No. 18 Wisconsin begins Big Ten slate with Iowa and Maryland

Friday, January 9

Iowa City, IA

7:00 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Iowa

No. 18 Wisconsin begins Big Ten slate with Iowa and Maryland

January 08, 2026 | Wrestling

Badgers head to Iowa City before welcoming the Terps at home

By: Aliza Manekia

MADISON, Wisc. - Wisconsin wrestling opens the new year with Big Ten conference action on the road, traveling to Iowa City to face the No. 4 Hawkeyes on Friday, January 8, at 7 p.m., streaming on B1G+. The Badgers then return to the UW Field House for a Whiteout matchup against Maryland on Sunday, January 9, at 12 p.m. on BTN. Wisconsin enters the weekend looking to extend its 8–0 start, the program's first undefeated opening stretch since the '06–'07 season.

1. The Last Time Out
Wisconsin carried its perfect start through the holiday stretch with a sweep of a home doubleheader and a strong finish at the UW Field House. The Badgers earned back-to-back dual victories over Lock Haven and Utah Valley. Cody Goebel and Luke Mechler provided steady decision wins, Joseph Zargo added a tech fall, and Wyatt Ingham delivered a shutout, while Braxton Amos sealed the opening dual with a key heavyweight decision. Wisconsin closed out the year with a win over Arizona State, highlighted by early pins from Ingham and Zan Fugitt, another dominant tech fall from Zargo, and a decision from Luke Condon to secure the victory for the Badgers.

2. Scouting the Iowa Hawkeyes
Wisconsin heads to Iowa City to face a Hawkeye squad that enters the matchup with a 7–2 record and a No. 4 ranking in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. Iowa holds a significant edge in the all-time series, leading 83–8–3, including a 42–4–1 record in duals contested in Iowa City, with Wisconsin's most recent win in the series coming in a 21–14 decision on Jan. 27, 2007. The rivalry dates back to 1923, when Iowa earned an 8–6 victory in the first meeting.

At 125 pounds, Nicolar Rivera is 2–0 all-time against Iowa's Dean Peterson, with both meetings coming during Peterson's time at Rutgers. At 133, Zan Fugitt looks to reverse the series against Drake Ayala, who holds a 2–0 edge after a technical fall in last season's dual and a semifinal win at the NCAA Championships. At 174, Luke Condon faces Patrick Kennedy, who won their lone meeting by technical fall in last year's dual.

3. Scouting the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland enters the matchup with a 4–1 record after picking up wins over Gardner-Webb, The Citadel, Morgan State, and American. The Terps earned a 24–13 victory over Wisconsin last season in College Park, their first win in the series since 2010. Maryland has also shown depth in tournament competition this year, highlighted by several strong performances at the Southern Scuffle. The Terrapins bring a balanced lineup into the dual as Wisconsin returns to the UW Field House for Big Ten action.

4. In the Rankings
Seven Badgers earned spots in this week's InterMat national rankings, while Wisconsin sits at No. 18 in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll.
No. 9 - Braxton Amos, 285
No. 11 - Nicolar Rivera, 125
No. 14 - Zan Fugitt, 133
No. 17 - Joseph Zargo, 149
No. 25 - Luke Mechler, 157
No. 26 - Cody Goebel, 165
No. 28 - Wyatt Ingham, 197

5. Projected Lineups

Wisconsin	Weight	Iowa
No. 11 Nicolar Rivera	125	No. 6 Dean Peterson
No.14 Zan Fugitt	133	No. 4 Drake Ayala
Carson Exferd	141	No. 12 Nasir Bailey
No. 17 Joseph Zargo	149	No. 7 Ryder Block
No. 25 Luke Mechler	157	No. 12 Jordan Williams or Victor Voinovich III
No. 26 Cody Goebel	165	No. 3 Michael Caliendo
Luke Condon	174	No. 3 Patrick Kennedy
Caleb Dennee or David Malin	184	No. 1 Angelo Ferrari
No. 28 Wyatt Ingham	197	Gabe Arnold or Harvey Ludington or Brody Sampson
No. 9 Braxton Amos	HWT	No. 5 Ben Kueter

Wisconsin	Weight	Maryland
No. 11 Nicolar Rivera	125	Abram Cline or Presden Sanchez
No.14 Zan Fugitt	133	No. 12 Braxton Brown
Carson Exferd	141	No. 33 Dario Lemus or Ryan Kennedy
No. 17 Joseph Zargo	149	Michael Pizzuto or No. 12 Carter Young
No. 25 Luke Mechler	157	Mekhi Neal or Nathan Perry
No. 26 Cody Goebel	165	Alex Uryniak or Sammy Gautreau
Luke Condon	174	Dom Solis or Seth Digby
Caleb Dennee or David Malin	184	No. 5 Jaxon Smith or Sepanta Ahanj-Elias
No. 28 Wyatt Ingham	197	No. 17 Branson John or Anthony Bradley
No. 9 Braxton Amos	HWT	Oscar Williams or Jackson Schwab