Penn State wrestling got its 2026 Big Ten championships started with a bang.
Because top seeds Luke Lilledahl (125) and Marcus Blaze (133) got byes, the first person to wrestle for PSU was Braeden Davis.
Davis, seeded sixth at 141, took on Maryland’s Dario Lemus (No. 11) in the first round, and grinded out a 6-4 win.
Davis got the scoring started late in the first period with a takedown. Then, in the second period, Lemus took a 4-3 lead thanks to a near fall. Davis quickly reversed that and to take a 5-4 lead, and ended up riding Lemus out for the rest of the bout.
By the end of the match, Davis had more than three minutes of riding time, which was more than enough for secure an extra point. He’ll now take on No. 3 Vance VomBaur (Minnesota) in the quarterfinals set for later in Session I.
Davis has been a factor in Penn State’s lineup since his true freshman season (2023-24). That year, he won the Big Ten championship at 125 pounds. The next season, Davis moved up to 133 and became an All-American, finishing fifth in the national championships in Cleveland.
The plan coming into this season was for Davis to redshirt.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.But after projected starter Aaron Nagao suffered a career-ending shoulder injury, Davis became Penn State’s starter at 141.
He’s 9-3 at the new weight, with 66.67% of his wins being bonus points triumphs.
Davis hasn’t wrestled VomBaur yet in his career.
VomBaur, who took care of Michigan State’s Jaden Crumpler, is 19-4 this season.
Follow along with Nittany Sports Now for Big Ten Championship updates throughout this weekend.
