Wisconsin edges Michigan 19-17 in Madison
A series of one-point decisions and late bonus wins left Wisconsin with a 19-17 victory over No. 10 Michigan on Senior Day at the UW Field House.
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin beat Michigan 19-17 on Feb. 15, 2026, closing its home slate with an upset decision at the UW Field House.
Several narrow results swung the dual early. Nicolar Rivera held off Diego Sotelo 7-6 at 125 pounds after a late first-period two-point nearfall gave Rivera the edge and Sotelo closed with an escape and a riding-time point in the third that fell one short. Rivera entered the match ranked No. 18 and Sotelo No. 27 in the Feb. 9 rankings.
Joseph Zargo erased a 1-0 deficit with a third-period escape and an immediate takedown to beat Lachlan McNeil 4-1 at 149, and Luke Mechler won a 3-3 decision at 157 after an overtime riding-time point. Those one-score outcomes put Wisconsin in control before the final bouts.
Michigan responded with multiple bonus-point wins. No. 11 Dylan Ragusin recorded a 19-3 technical fall at 141, and the Mantanona brothers closed the dual with back-to-back bonus victories. No. 11 Beau Mantanona posted a 14-4 major decision at 174, and No. 7 Brock Mantanona finished by technical fall, 20-5, at 184.
At heavyweight, No. 5 Taye Ghadiali delivered a 2-1 overtime decision against No. 11 Braxton Amos. Ghadiali scored an escape in the second, Amos tied the match with an escape in the third and the overtime was decided after a penalty call against Amos in the extra period.
Wisconsin also secured decisive bouts in the middleweights. Zan Fugitt turned a string of takedowns and a riding-time point into a 17-5 major decision at 133, and No. 27 Cody Goebel recorded an 8-1 decision at 165. Wyatt Ingham added a 7-1 decision at 197.
Michigan collected four wins overall, including three with bonus points, but the Wolverines fell short after the sequence of one-point decisions that favored Wisconsin. The Badgers’ victory was noted as an upset by team releases and match coverage ahead of the Big Ten Championships.
The meet provided ranking implications and built narratives for both programs heading into postseason competition: Wisconsin closed at home with a signature dual result, while Michigan finished its regular Big Ten slate having earned multiple bonus wins but losing several swing matches that decided the dual.