Brandt Harer Runner-Up at U23 Nationals

GENEVA, Ohio – Incoming freshman Brandt Harer worked a runner-up finish at 70kg to highlight action for Rutgers wrestling at the 2026 U23 Freestyle Nationals, held over the weekend at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

Harer and redshirt sophomore Ryan Ford (79kg) both placed at the freestyle tournament, with Ford earning and eighth-place finish in his weight class.

After a first-round bye, Harer went 6-0 with five wins by tech fall to advance to the championships against two-time NCAA qualifier Jordan Williams (Iowa). In the best two-out-of-three final, Williams went 2-0 as Harer finished second in the loaded 70kg field.

After losing in the second round, Ford wrestled back with nine consecutive victories to secure his top-eight finish. Ford’s impressive weekend included wins over NCAA qualifiers Carter Baer (Binghamton) and Jonathan Lay (Navy).

Tahir Parkins (65kg), PJ Casale (92kg) and Daniel Herrera (125kg) all advanced to consolation quarterfinal bouts on the backsides of their respective brackets.