Thursday, March 19
Cleveland, Ohio
7 PM
Rutgers University
vs
NCAA Championships - Session II
Photo by: Ryan Meyer
NCAA Championships Session II: Catka, Cotton Advance to Quarterfinals
Mar 19 | Wrestling
CLEVELAND – Remy Cotton (197) and Hunter Catka (HWT) advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships after Thursday action at Rocket Arena. Both are one win away from securing All-America laurels and trips to national semifinals for the first time in their respective collegiate careers.
Cotton took out No. 2 seed Rocky Elam (Iowa State) in his second-round match, while Catka worked a win in tiebreakers over No. 11 seed Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois) to advance. It marks the first time Rutgers wrestling has had multiple championship quarterfinalists at the same national tournament since John Poznanski and Sebastian Rivera in 2021.
Joseph Olivieri (141), Lenny Pinto (174) and Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) are all alive on the back side of their respective brackets after winning their second matches of the championships.
"We have two quarterfinalists, that's the focus right now, still have three other guys in the backs," said head coach Scott Goodale. "We have to have a better day tomorrow, but I'm happy with the way it ended for sure. Love the way it ended, I'll leave it at that."
Session II Attendance: 16,777
Team Standing: 24th (6.5 Pts.)
Session III Matchups (12 p.m. | ESPNU)
Championships Second Round
197: (15) Remy Cotton vs. (7) Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State)
HWT: (27) Hunter Catka vs. (3) Taye Ghadiali (Michigan)
Consolation Second Round
141: (9) Joseph Olivieri vs. (10) Jack Consiglio (Stanford)
174: (21) Lenny Pinto vs. (6) Matty Singleton (NC State)
184: (11) Shane Cartagena-Walsh vs. (12) Dylan Fishback (Ohio State)
Cotton worked an opening-round win against No. 18 seed Andrew Reall (Brown) to secure a matchup with Elam, a four-time All-American with a perfect 18-0 record on the season. Cotton was dominant throughout, landing takedowns in the first and second periods for a 6-1 lead through two. Elam earned his first takedown in the third period, but Cotton quickly countered with an escape and three en route to a 12-4 major decision.
Catka faced Dawson in a rematch from the 2025 Midlands Championships. With the match tied 1-1 after sudden victory, Catka quickly worked an escape in the opening set of tiebreakers, then rode out Dawson for the win.
Rutgers produced several wins in the opening round of wrestlebacks. Olivieri landed two take downs for an 8-7 decision over No. 25 seed Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), Pinto hit takedowns in all three periods for a 15-12 decision over No. 28 Holden Garcia (Princeton), and Cartagena-Walsh dominated in a 7-2 decision over No. 28 seed Aidan Brenot (North Dakota State).
Ayden Smith (125), Dylan Shawver (133), Andrew Clark (149) and Andrew Barbosa (165) all concluded their NCAA Championships after losing two matches on Thursday.
Session I Recap
No. 11 Rutgers wrestling closed out Session I of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday afternoon at Rocket Arena. No. 27 seed Hunter Catka (HWT) delivered one of the biggest upsets of the opening round with an overtime victory over No. 6 seed Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), while No. 15 seed Remy Cotton (197) picked up a decision to advance on the front side of the bracket.
Cotton faces four-time All-American and No. 2 seed Rocky Elam (Iowa State), while Catka wrestles No. 11 seed Devon Dawson (Northern Iowa) when the second round begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
No. 24 seed Ayden Smith (125), No. 26 seed Dylan Shawver (133), No. 9 seed Joseph Olivieri (141), No. 24 seed Andrew Clark (149), No. 14 seed Andrew Barbosa (165), No. 21 seed Lenny Pinto (174) and No. 11 seed Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) all moved to the backside of the bracket after opening-round losses.
Catka faced Taylor in one of the last matches of the session. After Taylor rode out Catka for the duration of the second period, Catka landed a takedown midway through the third period for a 3-1 lead. Taylor forced sudden victory, but Catka drove Taylor to the ground with 25 seconds remaining in overtime for the 6-3 upset.
Cotton also impressed during the championship first round against No. 18 seed Andrew Reall (Brown). Cotton landed a takedown in the second period and held off Reall in the third for a 4-2 decision.
