By Brian Reinhardt
USA Wrestling

It is no surprise that Virginia Tech freshman Bo Bassett is the lead story in the first full weekend of action. The uber-recruit just returned from Kazakhstan with a Senior World Championship for the U.S.

One week later, he donned a Hokie singlet for the first time, and his first opponent was the preseason #1.

In the final bout of #5 Virginia Tech’s 30-6 win over #12 Lehigh, all eyes were on Bassett against #1 Luke Stanich.

Bassett got a takedown in the first and a pair in the second to take a 9-3 lead into the third. It looked like the #1 vs. #2 battle for the top of the mountain at 141 pounds would go for bonus as Bassett extended the lead to 11-3, but Stanich reeled off a pair of third-period takedowns for the final 13-9 score.

In the dual, the Hokies won eight of the 10 bouts, with four going for bonus points.

Bassett wasn’t done for the weekend, as he scored three first-period tech falls at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic to easily win his pool-bracket.

Cornell Freshmen on Display 

Bassett was not the only freshman with great results this weekend. Cornell was in action for the first time, showcasing its top recruiting class at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic.

California twins Isaiah Cortez (125 pounds) and Elijah (133) are fighting for the starting spots at the lower weights for the Big Red. On Sunday, both went a perfect 3-0 to win their bracket.

Cornell’s best performance came from Jude Correa at 197 pounds. He also went 3-0, highlighted by a 13-3 major decision over returning ACC champion #9 Sonny Sasso of Virginia Tech.

Nebraska Transfers Shine 

The Cornhuskers opened their campaign with a dominating 28-9 win over #20 Wyoming.

Much was made about the transfer haul Nebraska brought in during the offseason, and those athletes lived up to the hype in the opening competition.

2025 national champion Vince Robinson (then of NC State) opened the dual with an 8-2 decision at 125 pounds.

But then a surprise to the Cornhuskers lineup stepped onto the mat, and at a new weight. Meyer Shapiro was a three-time All-American at Cornell at 157 pounds before transferring this offseason. He was expected to miss the entire year to heal and train, but with LJ Araujo, who was the North Dakota winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2024, suffering an injury at the U23 World Championships, Meyer stepped into the lineup against Wyoming at 165 pounds and dominated, scoring an 18-3 tech fall.

#2 Oklahoma State Rolls, Awaits #3 Nebraska 

In their first dual action, Oklahoma State warmed up for the season with a 45-0 shutout of Drexel. Obviously, the Cowboys took all 10 bouts, with eight going for bonus.

Freshman Dreshaun Ross, who was the Iowa and Midwest Region winner of the DSHSEA in 2026, had the most impressive win, a 13-4 major decision over #16 Nathan Schon at heavyweight.

Next up, the Cowboys face Nebraska this weekend in a top three battle in Stillwater.

Michigan Rules at Michigan State Open 

The Wolverines claimed six of the 10 titles at the Michigan State Open: 125 pounds, 133 pounds, 157 pounds, 165 pounds, 184 pounds and heavyweight.

In a Top-10 battle at 165 pounds, #5 Cameron Catrabone scored a 9-5 win over #2 Nicco Ruiz of Arizona State for the top win of the event. To advance to the semifinals, he scored a fall over Oklahoma State’s LaDarion Lockett, who was the Oklahoma and Central Region winner of the DSHSEA in 2025.

Dual Set-Up of the Week 

The Citadel hosted the third annual Throwdown on the Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Multiple duals were held on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown CV-10 anchored off the coast in the Charleston Harbor.