EAST LANSING- Two Michigan State wrestlers will compete in the NCAA championships on Thursday, looking to win on the biggest stage. MSU redshirt junior 197-pounder Kael Wisler and redshirt sophomore 149-pounder Clayton Jones are the two Spartans competing. Wisler and Jones both largely contributed to the wrestling team’s success this season.  

Wisler is the No. 28 seed wrestler at 197 pounds in the first round, going up against No. 5 seed Joey Novak of Wyoming. Wisler is making his trip to the NCAA championships this season after finishing with an impressive 24-10 record, finishing his second year with the Spartans.  

Jones is the No. 32 seed at 149 pounds, facing off against Brown’s Austin McBurney for the opportunity to face No. 1 seed Shayne Van Ness of Penn State in the first round. Jones is 11-15 this season for the Green and White, but he shouldn’t be overlooked because his pinning ability is something opponents need to look out for. 

Both Wisler and Jones have been major contributors to the Spartans this season, especially with their performances at the Big Ten Tournament which helped them qualify for the NCAA wrestling championships. 

Though MSU didn’t have the strongest season in wrestling with an overall record of 4-10, there were some notable standouts that showed major promise and what the program can expect going forward.  

The NCAA championships will be held on March 19-21, with Session I having a start time of 12 p.m. and Session II starting at 7 p.m., with both sessions being held on March 19. On March 20, Session III will have a start time of noon, and Session IV will be at 8 p.m. Finally, on March 21, the medal rounds will be at 11 a.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m. 

The NCAA wrestling championships will take place at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.