell tried to hold on but a takedown with eight seconds tied the score and a near fall as time expired allowing Consiglio to escape an upset with a 9-5 decision.Â
Chappell renewed his rivalry with No. 26 Braden Basile (Army) in the consolation round. The two wrestlers split their season bouts. Basile won the dual match while Chappell defeated him at the EIWA Championships. The rubber match was gritty. Both wrestlers traded escape points and headed to overtime. Chappell found another escape point and won 2-1 on tiebreaker one criteria. Bucknell's eldest veteran faces No. 24 Nash Singleton (Oregon State) in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Tyler Bienus (184), seeded 30th, dropped both matches and was eliminated. He challenged No. 3 Max McEnelly (Minnesota) in the first round and found himself in a difficult assignment. Four first round and three second round takedowns set up the 22-6 tech fall victory for the Golden Gopher.
His National Championship time ended in a 2-1 decision to No. 33 Sam Goin in the Consolation Preliminaries. Both wrestlers earned an escape point in regular time. Goin grabbed an escape point in the third overtime period and won on tiebreaker one criteria.Â
The National Championships resume tomorrow at noon on ESPNU.Â
RESULTS
141: Dylan Chappell (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: L, dec. to Jack Consiglio (Stanford), 9-5
Consolation Round 1: W, dec over Braden Basile (Army), 2-1, TB-1
165: Noah Mulvaney (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 8-2
Champ. Round 2: L, tech fall to Mikey Caliendo (Iowa), 20-5, 4:59
174: Myles Takats (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Luca Augustine (Pitt), 6-4
Champ. Round 2. L, fall to Cam Steed (Missouri), 2:03Â
184: Tyler Bienus (0-2)
Champ. Round 1: L, tech fall to Max McEnelly (Minnesota), 22-6, 4:00
Consolation Prelimaries: L, dec. to Sam Goin (Indiana), 2-1, TB1
197: Dillon Bechtold (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Branson John (Maryland), 4-1, SV
Champ. Round 2. L, major dec. against Josh Barr (Penn State), 11-3
Â
Takats, seeded tenth - the highest ranked Bison -, won his opening round match over No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) in dramatic fashion. The Bucknell wrestler defeated Augustine during the teams'Â dual and the Panther was aiming for revenge. He quickly gained a takedown on Takats and rode a 3-2 advantage into the final period. Augustine added an escape point and looked to pull the upset before Takats gained a takedown with eight seconds left. That move along with riding time gave Takats the 6-4 win.Â
His time in the winner's bracket ended swiftly in the next round. No. 17 Cam Steed (Missouri) scored a takedown and then pinned Takats in two minutes. Takats will wrestle another regular season foe No. 25 Sergio Desiante (Virginia Tech)Â in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Bechtold, seeded 17th, scored a minor upset with his sudden victory win over No. 16 Branson John (Maryland). The Bison wrestler specialized turning his bouts into low-scoring grinders and the first round match did not break that trend. The two wrestlers traded escape points and spent the final minute of the third period trying to gain that decisive takedown. Bechtold obtained the precious takedown with 22 seconds remaining in the first overtime.Â
His reward for winning merited facing undefeated and number one seed Josh Barr (Penn State) in the second round. The Route 45 Rivalry match went according to seed. Barr scored three takedowns en route to an 11-3 major decision.Â
Mulvaney, seeded 19th, upset No. 14 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) in the first round. The Bison junior avenged his Midlands Championships defeat to the Scarlet Knight by winning an 8-2 decision. Mulvaney changed up his usual tactic of absorbing his opponent's first blow and then counterattacking. He paired an escape and a takedown for the early lead. A third period takedown and riding time padded the final score.Â
He faced another Big Ten foe in the second round. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) proved a tougher nut to crack. The Hawkeye star racked up four takedowns in the first period and closed out the 20-5 tech fall victory in the second period. Mulvaney will wrestle No. 20 Ty Whalen (Princeton) in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Dylan Chappell (141), seeded 23rd, suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round. The Bison fifth-year senior had the early advantage over No. 10 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), building a 4-0 lead through two periods. The cracks in the dam began to show with 1:19 left in the third period. The Cardinal scored a reversal. Chappell slipped free for an escape but Consiglio began to smell an opportunity. Chappell tried to hold on but a takedown with eight seconds tied the score and a near fall as time expired allowing Consiglio to escape an upset with a 9-5 decision.Â
Chappell renewed his rivalry with No. 26 Braden Basile (Army) in the consolation round. The two wrestlers split their season bouts. Basile won the dual match while Chappell defeated him at the EIWA Championships. The rubber match was gritty. Both wrestlers traded escape points and headed to overtime. Chappell found another escape point and won 2-1 on tiebreaker one criteria. Bucknell's eldest veteran faces No. 24 Nash Singleton (Oregon State) in tomorrow's consolation round.Â
Tyler Bienus (184), seeded 30th, dropped both matches and was eliminated. He challenged No. 3 Max McEnelly (Minnesota) in the first round and found himself in a difficult assignment. Four first round and three second round takedowns set up the 22-6 tech fall victory for the Golden Gopher.
His National Championship time ended in a 2-1 decision to No. 33 Sam Goin in the Consolation Preliminaries. Both wrestlers earned an escape point in regular time. Goin grabbed an escape point in the third overtime period and won on tiebreaker one criteria.Â
The National Championships resume tomorrow at noon on ESPNU.Â
RESULTS
141: Dylan Chappell (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: L, dec. to Jack Consiglio (Stanford), 9-5
Consolation Round 1: W, dec over Braden Basile (Army), 2-1, TB-1
165: Noah Mulvaney (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 8-2
Champ. Round 2: L, tech fall to Mikey Caliendo (Iowa), 20-5, 4:59
174: Myles Takats (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Luca Augustine (Pitt), 6-4
Champ. Round 2. L, fall to Cam Steed (Missouri), 2:03Â
184: Tyler Bienus (0-2)
Champ. Round 1: L, tech fall to Max McEnelly (Minnesota), 22-6, 4:00
Consolation Prelimaries: L, dec. to Sam Goin (Indiana), 2-1, TB1
197: Dillon Bechtold (1-1)
Champ. Round 1: W, dec. over Branson John (Maryland), 4-1, SV
Champ. Round 2. L, major dec. against Josh Barr (Penn State), 11-3
Â
Players Mentioned
197
/ Wrestling
174/184
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
174
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