“It’s nice going through the lineup and talking about these guys because we’re pretty tough,” said Stanford coach Chris Ayres midway through breaking it down. “We’re pretty good. This is a good squad.”
A glance at this season’s Cardinal squad deserves that type of response. Stanford was the belle of the ball at the 2026 NCAA Championships, and for good reason.
Ayres has taken the team to new heights, finishing sixth at nationals (the first top-10 finish ever) with four All-Americans — both program highs. That’s on top of Aden Valencia’s 149-pound title, the third in school history.
That’s led to an uptick in Ayres’s popularity at home and across the country.
“All of a sudden, people want to take pictures with me because we’re pretty good,” Ayres said.
This season’s roster was on shaky ground during the off-season. Four Cardinal stars — including All-Americans Tyler Knox, Nico Provo, and Hunter Garvin — entered the transfer portal, forcing Ayres into action.
This was unsurprising news for Ayres. He didn’t wake up one morning to discover a chunk of his team was in the portal. Knox called the Friday after the NCAA Championships to inform Ayres of his plans.
Others followed suit. The calls were inevitable. They were set to graduate with Stanford degrees, a designation that holds weight after a wrestler’s competitive career.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t have too much emotion,” Ayres said. “I get the game. This is going to sound super corny, but I love these guys, and I understand it. I chose not to get upset. It was no surprise, so I decided not to tag any emotion to it, and I didn’t.
“In this era and this game, I don’t think it’s a betrayal thing. They’re seeing what their value is. The only way you can do that is by going in the portal.”
Of the four, only Lorenzo Norman left for Oklahoma State. Knox, Provo, and Garvin stayed.
How? And why?
"I get the game. I chose not to get upset." -- Stanford coach Chris Ayres
A new administration helped Ayres navigate a hectic April. The Cardinal’s four potential transfers took their visits as Stanford supporters rallied around the program.
And, yes, significant NIL dollars were involved.
“It took about a month, and we were able to get to a good place where they were all happy, and they all wanted to stay,” Ayres said. “The university came up big.
“They went and saw the other things and realized how good it is here. That’s all we could hope for. I think they felt their value here.”
As Stanford wrestling trends upward, Ayres’ role has shifted with it. It’s less about coaching and more about friend-raising in season four — at least for now. He estimates that 65 percent of his job is developing and fostering relationships.
Ayres spent the summer ensuring that Stanford stays relevant, attending socials and generating interest throughout the state.
“Back in Jersey, there was a pretty good D1 program on every block, so to speak,” Ayres said. “Within a 150-mile radius, there are 12 or 13 decent D1 programs when you’re at Princeton.
“What we’re trying to do is make our team, California’s team — and the West Coast’s. We’re trying to get a trophy, and that’s what we are looking at this coming season. I feel good about every weight on our team.”
2026-27 Stanford Overview
Head coach: Chris Ayres (4th season)
Assistants: Patrick Brucki, Sean Gray, Myles Amine
2026 NCAA tournament finish: 6th (program record)
2026 NCAA tournament record: 29-15
2026 NCAA tournament points: 67.5
2025-26 dual record: 7-6 (4-2 ACC)
Returning All-Americans: 6
Returning NCAA qualifiers: 10
Last NCAA champion: Aden Valencia (2026)
Highest NCAA tournament finish: 6th (2026)
Highest NCAA tournament finish under Ayres: 6th (2026)
Most NCAA placers in a season: 4 (2026)
Most NCAA placers in a season under Ayres: 4 (2026)
Probable Line-up
125: Nico Provo, All-American (3rd)
2026 NCAAs: 3rd (7-1)
2026 Record: 20-6
Provo dropped a 4-2 match to Princeton’s Marc-Anthony McGowan in the second round of the NCAA Championships, before winning six straight for third. The Stratford, Connecticut, native had his breakthrough season after qualifying for nationals twice.
Ayres on Provo: “After his loss on the front side, something happened. If you look at his backside results, he was incredibly dominant against some good guys. He made that jump. Guys make these big jumps, and it’s not like a steady progression of growth. You have these moments where something shifts in your head, and you’re better than you were the day before. And he had that at the NCAA tournament.”
133: Tyler Knox, 2x All-American (8th, 6th)
2026 NCAAs: 6th (5-3)
2026 Record: 19-8
Knox wrestled most of the weight class’s top stars throughout the season, so his losses may look lopsided. He came big at the NCAA Championships, finishing sixth as the 15-seed.
Ayres on Knox: “The kid’s a dog. Everybody sort of had him counted out as an All-American last year. It’s easy to knock him down because of how he wrestles.
“The year before, he was an All-American, and he was hurt pretty bad, and he was still an All-American. This year, he was healthy, and he had an amazing tournament. Other than the coaching staff and the team, I don’t think anyone had him winning against (Arizona State’s Kyler) Larkin. He wrestled damn tough at that tournament.”
