David Evans advanced to the round of 16 at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 19 after securing his first win in Cleveland. Caleb Uhlenhopp also earned a victory for the Utah Valley Wolverines during the opening session at Rocket Arena.
The event is significant as it marks progress for both Evans and Uhlenhopp in a highly competitive national tournament, with further matches scheduled for later in the day.
Evans, seeded ninth, defeated Andrew Clark of Rutgers with an 11-5 decision. He achieved takedowns in each period and overcame a brief deficit following a reversal and penalty against him. Evans will next face Casey Swiderski of Oklahoma State, who is seeded eighth and holds the Big 12 championship title.
Uhlenhopp, seeded thirty-second at 184 pounds, won his pigtail match against Sam Goin of Indiana by a score of 4-1. He then moved on to face top-seeded Rocco Welsh of Penn State but lost by technical fall. Uhlenhopp is set to compete against Ian Bush of West Virginia in his next match.
Other Utah Valley wrestlers faced tough competition. Haiden Drury lost his opening bout to Braeden Davis of Penn State and will continue in the consolation bracket. Kael Bennie was defeated by Rocky Elam of Iowa State, while Jack Forbes lost to Taye Ghadiali of Michigan. Both Bennie and Forbes will have opportunities to continue wrestling in upcoming consolation matches.
The results from Session 1 reflect both victories and challenges for the Utah Valley team as they look ahead to further rounds.
