Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines Set to Host Rival MSU for Big Ten Opener
1/6/2026 4:37:00 PM | Wrestling
Promotions
Jan. 9
• Maize Out -- All fans are invited to Maize Out Michigan State by wearing maize to Friday's dual meet. Takedown fan signs will also be available to the first 1,500 fans, while the first 300 students will receive Student Hard Hats. The Wolverines will also celebrate Alumni Night as part of the Big Ten opener; all Michigan Wrestling alumni in attendance will be recognized during the intermission break.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) will return home to kick off the Big Ten Conference portion of its 2025-26 slate when it hosts in-state rival Michigan State (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 9) at Crisler Center.
Notes
• Michigan has posted a 26-13 Big Ten dual record over the last five seasons, finishing top five in the dual standings in four of those five seasons, including a runner-up finish in 2022 -- the same year U-M captured the conference tournament title. Michigan is looking to bounce back from last season's 3-5 conference record; it was the program's first losing record in Big Ten action since 2016-17.
• U-M went 4-2 in dual meet action over the first semester, including dominant home wins against VMI (27-0, Nov. 9) and Virginia (35-3, Nov. 23), claiming 19 of 20 matches across the two meets with 13 bonus wins. U-M posted four falls in its win against UVA -- its most recent dual outing -- for the program's most falls in a dual since tallying five against Sacred Heart in 2015.
• Michigan State is 3-2 on the season and, like Michigan, will make its Big Ten debut this Friday. The Spartans most recently fell at home to American 20-17 on Dec. 18. Two Spartan wrestlers are ranked nationally by InterMat -- No. 27 Max Vanadia (Hwt) and No. 29 Kael Wisler (197). Michigan owns a 77-35-5 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan State and has won the last 14 meetings, including a 27-12 decision last season in East Lansing.
• The Wolverines have nine wrestlers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including five in the top 15 according to InterMat: No. 14 Cameron Catrabone (157), No. 12 Beau Mantanona (174), No. 8 Brock Mantanona (184) and No. 6 Taye Ghadiali (Hwt). Lachlan McNeil also holds the No. 10 spot at 149 pounds according to FloWrestling.
• Graduate student Dylan Ragusin is expected to make his season dual debut against Michigan State in his first varsity competition back from last year's season-ending injury suffered in Las Vegas. Ragusin, who took fifth place at 133 pounds in 2024, is a four-time NCAA qualifier and owns an 87-34 career record. He is 2-2 this season after taking fourth place at 141 pounds at the Kent State Open last month.
• Redshirt sophomore Dylan Gilcher will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season after suffering a knee injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6). Gilcher posted a 7-3 record last semester, including a 5-1 mark in dual meets, after bumping up two weights to 165 pounds. He had surged to as high as No. 15 in the national rankings. Gilcher will have three more years of eligibility after medical hardship.
• The Wolverines posted their highest finish at the CKLV in eight years with a runner-up showing in their most recent official competition last month. U-M earned five individual placewinners, including four in the top four at their respective weights and with redshirt freshman Brock Mantanona leading the way with a second-place finish at 184 pounds.
• Brock Mantanona is 9-2 on the season and owns four ranked wins at 184 pounds, most notably a 10-8 decision over Nebraska's sixth-ranked Silas Allred at the National Duals. Mantanona also cruised to an 18-5 major decision against Oklahoma's 13th-ranked Brian Soldano in the CKLV semifinals. He boasts five bonus wins.
• Redshirt sophomore Beau Mantanona and graduate student heavyweight Taye Ghadiali both bounced back from quarterfinal losses to post matching 6-1 records and claim third place at the CKLV at 174 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Mantanona avenged his only loss of the tournament with a 6-3 decision against South Dakota State's 24th-ranked Moses Espinoza-Owens -- after pinning Iowa State's No. 8 MJ Gaitan at 3:50. He shares the team lead with four falls.
• Ghadiali leads the team with an 11-2 record and boasts bonus points in nine of his wins -- five technical falls, three major decisions and a pin. Five of those have come against ranked opposition, most notably a 17-2 tech against Arizona State's No. 23 David Szuba and a 9-1 major decision over Cal Poly's No. 24 Trevor Tinker.
• Redshirt freshman Catrabone surged to No. 14 at 157 pounds -- his highest ranking yet -- after claiming fourth place at the CKLV Invitational and going 8-4 over first-semester competition. Catrabone boasts five ranked wins, including three at CKLV with a first-period fall against Purdue's 19th-ranked Stoney Buell, and seven bonus wins. He shares the team lead with four falls.
Players Mentioned