141: Jack Consiglio, National Qualifier
2026 NCAAs: R16 (2-2)
2026 Record: 16-7
Consiglio lost his first two matches of the season, including a 16-1 setback to eventual NCAA champion Sergio Vega. He evened out as the year progressed, becoming a consistent piece of the line-up.
Ayres on Consiglio: “Consiglio is probably the most improved freshman. He put himself in the NCAA tournament. Wrestled tough. Had a win or two. He should be in the All-American range, but he has to make another jump to ensure that he gets that.”
149: Aden Valencia, NCAA champion
2026 NCAAs: 1st (5-0)
2026 Record: 20-7
Stanford was the talk of the 2026 NCAA Championships, and 10-seed Aden Valencia was a reason why. His 5-0 run included gritty win after gritty win, with an 8-5 finals victory over Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness.
Ayres on Valencia: “What a season for him. Peaking at the right time. We all know he’s really good. He had a lot of matches where he lost close, and he was right there. Even the Van Ness match during the season was a crazy little scramble that took him out of the match. Aden is an interesting one because we have to manage him for the Olympic year, so we’re thinking long-term, as well. He’s really good at freestyle, and we’ve seen that already with the trials. Aden is looking to get another title under his belt for sure.”
157: Daniel Cardenas, All-American (6th in 2024), 2x Round of 12 (2023, 2026)
2026 NCAAs: R12 (3-2)
2026 Record: 20-5
Cardenas is a returning All-American who missed the podium by one win. His 4-1 setback to former Cornell star Meyer Shapiro was a barnburner worth revisiting.
Ayres on Cardenas: “Dan is the leader of the team. He’s the guy who does everything right. He wrestles really hard. He’s an old dog, so we’ll probably be managing him a little differently this year. He wrestles really hard. He trains really hard. He’s got some miles on him, so we are going to adjust his training plan a little bit. He’s the kind of guy that when he doesn’t place, you’re devastated and shocked.
“He’s capable of winning a national title, and that’s what we need to do to challenge these other teams. You have to have more champs; you have to have more bonus points in the tournament. That’s how you do it, and he’s the guy who can do it. He came up short. I think he’s hungry.”
165: EJ Parco, Round of 12, or Grigor Cholokyan, National Qualifier (2025)
2026 NCAAs: R12 (2-2)
2026 Record: 14-9
Parco is the frontrunner after reaching the Round of 12 at nationals, but will get pushed by Cholokyan, a returning national qualifier.
Ayres on Parco: “EJ’s story is amazing. He was trying to be the 149-pounder, and he couldn’t beat Aden. Halfway through the year, we told him he should go 165. He’s a 49-pounder in the Round of 12, basically. Now, he’s a full 65. He looks great. He’s a steady improver. He’s always got a great attitude. He’s always trying to get better. He’s consistently improving. He’s going to be a problem for everyone at 65.”
174: Hunter Garvin, 2x All-American (6th in 2024-25)
2026 NCAAs: DNQ (season-ending injury)
2026 record: 1-1
Garvin was injured most of last season and didn’t compete after a November 15 win against Cal State-Bakersfield’s Gabriel Schumm. He is moving up to 174 after placing twice at 165.
Ayres on Garvin: “He’s going 174, most likely. We’ll have him certify at 165. He’s healthy; he’s here. We saved him from the portal, which is good. He’s really good. His goal is to be a national champ. We have quite a few guys who could win it. We’re thinking big.”
184: Abe Wojcikiewicz, National Qualifier
2026 NCAAs: 1-2
2026 Record: 17-13
Wojcikiewicz secured a 17-1 tech over Appalachian State’s Tomas Brooker at the national tournament, earning two team points. Stanford finished 1.5 points ahead of Michigan at the NCAA Championships.
Ayres on Wojcikiewicz: “Another guy who made the tournament and scored bonus points in the match he won, which helped us get sixth. He’s tough. Whatever he gets, he wills himself to. He’s improved a lot, so we feel good.”
197: Angelo Posada, All-American (6th)
2026 NCAAs: 6th (4-3)
2026 Record: 20-8
Posada was the nine-seed and, like his teammates, overachieved at nationals. He won his first two matches, dropped his third, won two more, and finished sixth.
Ayres on Posada: “He had a pretty serious injury going into NCAAs. He was out for probably seven or eight weeks after NCAAs, but it was perfect because he was going to lift and get strong. He’s gained a lot of strength, and that’s a big factor in him being a lot better this year.
285: Brockton Borelli
2026 Record: 8-3
Borelli is the likely starter after a season at 197. He wrestled at 285 during one dual last season.
Ayres on Borelli: “Brockton took fourth at Midlands last year at 197. He’s been on heavyweight protocol since the end of last year. We need him to get to 240-plus. He’s about 230 or 235 on a given day. He’s going to be a problem because he gets people tired. He doesn’t stop. I think he can frustrate and surprise some people. If we can keep him healthy, we’ll be a tough team to beat.