LITTLE ROCK - Paul Bianchi will make history tomorrow for the Little Rock wrestling program as the first Trojan wrestler to compete at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The event is set to take place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis from Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20. Bianchi will wrestle in the 133-pound bracket in the First Round at 10 a.m. CT tomorrow morning.
"It's been a great year of firsts, from our first dual win to our first national qualifier," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "Now, Paul has opportunity to be the first All-American and National Champion. We are proud and excited to be at the NCAA Championships. Time to let it fly!"
Schedule of Events / How To Watch
| Date |
Time (CT) |
Session |
Networks |
Number of ESPN3/ESPN App Mat Feeds |
| Thu, Mar 18 |
10 a.m. |
First Round |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
1 p.m. |
First Round |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
5 p.m. |
Second Round |
ESPN2 |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
8 p.m. |
Second Round |
ESPN2 |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
| Fri, Mar 19 |
10Â a.m. |
Quarterfinals |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
2 p.m. |
Quarterfinals |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
7 p.m. |
Semifinals |
ESPN |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
| Sat, Mar 20 |
10 a.m. |
Medal Round |
ESPN2 |
4 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
6 p.m. |
Championship |
ESPN
 |
Links for the Avid Little Rock Wrestling Fan
Moving Through the Bracket
Bianchi (9-5) will face #4 Austin DeSanto (7-1) from Iowa in the First Round on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. With a win, he would advance to the Second Round and wrestle the winner of #13 Zach Redding of Iowa State (10-5) vs. #20 Ryan Sullivan from West Virginia (7-3) on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. With a loss, he would drop to wrestlebacks and compete against the loser of #13 Redding vs. #20 Sullivan on Thursday evening instead. A win Thursday evening will allow Bianchi to move on to competition Friday morning.
Paul Paving the Way
This season, Bianchi has stood out as a leader on #LittleRocksTeam. The redshirt senior has certainly etched his name in the record books after a successful year: he has claimed two ranked wins, helped the Little Rock wrestling team to their first-ever dual victory followed by their first-ever conference win, and collected preseason rankings and NCAA Coaches rankings.
Now, he is Little Rock's first-ever NCAA qualifier.
"It's very exciting," said Bianchi on being back at the NCAA Championships for the second time in his collegiate career, after making his first appearance in 2018 as a freshman with North Dakota State. "I've been training to get back to this tournament for so long and I'm so grateful I get another opportunity my senior year with Little Rock. Go Trojans!"
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 Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
