WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Fifth-ranked and two-time defending champion Wis.-Eau Claire highlights a group of 16 teams that will head to Lamade Gymnasium on Friday, Jan. 10, for the start of the two-day 36th annual Budd Whitehill National Duals hosted by Lycoming College.
 
One of the premier events in Division III wrestling, the tournament is named for legendary coach Budd Whitehill, who coached the Warriors for 37 years and won 376 matches and 10 Middle Atlantic Conference titles.
 
The tournament will feature four groups of four competing in a round robin on Friday, with the winners of the groups being reseeded into a championship bracket on Saturday, Jan. 11, and competing in a four-team tournament for the championship. Brackets for Friday's second, third and fourth-place group finishers on Saturday will also take place.
 
Wis.-Eau Claire, ranked fifth in the Dec. 20 NWCA Division III dual meet rankings, earned the top seed and will head Group A, which also features Washington & Lee, Williams and Oswego. The group will begin its run at the tournament at 9 a.m. on Friday.
 
Roanoke, ranked 10th by the NWCA, earned the second seed and will head Group B, which also features Cortland, Wilkes and York (Pa.). This group will begin competition at 9 a.m.
 
Group C, which begins competition at 10:30 a.m., will feature third-seeded Stevens, ranked 14th by the NWCA, Springfield, Lycoming and McDaniel.
 
Group D is headed by fourth-seeded Ithaca, ranked 18th in the country, and also features 22^nd-ranked Ohio Northern, Messiah and the Milwaukee School of Engineering and begins competition at 10:30 a.m.
 
Six rounds of the duals will take place on Friday, Jan. 12, with four matches taking place in each round on mats spread across Lamade Gymnasium. On Saturday, Jan. 13, the tournament will conclude with four rounds of wrestling. The championship round is set for 1:30 p.m. with the tournament awards following at 3 p.m.
 
Lycoming enters the duals with a 7-1 overall record, which includes picking up a win over one team in the Whitehill Duals field, Oswego (35-16) and suffering its only loss to another team in the field, Washington & Lee (34-12).
 
The Warriors feature six wrestlers in the regional rankings, with senior Kaden Majcher (Turbotville, Pa./Warrior Run) the top-ranked grappler in Region 2 at 125 pounds. Junior 184-pounder Eli Crum (Carlisle, Pa./Boiling Springs) and sophomore 174-pounder Nolen Zeigler (Loysville, Pa./West Perry) are both third in the region. Senior heavyweight Robbie West (Washington, Pa./Fort Cherry) is fifth, sophomore 165-pounder Kaiden Wagner (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) is sixth and junior 149-pounder Kobin Karper (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) sits seventh.

The Warriors are looking to place at the event for the 21st time in its 35 years. In 2024, the Warriors took ninth place, posting wins over York (35-7), McDaniel (31-14) and Messiah (26-16) and falling to Washington & Lee (34-10) and Ohio Northern (32-12).
 
Lycoming will open the duals by facing Springfield on Mat 2 at 10:30 a.m., before facing 14^th-ranked Stevens at 1:30 p.m. on Mat 1 and finishing the day by taking on McDaniel at 4:30 p.m. on Mat 2. The Warriors are 94-59 (.614) all-time at the duals and have won titles in 1997 and 1999.
 
Budd Whitehill National Duals
Schedule of Matches
Friday, Jan. 10
Round 1 Group A + B - 9 a.m.
Mat 1: Group A: Wis.-Eau Claire vs. Oswego
Mat 2: Group A: Washington & Lee vs. Williams
Mat 3: Group B: Roanoke vs. York
Mat 4: Group B: Cortland vs. Wilkes

Round 1 Group C + D - 10:30 a.m.
Mat 1: Group C: Stevens vs. McDaniel
Mat 2: Group C: Springfield vs. Lycoming
Mat 3: Group D: Ithaca vs. MSOE
Mat 4: Group D: Ohio Northern vs. Messiah

Round 2 Group A + B - 12 p.m.
Mat 1: Group A: Wis.-Eau Claire vs. Williams
Mat 2: Group A: Washington & Lee vs. Oswego
Mat 3: Group B: Roanoke vs. Wilkes
Mat 4: Group B: Cortland vs. York

Round 2 Group C + D - 1:30 p.m.
Mat 1: Group C: Stevens vs. Lycoming
Mat 2: Group C: Springfield vs. McDaniel
Mat 3: Group D: Ithaca vs. Messiah
Mat 4: Group D: Ohio Northern vs. MSOE

Round 3 Group A + B - 3 p.m.
Mat 1: Group A: Wis.-Eau Claire vs. Washington & Lee
Mat 2: Group A: Williams vs. Oswego
Mat 3: Group B: Roanoke vs. Cortland
Mat 4: Group B: Wilkes vs. York

Round 3 Group C + D - 4:30 p.m.
Mat 1: Group C:  Stevens vs. Springfield
Mat 2: Group C:  Lycoming vs. McDaniel
Mat 3: Group D: Ithaca vs. Ohio Northern
Mat 4: Group D: Messiah vs. MSOE

Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023
Round 4 - Group 9-12, Group 13-16 - 9 a.m.
Mat 1:  9-12 Group: Group A 3rd Place vs. Group D 3rd Place
Mat 2:  9-12 Group: Group B 3rd Place vs. Group C 3rd Place
Mat 3:  13-16 Group: Group A 4th Place vs. Group D 4th Place
Mat 4:  13-16 Group: Group B 4th Place vs. Group C 4th Place

Round 4 - Championship, 5-8 - 10:30 a.m.
Mat 1: Championship Semifinal: Group A 1st Place vs. Group D 1st Place
Mat 2: Championship Semifinal: Group B 1st Place vs. Group C 1st Place
Mat 3: 5-8 Group: Group A 2nd Place vs. Group D 2nd Place
Mat 4: 5-8 Group: Group B 2nd Place vs. Group C 2nd Place

Round 5 - Group 9-12, Group 13-16 - 12 p.m.
Mat 1:  9-12 Group: Ninth-Place Match
Mat 2:  9-12 Group: 11th-Place Match
Mat 3:  13-16 Group: 13th-Place Match
Mat 4:  13-16 Group: 15th-Place Match

Round 5 – Championship, 5-8 - 1:30 p.m.
Mat 1: Championship Match
Mat 2: 3rd Place Match
Mat 3: 5-8 Group: Fifth-Place Match 
Mat 4: 5-8 Group: Seventh-Place Match

Awards - 3 p.m.