Wisconsin Wrestling Gains Momentum After Big Ten Tournament

Badgers send seven automatic qualifiers to NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Wisconsin wrestling coach Chris Bono is feeling optimistic after the Badgers' performance at the Big Ten Tournament. The team will send seven automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, including reigning All-American Zan Fugitt and several other standout wrestlers. Bono praised the team's effort and resilience, noting that some wrestlers exceeded expectations and avenged earlier losses, building momentum heading into the national tournament.

Why it matters

Wisconsin's strong showing at the Big Ten Tournament demonstrates the program's growth and competitiveness on the national stage. Sending seven automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships puts the Badgers in a good position to make a deep run and potentially crown individual champions, which would be a major accomplishment for the program.

The details

At the Big Ten Tournament, reigning All-American Zan Fugitt (133) finished in 4th place, the highest placement for Wisconsin. The Badgers will also send Joe Zargo (149), Luke Mechler (157), Cody Goebel (165), Luke Condon (174), Wyatt Ingham (197) and Braxon Amos (285) to the NCAA Championships. Coach Bono was particularly impressed with Goebel, who bounced back from an earlier loss to beat two opponents and qualify for the national tournament.

  • The Big Ten Tournament took place on March 4-5, 2026.
  • The NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held in Cleveland in less than two weeks.

The players

Chris Bono

The head coach of the Wisconsin wrestling team.

Zan Fugitt

A reigning All-American wrestler for Wisconsin who finished 4th in the 133-pound weight class at the Big Ten Tournament.

Cody Goebel

A Wisconsin wrestler who bounced back from an earlier loss to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 165-pound weight class.

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What they’re saying

“Pretty good for us. A lot of effort again. And then to end the tournament with Wyatt's pin is super exciting. Lot of momentum heading to Cleveland, yeah, super proud. You know, people picking us to not do real good. We've got seven in automatically, hoping to get our eighth guy in. That's a big number to go the national tournament.”

— Chris Bono, Head Coach (on3.com)

“I can't be more proud of guy like Luke Condon and it shows the toughness of our program and what he's been through to come back and qualify a spot to go to the NCAA championships. And then what do you say about Cody Goebel? You know, the guy he just beat to go to the NCAA Championships, he tech falled Cody about a month ago in our own arena. So for us to come back like that shows the resilience of our program and the toughness and what we're trying to build and create every day.”

— Chris Bono, Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

The NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held in Cleveland in less than two weeks, where the Badgers will look to build on their momentum and potentially crown individual champions.

The takeaway

Wisconsin's strong performance at the Big Ten Tournament, sending seven automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, demonstrates the program's growth and competitiveness under Coach Bono. The Badgers' resilience and ability to exceed expectations sets them up for a potentially deep run at the national tournament, which could be a major accomplishment for the program.