CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The JWU (Providence) wrestling team will have three student-athletes competing at the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship this Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) and Cedar Rapids Tourism will proudly serve as the host. 

Graduate student Thomas DiResta (157 bs.) will be joined by junior Jack Richardson (165 lbs.) and freshman Nico Rivera (125 lbs.) as the Wildcats seek to follow-up last year's national championship with a solid showing in Iowa.

NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship Brackets

At the NCAA Northeast Regionals on March 1, DiResta knocked off No. 2 seed Nate Camisciolo (VTSU Castleton) in his semifinal bout, 4-0, but forfeited the finals to No. 1 seed Peter Kane (Williams) to place second overall. DiResta – who owns a 16-4 record – is slated to meet Paul Lichter (St. John Fisher) in the opening round.

Richardson – who placed second at last year's regional – defeated top-seeded Henry Forte (Williams) in the semis by a 16-0 tech fall (2:06). In the final, he hit a seven-point move in the final 38 seconds to down No. 3 seed Jashon Holmes (VTSU Castleton), 11-2, and improve to 27-2. For his efforts, Richardson was named co-Most Outstanding Wrestler and the No. 8 seed at nationals, where he will face No. 9 Bo Koedam (Coe).

Rivera (31-4) downed No. 3 seed Nick Beato (Coast Guard) 4-1 in the semis before taking down Andrew Marchese (VTSU Castleton) 3-2 in the finals. Rivera – who fell to Marchese in two previous meetings this season – gives the Wildcats nine first-place finishers in the last 10 years at regionals at 125 lbs.: Bobby Jordan (2016-17), Jay Albis (2018-19), Justin Lopez (2020), Joziah Fry (2023-25), and now Rivera. He is the No. 5 seed and faces the winner of Kurt Mokros (Ohio Northern) and Aidan Gruenenfelder (Loras).

The championship welcomes 68 teams from across the country competing for team and individual national titles. From those 68 teams, 210 individuals emerged earning qualification through one of the seven regional tournaments. The 68 programs will highlight the nationwide reach of Division III men's wrestling. Johnson & Wales (Providence) and Wartburg College are the defending national champions. Dating back to the 1995 championship, a "Burg" institution has hoisted the national championship trophy between Augsburg and Wartburg. The Auggies are the lone team to qualify ten wrestlers to the championship as they look to raise the championship trophy for the first time since 2024. 

The championship field features qualifiers across ten weight classes, with wrestlers competing through a double-elimination bracket to determine All-Americans and a national champion. Thousands of fans will enter Eastern Iowa to take in two days of high-level competition. The unofficial pre-championship brackets can be found HERE. 

Cedar Rapids is a strong destination for hosting Division III men's wrestling, as this will be the 10th championship in the area. 

The championship will officially kick off on Thursday, March 12 with an opening press conference featuring regional champion head coaches and most outstanding wrestlers from each regional. The press conference will be livestreamed on YouTube for those not able to attend in-person. Competition will begin on Friday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m. with preliminary rounds one and two as well as consolation first rounds.

The evening session on Friday will begin at 5:00 p.m. with championship quarterfinals and consolation second and third rounds. Saturday, March 14, wrestling will start back up at 10:00 a.m. with championship semifinals, consolation quarterfinals, consolation semifinals, and consolation matches for third, fifth, and seventh place. The finals session will begin with a parade of All-Americans at 6:30 p.m. with the finals matches beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available HERE on the CREventslive website. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets at the ticket office to avoid Ticketmaster fees. 

For fans of the A-R-C, a preview of the 29 qualifiers from the league will be available on Thursday ahead of the championship.