Minnesota Wrestler McEnelly Wins NCAA Title Over Penn State's Welsh

McEnelly sticks to game plan, scores early takedown to defeat top seed Welsh

Mar. 22, 2026 at 12:57am

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Max McEnelly of the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated Rocco Welsh of Penn State 4-3 to win the NCAA wrestling championship. McEnelly was able to score an early takedown in the first period, which proved to be the difference as he held off a late rally from Welsh. This marks McEnelly's first NCAA title after finishing third last year.

Why it matters

McEnelly's victory over the top-seeded Welsh is a significant accomplishment, as he was unable to defeat other elite wrestlers like Carter Starocci and Parker Keckeisen in previous years. The win showcases McEnelly's growth and ability to execute his game plan against a tough opponent on the biggest stage.

The details

McEnelly couldn't land a takedown on Welsh in the Big Ten finals two weeks ago, but was able to do so in the first period of the NCAA championship match. Welsh made a late push with fast-paced attacks, but McEnelly was able to hold him off and claim the title. McEnelly credited his work with assistant coach Michael Kemerer, a former Iowa standout, for elevating his wrestling to another level this season.

  • The NCAA Wrestling Championships took place on March 21-22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • McEnelly finished third at the 2025 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia.

The players

Max McEnelly

A wrestler for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who won the NCAA championship in 2026 after finishing third the previous year.

Rocco Welsh

The top-seeded wrestler from Penn State who lost to McEnelly in the 2026 NCAA championship match.

Michael Kemerer

The assistant coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who has helped elevate McEnelly's wrestling to another level in his second season with the program.

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What they’re saying

“Going through my head, I mean, there's so many different emotions that fill you at one time. It's really hard to explain. I said it last night, but you spend years of your life dedicating yourself to this sport to get to this stage, to wrestle on the biggest stage. So it feels good for it to finally pay off.”

— Max McEnelly

“Yeah, trying to put one on him first was definitely something that we talked about. And I should have put more on him. It's just not the way it went. But, yeah, there was definitely an emphasis to score early and to keep scoring and to, especially, put the pressure on him. Make him back up, stay in the center. So I felt that I did a pretty good job of that this match ...”

— Max McEnelly

“Our entire coaching staff is amazing. But with Kemerer coming in, he just elevated me to another level. He was a guy that's been here before. He's wrestled on the biggest stages. And, I mean, he's really damn good at wrestling. So just to be able to wrestle with him every single day, how could you not get better wrestling with someone like that?”

— Max McEnelly

The takeaway

McEnelly's NCAA championship victory showcases his growth and ability to execute his game plan against an elite opponent. The work he has done with assistant coach Michael Kemerer has clearly paid dividends, elevating McEnelly's wrestling to new heights and helping him capture the title after falling short in previous years.