COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 4 Ohio State (5-0) dominated No. 2 Nebraska (3-1) and No. 3 Iowa (4-1) at the 2025 National Duals Invitational sponsored by Paycom Sunday to earn the $200,000 first place prize money.
The Buckeyes cruised in the morning dual against the Huskers, 33-3, before taking on No. 3 Iowa (4-0) in the event championship. The Buckeyes won nine of 10 matches against Nebraska to advance to the finals against the Hawkeyes.
Ohio State did not let up in the title bout in downing Iowa, 27-12.
The Buckeyes received $200,000 for winning the championship while the second-place Hawkeyes claimed $150,000.
In the final vs. the Hawkeyes, Nic Bouzakis got things started with an early pin over Iowa’s No. 10 Dean Peterson for a quick 6-0 lead for the Buckeyes.
Ben Davino followed with decision victory over No. 3 Drake Ayala, 10-4 before No. 1 Jesse Mendez cruised to a win by technical fall to give the Buckeyes a 14-0 early lead.
At 157 Brandon Cannon won another Ohio State bout by bonus points with a 14-2 major decision victory to make it 21-0.
Iowa won the next four matches by decision to make it 21-12 before the Hawkeyes forfeited the heavyweight match, giving Ohio State six additional points in the 27-12 victory.
Against the Huskers, No. 1-ranked Mendez met No. 2 Brock Hardy in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA Finals at 141 and came away with a hard-fought 4-1 win by decision.
Brendan McCrone (125) and Davino (133) got things rolling with 5-0 and 11-2 wins respectively.
Ethan Stiles (149) followed Mendez with a pin for six team points for the Buckeyes.
At 157, Cannon stepped in against No. 1 ranked and 2025 NCAA champion Antrell Taylor and came away with a 16-4 win by major decision.
Nick Feldman (HWT) then defeated No. 1/2 AJ Ferrari by decision, 5-4 to cap off the win over the Huskers and to set up the final against the No. 3 Hawkeyes, who advanced with an 18-16 win over Oklahoma State in the other semifinal.
Ohio State opens the home portion of the dual schedule Thursday against visiting Kent State (7 p.m./B1G+).
No. 4 Ohio State 27, No. 3 Iowa 12
125- Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (10) Dean Peterson, F, 1:34
Bouzakis scores first with a takedown followed by a four-point nearfall that leads to a pin (1:34) and six team points.
133- (9) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (3) Drake Ayala (Iowa), D, 10-4
Davino earned the first takedown followed by an Ayala escape for a 3-1 lead. Davino struck again late in the period for a 6-2 advantage after three minutes. Davino chose bottom and quickly added an escape point early in the second. Going to the third, Davino led 10-3 after a late takedown at the end of the second. Ayala chose down and escaped to make it 10-4 Buckeyes early in the final two minutes. That’s how it ended for the Davino win by decision.
Ben Davino takes out 2x NCAA finalist Drake Ayala 10-4 in the National Duals finals! #nationalduals presented by @Paycom pic.twitter.com/l0VIo7NEYt
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 17, 2025
141- (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (9) Nasir Bailey (Iowa), TF, 17-1
Mendez got an end-of-the-mat takedown and went up 4-1 after a Bailey escape and a penalty point awarded Ohio State for stalling. Another stalling point made it 5-1. Mendez added a takedown to lead 8-1 after three minutes. Mendez chose neutral to start the second. Bailey was called for stalling again to make it 9-1 Mendez. The Buckeyes added a takedown for a 12-1 advantage after two periods. Again the wrestlers went neutral to open the third. A two-point stalling penalty upped the lead to 14-1. A final takedown sealed the deal in a 17-1 win by technical fall.
149- (9) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. Ryder Block (Iowa), D, 3-2
There was no score after the opening period. Stiles started from bottom and was not able to escape while Block built two minutes of riding time. Block managed an escape early in the third for a 1-0 lead. Stiles got a takedown with 45 seconds left for a 3-1 advantage. Stiles then held on for a 3-2 win by decision.
157- (8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. Victor Voinovich (Iowa), MD, 14-2
Cannon scored first with a takedown about two-minutes into the opening period. Cannon built 1:20 in riding time to head to the second up 3-0. Cannon chose neutral to start the second and scored a takedown midway through for a 6-0 lead. Voinovich escaped to go to the third down 9-1 after another Cannon takedown. The lead went to 13-2 Cannon with a takedown and Voinovich escape. With a point for riding time, Cannon wins by major decision, 14-2.
