Arkansas Wrestle (All images via lrtrojans.com)
LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock wrestling team returns to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for the second year in a row and the third time in program history, bringing a battle-tested group of wrestlers to compete in the three-day tournament beginning Thursday, March 20 and running through Saturday, March 22 in Philadelphia.
“I believe in my guys, I believe in our team, and I believe they are ready to go,” said head coach Neil Erisman. “We have been solid all year. They have competed and done well in every possible situation. Now it’s time for a great weekend. Go Trojans!”
Who’s In for the Trojans
Nasir Bailey (133 pounds), Jordan Williams (149 pounds), Matty Bianchi (157 pounds), Joseph Bianchi (165), and Stephen Little (197 pounds) will each represent the Trojans in their respective brackets. For each Trojan, it is their second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Bailey checks in at a program-high no. 3 seed, boasting a team-high win percentage of 87.5% thanks to a 21-3 record. The true sophomore is the youngest on the National squad and looks to earn his second All-American status in as many years.
Also a top-10 seed is Williams, who will wrestle as a no. 8 seed in his first year as a Trojan. He’s had quite an impact on the Little Rock roster after jumping into the starting lineup in December, accumulating a 24-4 record and a Pac-12 Championship title.
The younger Bianchi and Little are both right outside the top 10 of their weight classes, coming in at #11 and #12 respectively. Matty is having a breakout year, jumping up 20 seeds from last season after posting a career-high record of 23-4 and leading the team in individual dual match wins. Meanwhile, program’s other returning All-American, Little continues to be a steady constant as well, as his 19-3 record this season can show.
The older Bianchi rounds up the group in his final season, fresh off becoming back-to-back Pac-12 Champ in his weight class. After a slower start to his year due to injury, Joseph is back in action and arguably at the top of his game currently, collecting the no. 21 seed at 165 pounds.
Tyler Brennan was announced as the no. 29 seed in the 174-pound bracket, but will not be competing.
Last season, Little Rock finished within the top 20 of all teams at the Tournament. This year, especially with an entire season under their belt of ranking within the national top 25, the Trojans are eyeballing an even bigger team placement at the end of the weekend.
How to Watch
The first session of the 2025 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships kicks off at 12 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 20, while the second session begins at 7 p.m. EST that same evening. Wrestlers that win at least once on Day One will advance to competition on Friday, March 21.
View the full schedule of events here. Fans can find even more NCAA Tournament information on the official website here.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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