Smith opened the championships against No. 9 seed Maximo Renteria (Oregon State). Trailing 7-2 in the third period, Smith landed a takedown and forced Renteria into back-to-back stall calls before falling just short with an 8-7 loss.
Shawver faced No. 7 seed Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and went toe-to-toe with the reigning NCAA Champion. Shawver landed a takedown in the second period and another in the third before losing by 11-7 decision.
Oliveri's takedown on No. 24 seed Nash Singleton (Oregon State) in the first period was taken off the board after the Beavers challenged that Olivieri recorded hands to the face before the takedown, resulting in a penalty point for Singleton. Tied 1-1 in the third, Singleton earned an escape which proved to be the difference in the 2-1 decision, forcing Olivieri to the backside.
Clark wrestled tough in his matchup with No. 9 seed David Evans (Utah Valley), hitting a reversal before losing 11-5. Barbosa lost to No. 19 seed Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) by 8-2 decision, while Pinto landed an early takedown before losing his rematch to No. 12 seed Carter Schubert (Oklahoma), 5-4. Cartagena-Walsh suffered a tough 4-1 decision in sudden victory to No. 22 seed Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State) to also move to wrestlebacks.
125: (24) Ayden Smith (0-2)
133: (26) Dylan Shawver (0-2)
141: (9) Joseph Olivieri (1-1)
149: (24) Andrew Clark (0-2)
165: (14) Andrew Barbosa (0-2)
174: (21) Lenny Pinto (1-1)
184: (11) Shane Cartagena-Walsh (1-1)
197: (15) Remy Cotton (2-0)
HWT: (27) Hunter Catka (2-0)
Cotton took out No. 2 seed Rocky Elam (Iowa State) in his second-round match, while Catka worked a win in tiebreakers over No. 11 seed Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois) to advance. It marks the first time Rutgers wrestling has had multiple championship quarterfinalists at the same national tournament since John Poznanski and Sebastian Rivera in 2021.
Joseph Olivieri (141), Lenny Pinto (174) and Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) are all alive on the back side of their respective brackets after winning their second matches of the championships.
"We have two quarterfinalists, that's the focus right now, still have three other guys in the backs," said head coach Scott Goodale. "We have to have a better day tomorrow, but I'm happy with the way it ended for sure. Love the way it ended, I'll leave it at that."
Session II Attendance: 16,777
Team Standing: 24th (6.5 Pts.)
Session III Matchups (12 p.m. | ESPNU)
Championships Second Round
197: (15) Remy Cotton vs. (7) Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State)
HWT: (27) Hunter Catka vs. (3) Taye Ghadiali (Michigan)
Consolation Second Round
141: (9) Joseph Olivieri vs. (10) Jack Consiglio (Stanford)
174: (21) Lenny Pinto vs. (6) Matty Singleton (NC State)
184: (11) Shane Cartagena-Walsh vs. (12) Dylan Fishback (Ohio State)
Cotton worked an opening-round win against No. 18 seed Andrew Reall (Brown) to secure a matchup with Elam, a four-time All-American with a perfect 18-0 record on the season. Cotton was dominant throughout, landing takedowns in the first and second periods for a 6-1 lead through two. Elam earned his first takedown in the third period, but Cotton quickly countered with an escape and three en route to a 12-4 major decision.
Catka faced Dawson in a rematch from the 2025 Midlands Championships. With the match tied 1-1 after sudden victory, Catka quickly worked an escape in the opening set of tiebreakers, then rode out Dawson for the win.
Rutgers produced several wins in the opening round of wrestlebacks. Olivieri landed two take downs for an 8-7 decision over No. 25 seed Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), Pinto hit takedowns in all three periods for a 15-12 decision over No. 28 Holden Garcia (Princeton), and Cartagena-Walsh dominated in a 7-2 decision over No. 28 seed Aidan Brenot (North Dakota State).
Ayden Smith (125), Dylan Shawver (133), Andrew Clark (149) and Andrew Barbosa (165) all concluded their NCAA Championships after losing two matches on Thursday.
Session I Recap
No. 11 Rutgers wrestling closed out Session I of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday afternoon at Rocket Arena. No. 27 seed Hunter Catka (HWT) delivered one of the biggest upsets of the opening round with an overtime victory over No. 6 seed Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), while No. 15 seed Remy Cotton (197) picked up a decision to advance on the front side of the bracket.
