SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Eleven Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s wrestlers earned All-American status after their performances at the 2026 NCAA DII Men’s Wrestling Championships at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, while Colorado School of Mines’ Cody Thompson took home a national title.

In his second appearance in a national final, Cody Thompson etched his name into Mines history as the program’s eighth national champion. Thompson secured the 149-pound title with a 7-4 semifinal win over Wisconsin-Parkside’s Jalen Spuhler before shutting out Pitt-Johnstown’s Matthew Sarbo 5-0 in the championship bout, using a late takedown and riding-time advantage to seal the victory and take home gold.

Adams State led the RMAC with four All-Americans at the 2026 championships: Aaden Valdez, Isaiah Gamez, Jakob Romero, and Angel Flores. The Grizzlies’ standout wrestlers earned national finishes of third, fifth, eighth, and sixth place, respectively. Valdez reached the semifinals, falling in a hard-fought 4-3 match decided by a late takedown. He bounced back in the consolation bracket, securing a third-place finish with an 8-4 victory in a closely contested match that opened late. Gamez faced an uphill battle on day two, dropping his first match 7-0 and moving to the consolation bracket. After another setback, he rallied to win the fifth-place match 5-3. Romero earned an eighth-place finish after suffering two losses on day two, while Flores began the day with a win but dropped his next two matches, including the fifth-place bout, finishing sixth.

Chadron State crowned three All-Americans at the 2026 championships, with Mason Villwok, Keegan Gehlhausen, and Quade Smith earning national finishes. Villwok placed third at 197 pounds, Gehlhausen took fourth at 184, and Smith finished eighth at 125 pounds. Villwok’s day began with a semifinal loss, but he rebounded in a thrilling match against the No. 4 seed, winning 2-1 in triple overtime on tiebreakers. The sophomore then captured third place with a 7-2 victory over the No. 5 seed, scoring an early takedown, leading 4-2, and adding a three-point takedown in the closing seconds. Gehlhausen secured a second consecutive Top 4 finish to cap his collegiate career. Villwok, the No. 2 seed, fell to the No. 3 seed, 12-2, in the semifinals but left a lasting mark with his strong tournament showing. Smith began Day 2 in the consolation bracket, going 0-2 on Saturday, but his eighth-place finish earned him the final All-America spot, completing Chadron State’s trio of national honorees.

Wyatt Reisz joined Thompson as an All-American for Colorado School of Mines in standout fashion. Reisz put together a perfect 3-0 showing on the final day to earn his spot on the podium. He opened with a 7-4 win over Gannon’s Patrick Johnson, followed by a 4-1 decision against Wisconsin-Parkside’s Sullivan Ramos, and capped his run by defeating RMAC rival Keegan Gehlhausen of Chadron State 10-5 in the third-place match.

Colorado Mesa and New Mexico Highlands were each represented by one honoree on the All-American list, in Owen Cline and Ivan Smith, respectively. Cline clinched his second straight all-America honor and finished his season on a high note, claiming fifth place in the 157-pound bracket, while Smith is NMHU’s first All-American since 2022.

Colorado State University Pueblo and Western Colorado were represented by Jacob Myers and Devin Gomez at the 2026 Championships, with the two athletes competing in the 133 and 125-pound brackets, respectively.  

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 71 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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