Kent State University
MAC Championships
Flashes Looking To Make Noise At 2026 MAC Wrestling Championships In Buffalo
3/5/2026 10:45:00 AM | Wrestling
BUFFALO, New York- The Kent State Wrestling team will put all of their season's hard work on the mat in Buffalo, New York this weekend for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships.Â
The Tournament will be a two-day double elimination event with each of the 12 teams in the conference entering one wrestler in 10 weight classes to compete for the title. This will be the first postseason under Josh Moore as he and his staff produced eight dual victories in the regular season which was the most in a season for Kent State in eight years.Â
KSU is also looking for their first top five finish in the MAC Championships since that same season(2017-2018). With many accomplishments in the regular season this year, Kent State believes they have the roster to make some noise.
MAC Championship Roster
125- Nico Calello(17-16; 3-6 MAC)
Nico Calello has been a consistent piece for the Golden Flashes this season as a senior in the starting lineup. A big moment for Calello this year came in a Grudge Match decision win over Brayden Teunissen(Ohio) 6-4.
133- Nick Molchak(19-15; 4-5 MAC)
Molchak came in as a proven starter this season as a transfer from Cleveland State who placed 6th in the 2025 MAC Championships. He is currently ranked 30th in the NCAA RPI Rankings looking to claim a spot in Cleveland.
Molchak on how he is preparing for the MAC Tournament: "Keeping my routine, and making sure I'm attentive and mentally focused at practice as well as keeping a healthy diet prior to competition."
141- Landen Duncan(10- 14; 1-5 MAC)
Landen Duncan will represent the Golden Flashes at the 141-pound weight class in Buffalo. He comes in as a transfer from Cleveland State who brings a scrappy style to the mat in every match.
149- Silas Stits(20-11; 1-5 MAC)
As a true freshman, Silas Stits has made a big impact on the team as a starter in year one. Stits is back on the mat after missing some time with an injury and is a strong candidate to be a dark horse at the 149-pound division.
157- Reese Stephen(10-11; 2-6 MAC)
As another transfer from Cleveland State, Stephen has perhaps been one of the most improved wrestlers for Kent State this season. He was able to produce five wins for the Flashes in dual meets this season.
Stephen on what he has improved upon the most this season to prepare well for the MAC Championships: "Trusting myself and trying to put myself in as many wrestling positions as possible to create scoring opportunities."
165- Chris Earnest(15-6; 5-2 MAC)
Earnest joined the starting lineup in the middle of the season and has been on fire ever since. He is ranked 34th in RPI and brings experience as a 2025 SoCon runner-up at Campbell and is a serious contender at 165 this year. He is currently listed as the fifth-seed in the bracket.
Earnest on how he prepares mentally and physically for the MAC Tournament: "Mentally I just remind myself that this is the best part of the season where the fun happens. Physically we prepare by putting the trust in our coaches and maximum effort into practice and lift."
174- Ethan Barr(21-11; 4-5 MAC)
Barr has produced a strong season for the Flashes with national recognition. He is ranked in the top 10 in the country in falls with 9 and recently broke the NCAA Ride Time Record with a time of 6:41. His wrestling style makes him a dangerous threat to go on a deep run in the MAC Championships at 174.
Barr on how he prepares mentally and physically for the MAC Championships: "Trust in the work I've put in throughout the season and continue to do the things that have gotten me to where I am now. Fix the fixable and focus on the controllable."
184- Ronnie Dimmerling(11-12; 2-5 MAC)
Dimmerling has seen increased action on the mat for Kent State as the season has progressed as a transfer from Cleveland State. A big moment for him this season came in a win against Caleb Roe(NIU) on the road by a score of 7-6.
197- Blake Schaffer(21-8; 6-3 MAC)
This weekend in Buffalo will be the final shot at a MAC title for senior Blake Schaffer after a great four years with the Flashes. Schaffer is currently ranked 35th in RPI and leads the team with 56 takedowns and six MAC victories. Schaffer was an alternate at the 2024 NCAA Championships and will look to take a spot at this year's championships in Cleveland right down the road. Â
Schaffer on how he prepares mentally and physically for the MAC Championships:Â
"I like to have my body feeling good going into the tournament and for me, this could be my last wrestling tournament ever so why not give it everything I got. I have nothing to lose, this is it."
285- Brentan Simmerman(13-10; 3-3 MAC)
As the highest ranked member of the Flashes in RPI(29), Simmerman will look to steal a top three spot at the Heavyweight division to punch a ticket to Cleveland. He helped bring The Grudge Match Trophy back to Kent with a win in the final bout over Evan Wingrove(Ohio).
Simmerman on how he prepares mentally and physically for the MAC Tournament: "I write down my goals everyday and make sure I'm eating all the right food for recovery."
Kent State MAC Championship History
The Golden Flashes have won the MAC Tournament team title a total of 10 times which is good for third-most in the conference all-time with the last coming in 1990. However, Kent State has claimed three regular season team titles more recently.
As a team, the Flashes have finished in 11th place out of 13 teams each of the last two seasons. The last individual champion for the program came in 2022 as Kody Komamra took home the 149-pound title that year.
NCAA MAC Wrestling Pre-Allocations
The Mid-American Conference was awarded 27 allocations for automatic bids to the upcoming NCAA Championships, which is fourth-most of any conference. Those allocations are broken down by weight class below and represent how many MAC Championship place-winners at each weight will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships depending on their path through the MAC bracket.Â
Five at-large bids throughout all conferences will be additionally awarded after championship weekend at the 125 and 165-pound weight classes. All other classes will receive four.
125- 2
133- 4
141- 2
149- 4
157- 4
165- 2
174- 2Â
184- 3
197- 2
285- 2
Road To Cleveland
The 2026 NCAA Division One Men's Wrestling National Championships will take place right down the road from Kent this year at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio from March 19-21. The Flashes will hope to advance a few wrestlers to the national tournament depending on results from the MAC Brackets and qualifying matches this weekend.
Follow Kent State Wrestling
For complete coverage of Kent State Wrestling, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook for news and updates.
Players Mentioned