165- (2) Michael Caliendo (Iowa) def. (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU), SV-1, 4-1
The bout went to the second period scoreless. Gallagher scored first with an escape late in the second for a 1-0 lead going to the third. Caliendo evened it at 1-all with an escape to send the bout to sudden victory. Caliendo got the takedown in the extra period to win, 4-1.
174- (2) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) def. (9) Carson Kharchla (OSU), SV-1, 4-1
There was nothing on the scoreboard for either wrestler after three minutes. Kharchla started on bottom to start the second and escaped for a 1-0 lead after five minutes. Kennedy tied it at 1-all with an escape early in the third. The match then went to sudden victory where Kennedy got the winning takedown to win by decision, 4-1.
184- (3) Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) def. (7) Dylan Fishback (OSU), SV-1, 4-1
After a scoreless opening period, Fishback escaped midway through the second for a 1-0 lead after two periods. Ferrari added an escape early in the third for a 1-all score. The third-consecutive match then went to sudden victory with Iowa prevailing in all three, 4-1, by decision.
197- Massoma Endene (Iowa) def. Seth Shumate (OSU), D, 8-3
Shumate scored first with a takedown followed by an Endene escape to make it 3-1 at the end of the first. Endene made it 3-2 with an escape. Endene got a takedown and a three-point nearfall for an 8-3 lead after five minutes.
285- (6) Nick Feldman (OSU) wins by forfeit
Results vs. No. 3 Iowa
| Wt. | No. 4 Ohio State 27, No. 3 Iowa 12 | OSU | IOWA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (10) Dean Peterson, F, 1:34 | 6 | 0 |
| 133 | (9) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (3) Drake Ayala (Iowa), D, 10-4 | 9 | 0 |
| 141 | (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (9) Nasir Bailey (Iowa), TF, 17-1 | 14 | 0 |
| 149 | (9) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. Ryder Block (Iowa), D, 3-2 | 17 | 0 |
| 157 | (8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. Victor Voinovich (Iowa), MD, 14-2 | 21 | 0 |
| 165 | (2) Michael Caliendo (Iowa) def. (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU), SV-1, 4-1 | 21 | 3 |
| 174 | (2) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) def. (9) Carson Kharchla (OSU), SV-1, 4-1 | 21 | 6 |
| 184 | (3) Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) def. (7) Dylan Fishback (OSU), SV-1, 4-1 | 21 | 9 |
| 197 | Massoma Endene (Iowa) def. Seth Shumate (OSU), D, 8-3 | 21 | 12 |
| HWT | (6) Nick Feldman (OSU) wins by forfeit | 27 | 12 |
No. 4 Ohio State 33, No. 2 Nebraska 3
125- (16) Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. Alan Koehler (NEB), D, 5-0
McCrone attacked first and scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds of the match. He then built more than two minutes of riding time with a 3-0 lead after the opening period. From the neutral position, there was no scoring in the second period. McCrone chose top in the third and continued to build riding time to over four minutes to secure the win by decision, 4-0.
133- (9) Ben Davino (OSU) def. Omar Ayoub (NEB), MD, 11-2
A late first period takedown put Davino in the lead after three minutes, 3-0. From bottom, Davino escaped early in the second for a 4-0 advantage. Another takedown made it 7-0 Buckeyes. An Ayoub escape sent the match to the third period with Davino leading 7-1. With Ayoub taking bottom, Davino built riding time to over a minute before a Nebraska escape made it 7-2. Davino added a late takedown and a riding time point for a major decision victory, 11-2,
141- (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (2) Brock Hardy (NEB), D, 4-1
In a rematch of the 2025 NCAA final at 141, there was no score after three minutes. Hardy chose bottom and escaped for a 1-0 lead after two periods. Mendez chose bottom in the third and evened the bout at 1-all with an escape 30 seconds into the final period. Mendez then got the win by decision, 4-1.
Jesse Mendez, Ohio State vs Brock Hardy, Nebraska | 2025 National Duals Invitational pic.twitter.com/QSo30ZiXhJ
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 16, 2025
149- (9) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. Nikade Zinkin (NEB), F, 4:48.
