STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Four Boilermakers clinched spots on the Big Ten Wrestling Championships podium Saturday, effectively securing their trips to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
No. 21 Purdue closed Day 1 of the conference tournament with seven wrestlers still battling to the final day in the consolation brackets. Action will continue Sunday with Session III at noon ET inside Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center.
Brody Baumann (No. 8 at 174 lbs.), Joey Blaze (No. 2 at 165), Blake Boarman (No. 10 at 133) and Ben Vanadia (No. 9 at 197) all punched their tickets to the national championships in Cleveland in two weeks.
3⃣ more Boilers clinch podium spots in the span of a few minutes 👌
— Purdue Wrestling (@PurdueWrestling) March 7, 2026
#2 Joey Blaze 4-1 Dec. #9 Tyler Lillard
#8 Brody Baumann 8-6 Dec. #7 Ethan Riddle (MIN)
#9 Ben Vanadia 7-2 Dec. #7 Kael Wisler (MSU) pic.twitter.com/gKDsChN21K
Boarman was the first to do so when he pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament by knocking off defending NCAA champion Lucas Byrd in the quarterfinals. The Boilermaker later fell to No. 3 Ben Davino in the semifinals but will continue his chase for third place on Sunday.
Joining Boarman in the race for bronze is Blaze, who shook off his first loss of the season to rebound and earn two more top-10 victories to advance to the consolation semifinals. Blaze and Boarman each need two more wins to finish in the top three.
After placing third last year at 157, Blaze could become the first Boilermaker to earn back-to-back top-three conference finishes since Devin Schroder in 2020 and 2021. Blaze would be the first to do so in different weight classes since Dave Walter in 1989 and 1990.
Redshirt senior Vanadia did just enough to become a first-time national qualifier after toughing out a grinding final month of the season. He defeated No. 7 Kael Wisler in a 7-2 decision before medically forfeiting his final two bouts, locking up eighth place.
Because the Big Ten holds far more automatic bids to the national tournament than any other conference, three other Boilermakers are still fighting for a chance to go to Cleveland.
Gavin Brown (No. 12 at 149), Stoney Buell (No. 9 at 157) and Hayden Filipovich (No. 11 at 285) still have matches with an auto-bid up for grabs. James Rowley (No. 10 at 184) will wrestle on for ninth place to bolster his at-large candidacy, but he can no longer earn an auto-bid since his weight class only takes the top eight to nationals.
Purdue enters Day 2 in 12th place with 23 team points. Sessions III and IV on Sunday will be streamed on B1G+.
RESULTS
125 | #13 Ashton Jackson (R-So.) – 0-3 (DNP)
Round 1: #4 Jacob Moran (IU) – L, TF 17-2 (3:53)
Cons. Round 1: #5 Ayden Smith (RU) – L, Dec. 4-2 (TB-1)
9th Place Quarters: #12 Nick Corday (MSU) – L, Dec. 7-0
133 | #10 Blake Boarman (R-Sr.) – 2-1 – NCAA Qualifier
Round 1: #7 Sean Spidle (NU) – W, Dec. 3-2
Quarters: #2 Lucas Byrd (ILL) – W, Dec. 7-3
Semis: #3 Ben Davino (OSU) – L, TF 21-5 (4:17)
UP NEXT – Cons. Semis: #4 Zan Fugitt (WIS)
141 | #7 Greyson Clark (Jr.) – 0-2 (DNP)
Round 1: #10 Joey Olivieri (RU)
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #8 Billy DeKraker (NU) – L, Dec. 5-4
149 | #12 Gavin Brown (R-Jr.) – 1-2
Round 1: #5 Carter Young (MD) – L, Dec. 8-1
Cons. Round 1: #13 Clayton Jones (MSU) – L, MD 10-2
9th Place Quarters: #11 Joey Buttler (IU) – W, Dec. 2-1
UP NEXT – 9th Place Semis: #8 Ryder Block (IOWA)
157 | #9 Stoney Buell (R-Sr.) – 0-2
Round 1: #8 Luke Mechler (WIS) – L, Dec. 7-2
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #7 Brandon Cannon (OSU) – L, MFFL
9th Place Quarters: BYE
UP NEXT – 9th Place Semis: #12 Darius Marines (MSU)
165 | #2 Joey Blaze (Jr.) – 2-1 – NCAA Qualifier
Round 1: BYE
Quarters: #7 Andrew Barbosa (RU) – L, Dec. 3-2
Cons. Round 2: #9 Tyler Lillard (IU) – W, Dec. 4-1
Cons. Quarters: #6 Braeden Scoles (ILL) – W, Dec. 5-0
UP NEXT – Cons. Semis: #5 Andrew Sparks (MIN)
174 | #8 Brody Baumann (R-Jr.) – 1-2 – NCAA Qualifier
Round 1: #9 Colin Kelly (ILL) – L, MD 11-2
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #7 Ethan Riddle (MIN) – W, Dec. 8-6
Cons. Quarters: #11 Lenny Pinto (RU) – L, Dec. 8-5
UP NEXT – 7th Place Match: #9 Colin Kelly (ILL)
184 | #10 James Rowley (R-Jr.) – 0-2
Round 1: #7 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU) – L, Dec. 5-2 (SV-1)
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #8 Angelo Ferrari (IOWA) – L, Dec. 5-1
9th Place Quarters: BYE
UP NEXT – 9th Place Semis: #12 Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (MD)
197 | #9 Ben Vanadia (R-Sr.) – 1-3 – NCAA Qualifier (8th Place)
Round 1: #8 Gabe Sollars (IU) – L, MFFL
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #7 Kael Wisler (MSU) – W, Dec. 7-2
Cons. Quarters: #3 Remy Cotton (RU) – L, MFFL
7th Place Match: #4 Branson John (MD) – L, MFFL
285 | #11 Hayden Filipovich (R-Sr.) – 1-2
Round 1: #6 Luke Luffman (ILL) – L, Dec. 5-1
Cons. Round 1: #14 Caleb Marzolino (IU) – L, Fall 0:29
9th Place Quarters: #14 Caleb Marzolino (IU) – W, Dec. 4-3
UP NEXT – 9th Place Semis: #8 Hunter Catka (RU)