By Brian Reinhardt
USA Wrestling

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Penn State only sent two of its starters, Aaron Nagao at 141 pounds and Josh Barr at 197 pounds, but just like at the last four NCAA Championships, the Nittany Lions came away with the team title at the 2026 Southern Scuffle. 

Penn State captured five of the 10 individual championships and cleared second-place Penn by 20 points, 143.5-123.5. Picking up titles for the Nittany Lions were Barr, Connor Pierce (149), Joe Sealey (157), Will Henckel (174) and Asher Cunningham (184). 

Little Rock had four wrestlers advance into the finals and finished in third place, with Matty Bianchi taking the 165-pound crown. Virginia Tech was the only other school outside of Penn State with multiple individual titles—bookends Eddie Ventresca at 125 pounds and Jimmy Mullen at heavyweight. 

Also standing atop the podium of one of the toughest in-season tournaments were Dom Serrano of Northern Colorado at 133 pounds and Vince Cornella of Cornell at 141 pounds. Serrano was named the Outstanding Wrestler award recipient.

Complete results and archived matches from the Southern Scuffle are available at FloWrestling.com.

2026 Southern Scuffle 

At Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jan. 3-4  

Finals Summary 

125: #3 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) dec. #20 Zeke Witt (North Dakota State), 4-1 (SV1) 

A two-time All-American, Ventresca cruised to the title, not conceding a single takedown in any of his six matches. In the semifinals, he scored an 8-3 win over former Virginia Tech teammate #26 Cooper Flynn (now at Chattanooga). In the final, he notched the lone takedown of the bout 1:22 into extra time for a 4-1 win. Ranked #3 nationally and doubling his season match total this weekend, he is a perfect 3-0 all-time, including 1-0 this year, against the defending national champion Vince Robinson of NC State. 

133: #16 Dom Serrano (Northern Colorado) dec. #10 Braxton Brown (Maryland), 5-4 

In one of the most exciting finals matches, Serrano scored the last-second win. Tied 1-1 late in the third, Brown scored the first takedown with around 30 seconds left. After an escape, Serrano went to work and was awarded the takedown right before the final whistle. Before this weekend, Serrano had only wrestled one match. He got in five matches over the last two days, capped with a top-10 win over last year’s #5 seed at the NCAAs. 

141: #13 Vince Cornella (Cornell) dec. #5 CJ Composto (Penn), 7-2 

In the final, Cornella scored a takedown in both the first and third periods for the top-five win. After conceding a takedown in his first bout, he did not give up another the rest of the tournament. He also posted a top-20 win over #14 Tom Crook of Virginia Tech in the semifinals (7-3). Cornella recently returned to the Cornell lineup in late December, after he was out of action with an injury since the 2024 EIWA Championship. 

149: Connor Pierce (Penn State) dec. #30 Brock Herman (Little Rock), 13-6 

He gave up the opening takedown in the first, but Pierce stormed back for the 13-6 win—Penn State’s first champion of the day. Pierce picked up a takedown in all three periods. He is a R-Jr. at Penn State. 

157: Joe Sealey (Penn State) dec. Daniel Zepeda (NC State), 11-8 

The second-straight Nittany Lion back-up to claim the title, in a battle of two top-10 recruits. Sealey was #6 in the 2024 class, and Zepeda was #8 in the 2025 class. Both scored a takedown and a pair of escapes to go 5-5 into the third period. Zepeda scored another takedown, answered by Sealey in the final 30 seconds. On the mat return, Zepeda’s leg was bent a bit, and the final two points were due to injury. Sealey would have to beat out freshman PJ Duke to make the Penn State lineup, while NC State has to decide if Zepeda is taking a redshirt or being inserted into the lineup after the news Jackson Arrington is done for the season after shoulder surgery. 

165: #6 Matty Bianchi (Little Rock) dec. #22 Gunner Filipowicz (Army), 5-1 

Tied 1-1 in the third, Bianchi scored the lone takedown of the bout and added the riding time point for the 5-1 win and the title. Bianchi is coming off an All-American season and runs his record to a perfect 11-0 after this weekend. 

174: Will Henckel (Penn State) dec. Caden Bellis (Penn), 5-0 

Henckel got a first-period takedown and a third-period third ride out for the tournament win. He was a U20 World silver medalist this summer, the #13 overall recruit in the 2025 class, and is in redshirt this season. 

184: Asher Cunningham (Penn State) dec. #32 Caleb Campos (American), 12-9 

One of the most exciting and highest scoring bouts of the tournaments, not without its stoppages and official reviews. There were 11 points put up in the first period, with Campos holding a 7-4 lead. The lead was still Campos’ going into the third at 9-7, but Cunningham scored a reversal and a two-point near fall before the riding time point was added for the 12-9 final score. Cunningham was the #18 overall recruit in the 2025 class and is in redshirt this season. 

197: #1 Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. #3 Stephen Little (Little Rock), 9-1 

The fifth and final Penn State title. A top-three battle wasn’t what most expected, as Little is dealing with some discomfort in his leg. Little came into the match with his left leg heavily taped and had to take injury time in the first, and was favoring the leg throughout. The returning NCAA finalist Barr recorded takedowns in the first and second periods. This was the only one of the 10 final matches that was a rematch. Last December, Barr earned a 4-1 win over Little in extra time. 

285: #12 Jimmy Mullen (Virginia Tech) dec. Michael Gasper (Little Rock), 9-5 

Mullen opened a 7-1 lead after the first period with a pair of takedowns. Gasper made a comeback with a third-period takedown but couldn’t get the score closer than the 9-5 final. 

Team Standings 

1. Penn State, 143.5

2. Penn, 123.5

3. Little Rock, 106

4. Virginia Tech, 105.5

5. North Dakota State, 99

6. Army, 91.5

7. Cornell, 75

8. Navy, 72

9. Chattanooga, 67

T-10. American, 61

T-10. Utah Valley, 61