Stiles appeared to get a takedown with just over a minute into the opening period at the edge of the mat but it was ruled, after a review, to be out of bounds. After a scoreless first period, Stiles got a reversal for a 2-0 lead. Stiles then got the pin at 4:48.
157- (8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (1) Antrell Taylor (NEB), MD, 16-4
Cannon scored first about midway through the opening period for a 3-0 lead. Taylor escaped but Cannon added another takedown for a 6-2 lead. He also built 1:42 in riding time in the first three minutes. From bottom, Cannon escaped for a 7-2 advantage after two periods. Taylor scored a reversal in the third to cut the lead to 7-4. Cannon escaped t make it 8-4. Cannon closed the match with a flurry, scoring a takedown and four-point nearfall. With riding time, Cannon wins by major decision, 16-4.
165- (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. (14) LJ Araujo (NEB), MD, 10-1
No points were scored in the first three minutes. Araujo escaped early in the second but Gallagher added a late takedown to lead 3-1 after two periods. Gallagher chose neutral to start the third and added a takedown with under a minute to go for a 6-1 lead. Gallagher added another takedown and a point for riding time to win by major decision, 10-1.
174- (9) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (4) Christopher Minto (NEB), D, 5-1
Kharchla took a 3-0 lead with a takedown 1:15 into the opening period. The first three minutes ticked off with Kharchla leading 3-0 with more than 1:45 in riding time. Minto escaped in the second to go to the third with Ohio State leading 3-1. Kharchla chose down and escaped for a 4-1 advantage. With a point for riding time, Kharchla gets the 5-1 win by decision.
184- (7) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. (6) Silas Allred (NEB), D, 8-1
After a scoreless opening period, Allred chose bottom and escaped for a 1-0 lead. Fishback countered with a takedown at the edge of the mat to lead 3-1 after five minutes. A Fishback escape made it 4-1 to start the third before a takedown upped the lead to 7-1. With a point for riding time, Fishback got the 8-1 win by decision.
197- (6) Camden McDanel (NEB) def. Seth Shumate (OSU), D, 8-2
The opening three minutes ended without a score. McDanel started the second with an escape and takedown for a 4-0 lead. Shumate added an escape and then another to open the third period to make it 4-2 Nebraska. McDanel scored a takedown with just over a minute to go for a 7-2 lead. With riding time, McDanel wins by decision, 8-2.
285-(6) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. (2) AJ Ferrari (NEB), D, 5-4
It was scoreless after the opening three minutes before Feldman earned an escape to open the second before adding a takedown late for a 4-0 lead to go to the third. Ferrari went down with an injury after the takedown but resumed. Ferrari escaped and added a takedown to even the bout at 4-all. Then it was Feldman who needed medical attention with a cut to the forehead. The match resumed and Feldman added an escape to recapture the lead, 5-4. There was another stoppage to treat Feldman’s cut. Feldman then held on for the 5-4 win by decision.
Ohio State’s Nick Feldman defeated Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari, 5-4, in the 2025 National Duals Invitational semifinals, part of a 33-3 win for the Buckeyes.#nationalduals pic.twitter.com/JyTOtZ8POc
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 16, 2025
Results vs. No. 2 Nebraska
| Wt. | No. 4 Ohio State 33, No. 2 Nebraska 3 | OSU | NEB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | (16) Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. Alan Koehler (NEB), D, 5-0 | 3 | 0 |
| 133 | (9) Ben Davino (OSU) def. Omar Ayoub (NEB), MD, 11-2 | 7 | 0 |
| 141 | (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (2) Brock Hardy (NEB), D, 4-1 | 10 | 0 |
| 149 | (9) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. Nikade Zinkin (NEB), F, 4:48. | 16 | 0 |
| 157 | (8) Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. (1) Antrell Taylor (NEB), MD, 16-4 | 20 | 0 |
| 165 | (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. (14) LJ Araujo (NEB), MD, 10-1 | 24 | 0 |
| 174 | (9) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (4) Christopher Minto (NEB), D, 5-1 | 27 | 0 |
| 184 | (7) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. (6) Silas Allred (NEB), D, 8-1 | 30 | 0 |
| 197 | (6) Camden McDanel (NEB) def. Seth Shumate (OSU), D, 8-2 | 30 | 3 |
| HWT | (6) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. (2) AJ Ferrari (NEB), D, 5-4 | 33 | 3 |
#GoBucks
This article was published by Ohio State Buckeyes on 2025-11-16 21:44:00
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