184: No. 1 Seed Rocco Welsh – Champion
B1G SEED: No. 1
CLASS: Sophomore
PLACE: Champion
2025-26 RECORD: 20-0
FINAL: No. 2 seed Max McEnelly, Minnesota
This was the first meeting off the season between the two men. McEnelly was hit with an early stall for going off the mat as Welsh pressured him. The wrestlers both worked the upper body early and it was 0-0 after one. Welsh took bottom to start the second and led 1-0 after escaping in six seconds. Welsh kept pushing McEnelly toward the edge, trying to get a second stall. Welsh got in on a high single with 50 seconds to go but McEnelly fought out. The period ended.
McEnelly was down to start the third and tied it 1-1 11 seconds later. More upper body work. Both wrestlers took shots but neither hit. The clock ticked under 1:00 and sudden victory for Welsh again seemed inevitable. It was.
McEnelly had a nice shot 30 seconds in but Welsh powered out. These was great defense from both men and it was on to the tiebreakers. Welsh started down. He was out in five seconds. McEnelly got behind Welsh, and McEnelly slammed him to the mat. No takedown was awarded, as the official said time expired. The Gopher corner threw the challenge brick. The call was upheld.
McEnelly took neutral to start the second tiebreaker. McEnelly went on the attack but could not score. Welsh had a meaningless first stall call.
RESULT: Welsh 2-1 decision (SV)
________________
________________
SEMIFINALS: No. 4 seed Brock Mantanona, Michigan
Mantanona scored an early takedown out of a scramble, but Welsh escaped and got in on a leg. He lifted it high and they went to the mat, but went off the edge and the scored remained 3-1. Another Welsh single and they hit the mat again, but there was a potentially dangerous call. Welsh got the leg again and could not convert before the period ended.
Down to start the second, Welsh got out quickly and it was 3-2. The Wolverine hit a single, but Welsh powered through on the ground and slipped behind for his first takedown and a 5-3 edge. An escape just before the period ended and it was 5-4. Mantanona was down to start the third facing 37 seconds of riding time. He was out and tied it 5-5. Time clicked below 45 seconds and it was clear this was going beyond regulation
In sudden victory again, Welsh got in on another single. Montanona tried to flip out of it. Welsh dove into his waist for the winning takedown.
RESULT: Welsh 8-5 decision (SV)
________________
SEMIFINALS: No. 4 seed Brock Mantanona, Michigan
Mantanona scored an early takedown out of a scramble, but Welsh escaped and got in on a leg. He lifted it high and they went to the mat, but went off the edge and the scored remained 3-1. Another Welsh single and they hit the mat again, but there was a potentially dangerous call. Welsh got the leg again and could not convert before the period ended.
Down to start the second, Welsh got out quickly and it was 3-2. The Wolverine hit a single, but Welsh powered through on the ground and slipped behind for his first takedown and a 5-3 edge. An escape just before the period ended and it was 5-4. Mantanona was down to start the third facing 37 seconds of riding time. He was out and tied it 5-5. Time clicked below 45 seconds and it was clear this was going beyond regulation
In sudden victory again, Welsh got in on another single. Montanona tried to flip out of it. Welsh dove into his waist for the winning takedown.
RESULT: Welsh 8-5 decision (SV)
________________
QUARTERFINALS: No. 8 seed Angelo Ferrari
Ferrari is ranked No. 2 in the nation but saw his Big Ten seed slide after missing significant time with an injury. Welsh beat him 2-1 in a tie-breaker in a dual meet when Ferrari was No. 1.
There was not much action early and the BJC crowd booed every time Ferrari tried to wrestle from one knee. Neither man took a serious shot in the first period. Ferrari was down to start the second and opened the scoring with an escape after 44 seconds. Ferrari hit a single but could not score.
Welsh was down to start the final period and escaped to tie it 1-1. Both wrestlers took shots. Neither converted. On to sudden victory. Ferrari got in deep on another single but Welsh fought it off. Then Welsh got in deep and Ferrari fought it off. On to tiebreakers.
Both men were exhausted. Welsh had choice and took bottom in the first tiebreaker. He kicked out in nine seconds. Then Ferrari took bottom. It took him 13 seconds to get out, and Welsh had a four-second advantage. They went back to the middle with six seconds to go. Ferrari could not score and Welsh got the victory.
RESULT: Welsh 3-2 decision (tiebreaker)
________________
OPENING ROUND: First-round bye.
________________
NOTES: The Ohio State transfer earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of his 2-1 tiebreaker win over then-No. 1 Angelo Ferrari of Iowa. … That bout was an example of how comfortable Welsh is in tight matches. He wrestled back for third at Big Tens as a Buckeye in 2024 on the strength of a 4-1 win in sudden victory and 4-2 in the third-place bout. Welsh redshirted in 2024-25.
________________