TCNJ's Mays vacates 174-pound NCAA Division III national title
Hunter Mays' 174-pound championship at the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships has been erased from the record books.
TCNJ Athletics confirmed Tuesday that the NCAA has declared Mays ineligible due to a violation of NCAA policy, resulting in the vacation of his individual championship. The nature of the violation was not disclosed. The school indicated additional sanctions from the NCAA may follow.
Mays defeated Luther's Bryce McDonough 8-6 in the championship match in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to cap a perfect 28-0 season. The title bout was a grind. Mays fell behind for the first time in the tournament when McDonough escaped in the second period, but answered with a takedown to go up 3-1. McDonough escaped again to pull within one before Mays opened the third period with an escape of his own. With a minute remaining, Mays secured a second takedown to seal the victory.
Mays was initially crowned the first 174-pound national champion in TCNJ history and gave the Lions dual national champions on the same night, joining 133-pound winner Garrett Totten. A Division I transfer from Lehigh, Mays joined TCNJ's program ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Per NCAA procedure, the title is vacated rather than elevated to the runner-up. Luther's program addressed that distinction directly in a social media post following the announcement, noting that while the NCAA does not formally elevate other finishers. McDonough finished second in the tournament bracket. Dustin Bohren of Loras placed third and Jake Deguire of Springfield was fourth.