Michigan
Arizona State
Wolverines to Compete in Inaugural National Duals Invitational, Open Against ASU
11/11/2025 4:14:00 PM | Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (1-0) will compete in the inaugural National Duals Invitational, to be held Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 15-16) at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. Michigan will square off against Arizona State (0-0) in the first round at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday and provided a victory, will face the winner of Lehigh/Nebraska in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. CT that afternoon.
The 16-team field was determined based on teams' finish in the final 2025 NCAA Division I standings; 11 of the top-12 teams accepted automatic invitations, while all participating teams placed 22nd or higher. Among this year's field will be seven of the top-10 ranked teams, including four of the nation's top-five teams -- No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Oklahoma State.
All teams are guaranteed at least two dual matches, with prize money going to the top eight teams, including $200,000 to the event champion.
Notes
• The Wolverines have eight wrestlers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including five in the top 15 according to InterMat: No. 10 Dylan Ragusin (141), No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (149), No. 11 Beau Mantanona (174), No. 14 Brock Mantanona (184) and No. 4 Taye Ghadiali (Hwt).
• Michigan earned eight bonus wins -- with seven technical falls -- in its dual debut against VMI last Sunday (Nov. 9). It was the Wolverines' most lopsided win since defeating Oregon State 48-0 at home in 2017-18 and their first shutout victory since a 39-0 win at Central Michigan in 2023-24.
• Six different wrestlers made debuts -- and all were victorious -- in Wolverines' starting lineup against VMI. Freshmen Gauge Botero and Eren Sement made their collegiate debuts at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, while graduate students Diego Sotelo (125), McNeil (149) and Ghadiali (Hwt) all made their official Michigan debuts. Redshirt freshman Hayden Walters, who opened his college career with back-to-back redshirts after coming in with injury, made his long-awaited varsity debut at 197 pounds.
• Three Wolverines in Sunday's lineup appeared at new weight classes. Beau Mantanona moved up one spot to 174 pounds, while redshirt sophomore Dylan Gilcher and Brock Mantanona bumped up two weights to 165 and 184 pounds, respectively.
• Michigan crowned three champions and had five total placewinners at the Michigan State Open last Saturday (Nov. 8). Junior Sergio Lemley and redshirt junior Codei Khawaja captured the 149- and 184-pound titles in the open division, while redshirt freshman Justin Gates claimed the 157-pound freshman/sophomore title in his college debut. Freshman Cooper Hilton also reached the freshman/sophomore final at 149 pounds in his debut.
• Arizona State will make its season dual debut against Michigan at the National Duals after posting a 4-11 dual record last season. ASU crowned six individual champions at the Michigan State Open last Saturday, most notably Chance McLane (157) and Leo Tukhlynovych (174) in the open division. Seven Sun Devils wrestlers are currently nationally ranked by InterMat; the highest being No. 14 Nicco Ruiz at 165 pounds. Michigan is 6-3 all-time against ASU and has won each of the last four meetings, including a 23-12 road win in the most recent head-to-head in 2019.
• Michigan returned three NCAA qualifiers from its 2024-25 starting lineup. Lemley and Beau Mantanona reached the NCAA Round of 12, finishing just one win shy of All-America honors at 141 and 165 pounds, respectively. Gilcher, who, along with Mantanona, qualified for his first NCAAs, posted a 0-2 record at 149 pounds.
• Michigan also returned graduate student Ragusin, who missed most of 2024-25 after suffering a season-ending injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December. Ragusin, who took fifth place at 133 pounds in 2024, is a four-time NCAA qualifier and owns an 85-30 career record.
• Ragusin will bump up to 141 pounds this season and currently ranks as the No. 11-ranked wrestler at the weight class. Lemley, U-M's returning 141-pounder, is currently slated to redshirt the 2025-26 season. He has also moved up in weight and will compete unattached at 149 pounds.
• McNeil, Sotelo and Ghadiali joined the Wolverines this season as graduate transfers from North Carolina, Harvard, and Campbell, respectively. McNeil, a three-time All-American at both 141 and 149 pounds, finished fourth (2023), sixth (2024), and fifth (2025) in the NCAA and compiled an 83-24 record over four years at UNC. Sotelo, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds, reached the NCAA Round of 16 in 2024 and accumulated a 55-34 record at Harvard. Ghadiali claimed eighth place at the 2024 NCAA Championships and was a four-time NCAA qualifier at heavyweight. During his time at Campbell, Ghadiali posted a 102-28 record.
• Michigan also welcomed a six-man freshman class to Ann Arbor this fall. The class, ranked No. 9 nationally for the Class of 2025, combined for six high school state titles and includes five wrestlers listed among the top recruits by at least wrestling outlet, most notably No. 22 Niko Sahakian and No. 34 Sement.
• Sean Bormet, the Ron Weiser Head Wrestling Coach, is in his eighth season at the helm of the Wolverine program. Named the 2022 Big Ten and NWCA Coach of the Year, Bormet has guided the Wolverines to a 64-22 dual-meet record, adding last Sunday's VMI win, a Big Ten title (2022) and four top-five NCAA finishes, including trophy finishes in 2022 and 2024. Bormet's leadership has produced two NCAA champions (Nick Suriano, Mason Parris) and 22 NCAA All-Americans, along with four NWCA All-Americans during the COVID-19-canceled 2019-20 season.
Players Mentioned