Cotton faces four-time All-American and No. 2 seed Rocky Elam (Iowa State), while Catka wrestles No. 11 seed Devon Dawson (Northern Iowa) when the second round begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
No. 24 seed Ayden Smith (125), No. 26 seed Dylan Shawver (133), No. 9 seed Joseph Olivieri (141), No. 24 seed Andrew Clark (149), No. 14 seed Andrew Barbosa (165), No. 21 seed Lenny Pinto (174) and No. 11 seed Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) all moved to the backside of the bracket after opening-round losses.
Catka faced Taylor in one of the last matches of the session. After Taylor rode out Catka for the duration of the second period, Catka landed a takedown midway through the third period for a 3-1 lead. Taylor forced sudden victory, but Catka drove Taylor to the ground with 25 seconds remaining in overtime for the 6-3 upset.
Cotton also impressed during the championship first round against No. 18 seed Andrew Reall (Brown). Cotton landed a takedown in the second period and held off Reall in the third for a 4-2 decision.
Smith opened the championships against No. 9 seed Maximo Renteria (Oregon State). Trailing 7-2 in the third period, Smith landed a takedown and forced Renteria into back-to-back stall calls before falling just short with an 8-7 loss.
Shawver faced No. 7 seed Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and went toe-to-toe with the reigning NCAA Champion. Shawver landed a takedown in the second period and another in the third before losing by 11-7 decision.
Oliveri's takedown on No. 24 seed Nash Singleton (Oregon State) in the first period was taken off the board after the Beavers challenged that Olivieri recorded hands to the face before the takedown, resulting in a penalty point for Singleton. Tied 1-1 in the third, Singleton earned an escape which proved to be the difference in the 2-1 decision, forcing Olivieri to the backside.
Clark wrestled tough in his matchup with No. 9 seed David Evans (Utah Valley), hitting a reversal before losing 11-5. Barbosa lost to No. 19 seed Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) by 8-2 decision, while Pinto landed an early takedown before losing his rematch to No. 12 seed Carter Schubert (Oklahoma), 5-4. Cartagena-Walsh suffered a tough 4-1 decision in sudden victory to No. 22 seed Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State) to also move to wrestlebacks.
125: (24) Ayden Smith (0-2)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (9) Maximo Renteria (Oregon State) | L-D, 8-7 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (25) Kael Lauridsen (Nebraska) | L-D, 5-1 |
133: (26) Dylan Shawver (0-2)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (7) Lucas Byrd (Illinois) | L-D, 11-7 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (10) Maximillian Leete (American) | L-D, 4-1 |
141: (9) Joseph Olivieri (1-1)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (24) Nash Singleton (Oregon State) | L-D, 2-1 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (25) Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) | W-D, 8-7 |
| Conso. Rd. 2 | (10) Jack Consiglio (Stanford) | Friday, 12 p.m. |
149: (24) Andrew Clark (0-2)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (9) David Evans (Utah Valley) | L-D, 11-5 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (25) Michael Gioffre (Illinois) | L-TF, 18-1 (6:17) |
165: (14) Andrew Barbosa (0-2)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (19) Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) | L-D, 8-2 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (30) Thomas Snipes (Citadel) | L-TB1, 3-1 |
174: (21) Lenny Pinto (1-1)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (12) Carter Schubert (Oklahoma) | L-D, 5-4 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (28) Holden Garcia (Princeton) | W-D, 15-12 |
| Conso. Rd. 2 | (6) Matty Singleton (NC State) | Friday, 12 p.m. |
184: (11) Shane Cartagena-Walsh (1-1)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (22) Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State) | L-SV1, 4-1 |
| Conso. Rd. 1 | (28) Aidan Brenot (North Dakota St.) | W-D, 7-2 |
| Conso. Rd. 2 | (12) Dylan Fishback (Ohio State) | Friday, 12 p.m. |
197: (15) Remy Cotton (2-0)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (18) Andrew Reall (Brown) | W-D, 4-2 |
| Rd. 2 | (2) Rocky Elam (Iowa State) | W-MD, 12-4 |
| Quarterfinals | (7) Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State) | Friday, 12 p.m. |
HWT: (27) Hunter Catka (2-0)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
| Rd. 1 | (6) Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) | W-SV1, 6-3 |
| Rd. 2 | (11) Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois) | W-TB1, 2-1 |
| Quarterfinals | (3) Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) | Friday, 12 p.m. |
Players Mentioned
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