CLEVELAND, Ohio — Day two of the NCAA Wrestling Championships inside Rocket Arena was headlined by a historic moment, as Stephen Little etched his name into the record books. The Trojan standout became Little Rock's first three-time All-American with a thrilling overtime victory at 197 pounds.
At 149 pounds, No. 19 Brock Herman continued his NCAA journey in the consolation bracket, squaring off against No. 9 Collin Gaj of Virginia Tech. In a physical, hard-fought bout, Herman fell 13-1. Despite the result, the appearance marked a strong showing in his first NCAA Championship. As a junior, Herman's performance provides a solid foundation for future postseason success and underscores his importance to the Trojans' lineup moving forward.
At 157 pounds, No. 24 Jaivon Jones delivered one of the day's biggest highlights in the consolation bracket. Facing No. 10 Logan Rozynski, Jones used a key second-period takedown to seize control and secure a 4-1 decision—one of the most impressive wins of his NCAA run. Jones later battled No. 15 Cameron Catrone of Michigan in a tightly contested matchup, ultimately falling just short in a 2-0 decision.
At 165 pounds, No. 8 Matty Bianchi showed resilience in his opening consolation match against No. 26 Tyler Lillard. After earning an escape in the second period, Bianchi sealed the victory with a third-period takedown to advance. He then met No. 16 Paddy Gallagher of Ohio State in a back-and-forth battle that went down to the wire, with Bianchi narrowly falling 4-3 in one of the most competitive matches of the session.
The spotlight belonged to No. 3 Stephen Little at 197 pounds, who delivered a performance for the ages. In the quarterfinals, Little faced No. 11 Camden McDaniel of Nebraska in a match that extended into sudden victory overtime. After relentless pressure and repeated shot attempts, Little broke through with a decisive takedown to secure a 4-1 victory.
"My guys are doing the work, we're just helping guide them," head coach Neil Erisman said. "Steve made history tonight, and his teammates were right there with him, supporting him every step of the way. God is good."
Little echoed that mindset following his milestone performance.
"I kept taking shots—some were getting denied—and I gave up a couple stall calls that tied it up," Little said. "I had to dig deep in overtime, stay aggressive, and put together multiple shots in a row to finally finish it."
With the win, Little became the first Trojan in program history to reach the NCAA semifinals while securing his third All-American honor. He is now the first three-time All-American in Little Rock history—and the first to earn the distinction in three consecutive seasons.
Little's run continued into the semifinals, where he faced No. 7 Cody Merrill of Oklahoma State in an instant classic. The match stretched into three overtime periods, with both wrestlers locked in a 2-2 battle before Merrill ultimately secured the decision. Despite the loss, Little remains in contention and will compete in Session 5 in the consolation semifinals.
Fans can follow every moment of the NCAA Championships through extensive coverage across ESPN platforms. Saturday begins with Session 5 at 11 a.m. on ESPNU before concluding with the championship finals in Session 6 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
In addition to the main broadcasts, every mat throughout the tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+, allowing fans to watch individual matches in real time from all eight mats. A dedicated "MatCast" option on ESPN+ will also provide continuous coverage throughout the tournament.
All broadcast times and networks are subject to change, with full coverage spanning from the opening matches through the crowning of national champions.
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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