Kansas City, MO – The #7 University of the Cumberlands men's wrestling team will once again be well represented on the national stage as 12 Patriots have officially qualified for the 2026 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship, the national office announced Tuesday. It marks the second consecutive year Cumberlands has sent 12 wrestlers to the national tournament.

Cumberlands earned 10 automatic bids through their performances at the Mid-South Conference Championship, while two Patriots secured at-large nominations to round out the dozen qualifiers.

Highlighting the Patriots' performance at the MSC Championships were, #8 ranked in the NAIA, Matteo Vargo (125) and #10 Weston Melvin (174), who each captured individual conference titles in their respective weight classes. Both secured automatic qualifications with their championship runs, leading the way for Cumberlands.

At the lighter weights, #4 Riley Bettich (133) and #17 Eli Peyton (141) each earned automatic bids out of the Mid-South Conference, while #15 Ty Lehman (149) added another automatic qualification to continue the Patriots momentum through the lineup.
Cumberlands will send two representatives at 157 pounds, as #13 Brice Coleman earned an automatic qualification and #22 Marc LeGaspe received an at-large nomination to nationals.

The Patriots also boast a pair of national qualifiers at 165 pounds. #10 Malachia Harris secured an automatic berth through the conference championship, while Derrick Bannister earned an at-large nod to extend Cumberlands' presence in the middle weights.

In addition to Melvin's conference title at 174 pounds, #19 Lane Kiser (184) punched his ticket with an automatic qualification at the MSC Championships. The Patriots will be well represented in the heavyweight division as well, with #7 Austin Silva (285) and Trey White (285) both earning automatic bids.

The 12 national qualifiers showcase the depth, balance, and championship-level performance of this year's Patriots squad. With multiple weight classes featuring more than one national qualifier and two conference champions leading the charge, Cumberlands now shifts its focus to competing against the nation's best at the 2026 NAIA National Championship in Kansas City, Missouri.

The NAIA National Championship begins on Thursday, March 5, and concludes on Saturday, March 7th.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram @UCPatriots, TikTok @ucpatriots, YouTube: Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.