Oregon State Wrestling Wins Second Consecutive Pac-12 Title
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The immense success of Oregon State wrestling under head coach Chris Pendleton continued over the weekend.
Pendleton's Beavers claimed the 2026 Pac-12 Championship Friday in San Luis Obispo on the campus of Cal Poly. The conference title was Oregon State's second in a row and their third in four seasons, further cementing their place as one of the premier wrestling programs in the Western United States. The Beavers have claimed 26 team conference titles, by the athletic department's count.
Six Oregon State wrestlers also clinched spots in the 2026 NCAA Championships as a result of their strong performances.
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Oregon State garnered 92.5 points in the meet, ahead of Pac-12 affiliate members Little Rock (81), Cal Poly (73), and Cal State Bakersfield (27).
Northern Illinois will join the Pac-12 as an affiliate member for wrestling later this year.
In addition to the team championship, four Oregon State wrestlers also were crowned league champions in their respective weight classes. Gabe Whisenhunt, Nash Singleton, Matthew Olguin, and Daschle Lamer won the 133-pound, 141-pound, 165-pound, and 174-pound weight classes respectively.
Whisenhunt, Olguin, Lamer, and Singleton won all of their respective matches handily on Friday. All are nationally ranked in their weight classes.
Maximo Renteria and Justin Rademacher clinched their NCAA Championships berths via allocation spots. The pair claimed second in their respective weight classes (125 pounds and 197 pounds).
Noah Tolentino (149 pounds) and Khale McDonnell (Heavyweight) finished in third place in their respective weight classes.
The Beaver wrestlers who qualified for this year's NCAA Championships will travel to Cleveland, Ohio for the event later this month. NCAA Championships run Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21 at Rocket Arena.
Oregon State have not had an individual NCAA champion since Les Gutches, who was the national champion at 177 pounds in both 1995 and 1996. Beaver wrestlers have won individual NCAA championships 12 times dating back to 1961.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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