Wrestling

Adrian’s Smith Places Eighth to Headline MIAA Performances at NCAA Wrestling Championships

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) student-athletes competed at the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, held March 13–14 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

America's First Conference was highlighted by an eighth-place finish from senior Aiden Smith of Adrian College at 165 pounds.

Smith opened the tournament with a 9-4 decision over Cade Parent of Roanoke College, who entered the championships ranked 14th nationally. In the second round, Smith fell by pin at 2:28 to Andrew Supers of Baldwin Wallace University, the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation.

Moving into the consolation bracket, Smith secured a fall at 1:20 against Carter Davis of Pennsylvania College of Technology. His tournament run continued with a tightly contested sudden-victory loss to Jack Richardson of Johnson & Wales University, who entered the tournament ranked 10th nationally.

In the seventh-place match, Smith faced Bo Koedam of Coe College, ranked 11th in the nation, ultimately finishing eighth overall in the 165-pound bracket.

Senior Peyton Brooks of Albion College also competed in the 165-pound division and opened his national tournament with a dominant 17-6 major decision against Nick Bell of New York University in the championship preliminary round.

Brooks dropped his first-round bout by 14-5 major decision to Cooper Willis of Augsburg University, the third-ranked wrestler in the nation. In the consolation bracket, Brooks earned a 17-5 major decision against Dylan Cariveau of University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before securing a fall at 6:20 over Ben Hegler of Ohio Northern University. His tournament concluded with a technical fall loss to Johnson & Wales’s Richardson.

At heavyweight, freshman Cayden Bell of Alma College competed in his first national championship appearance. Bell faced Wyatt Smith of Coe College, ranked 12th nationally, in the championship preliminary round and dropped a 7-3 decision. In the consolation preliminary match, Bell fell by pin at 5:42 to Sloan Welch of University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, the ninth-ranked wrestler in the country.

The trio of Smith, Brooks, and Bell represented the MIAA on the national stage at the NCAA Division III Championships, highlighted by Smith’s top-eight finish at 165 pounds.