CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Williams College wrestling team has already enjoyed considerable success in 2025-26, and with six student-athletes qualified to compete at the NCAA National Championship meet in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this week, the group looks to continue its fantastic season.
Those student-athletes are: Caleb Seyfried at 149 pounds, Peter Kane at 157, Henry Forte at 165, Gage Wiggins at 174, Jamie Evarts at 184, and Zach Borzio at 197.
Two weeks ago, the Ephs placed second overall at the NCAA Regional competition, with nine wrestlers making the second day and placing in the top eight of their weight classes. Six Williams wrestlers had gone into the semifinals unbeaten, needing a win to guarantee a top-three regional finish and a slot at nationals, and five earned that win, with the sixth then battling through the consolation bracket and winning the third-place match to punch his ticket.
The most decorated wrestler headed to Nationals this week is Kane, who holds the top seed in the 157-pound weight class. Kane won the Region I title for the second straight year, and holds a 28-0 record coming into the NCAA Championship this season. The senior is at nationals for the fourth straight year, having finished 5th last season, 2nd in 2023-24, and 7th in his first year. His opening match will be against either Jaryn Hartranft of Wilkes or Ryan Kozdra of Springfield.
Also making a repeat appearance at Nationals is Evarts, who qualified as a first-year a year ago and will be the #3 seed in the 184-pound weight class this season. The sophomore comes in with a 28-1 record and fresh off a title in his class at Region I, and will face the winner of a match between Eli Crum of Lycoming and Hunter Moore of Roanoke.Â
A first-year with a big impact on the program this year is 174-pounder Wiggins, who is the #8 seed in his weight class. Wiggins came up just short of a Region I title, losing in the final via sudden victory, but is an impressive 28-2 in his first season of collegiate wrestling. He will open the competition against #9 seed Konrad Parker of Ithaca.
Seyfried, a senior, is making his first appearance at NCAAs, and owns the #11 seed at 149 pounds thanks to a 22-2 record this season. He won his way into the final at Regionals and ended up finishing second at his weight, and will take on #6 seed Cade Siebrecht of Central (Iowa).Â
Also entering the competition as the #11 seed in his weight class is junior Henry Forte, who battled to a third-place finish at Regionals, having lost in the semifinal to the eventual champion from Johnson & Wales. Forte is making his first appearance at NCAAs and is taking on #6 seed Keegan Demarest of Messiah in his opening match.
The final Williams wrestler in competition this week is 197-pounder Zach Borzio, who comes in unseeded and will face Carson Licastri of SUNY Oneonta, with the winner advancing to take on #3 seed Lorenzo Pellot-Vázquez of Roanoke. Borzio, a junior, won his way into the final at Regionals and finished second, and arrives in Iowa with a 22-11 record on the season.
Interim Head Coach Tom Foote '13, himself a participant at NCAAs during his time on the team, will be in charge of the team at the National Championships for the first time this season.
A year ago, with Kane and Evarts as the Williams representatives at the National Championship, the team finished 38th out of the 74 participating teams, and the group will no doubt be looking to improve on their performance from a year ago and continue a record-setting season for the Ephs.
