Arkansas Wrestle (All images via lrtrojans.com)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The new year could not have started any better for Little Rock Wrestling, which will send four athletes into the semifinals and two more still alive for the medal stand following a fast and furious Day 1 at the 2026 Southern Scuffle, hosted by Chattanooga.
Little Rock finished Saturday in third place out of 28 teams with 69.5 points, trailing only Penn State (82.5) and North Dakota State (79).
The Trojans have the second-highest number of wrestlers advancing into Sunday’s championship rounds, led by semifinalists Brock Herman, Matty Bianchi, Stephen Little, and Michael Gasper. Jaivon Jones and Kaden Darwin will continue in their respective consolation brackets, each still with an opportunity to reach the podium.
“It was a good day overall … we saw some big progress from the team as a whole,” head coach Neil Erisman said. “I’m glad to see we’re competing better and heading in the right direction, and excited for our six guys tomorrow.”
Competition on Day 2 begins Sunday at 9 a.m. with the Round of 8 consolation matches, followed by the championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals. Consolation semifinals will follow, with medal matches slated to begin at approximately 3 p.m.
Herman, the No. 4 seed at 149, opened the tournament with a pair of major decisions before closing his day with a second-period fall in the quarterfinals against Cornell’s Ethan Fernandez.
Top-seeded Matty Bianchi advanced at 165 with a hard-fought 10-7 decision, followed by a medical forfeit win in the Round of 16. He then secured his spot in the semifinals with a 9-4 decision over Virginia’s Nick Sanko.
Stephen Little, the No. 2 seed at 197 and ranked third nationally, cruised into Sunday with two technical falls (20-5 and 22-5) before earning a 9-4 decision over Michigan State’s Kael Wisler. Little could face top-ranked Josh Barr of Penn State in the championship bout.
Michael Gasper also went 3-0 on Saturday, opening with a 12-5 decision, adding a 14-2 major decision in the Round of 16, and punching his ticket to the semifinals with a 4-1 sudden-victory win over Cornell’s Cyril Kruse.
At heavyweight, Kaden Darwin rebounded from a 6-1 opening-round loss to win three straight matches in the consolation bracket. Jaivon Jones picked up two wins at 157 before a narrow 4-3 loss in the Round of 16 sent him to the consolation side. Both remain in contention for bronze medals.
