CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State wrestling duo of Ben Smith and Daniel Bucknavich found out their seeds and first-round opponents for the upcoming NCAA Championships.
The 2024 NCAA Championships will run from Thursday, March 21 through Saturday, Match 23, and will be hosted at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
The morning sessions will be live on ESPNU, while the evening sessions will be live on ESPN. Thursday's first-round action is set to start at noon.
Ben Smith – 197 POUNDS
Smith will enter the tournament as the No. 25 seed and will face No. 8 Stephen Buchanan of Oklahoma in the first round. Buchanan had a 24-2 overall record on the year.
Smith earned the automatic spot after winning his second MAC Championship. After taking last season off, Smith put up a 23-5 overall record including a 13-3 mark in dual matches. Of his victories, six were by major decision, four technical falls, and four falls.
This will be Smith's third trip to the NCAA Championships.
Daniel Bucknavich – 285 POUNDS
Bucknavich will enter the tournament as the No. 20 seed and will face No. 13 Yaraslau Slavikouski of Rutgers in the first round. Slavikouski put up a 17-6 overall record on the year.
Bucknavich earned his automatic qualifier spot by finishing as the runner-up at the MAC Championships, posting a 3-1 record on the weekend. This season, Bucknavich posted a 23-4 overall record including a 12-2 mark in dual matches. Of his wins, three were by major decision, one technical fall, and six falls.
This will be Bucknavich's first trip to the NCAA Championships.
Smith and Bucknavich become the 146th and 147th NCAA selections in program history.
