Ryan Vigil ’26 Crowned 2026 Southern Conference Champion

Ryan Vigil ’26, VMI wrestling 165-pounder, survived the gauntlet as the underdog No. 8 seed and came out on top, earning the 2026 Southern Conference title at Kimmel Arena in Asheville, North Carolina, March 7, 2026.

Vigil becomes the first Keydet to win a conference title since Neal Richards ’19 in 2020 and gave VMI its first NCAA qualifier since Dyson Dunham ’26 was an at-large bid in 2024.

Staged against the SoCon’s No. 2 seed, Appalachian State’s Anthony Conetta, in the finals, Vigil used a key reversal and four near-fall points to break open the scoring. Vigil would hold on for a 7-2 decision, earning a riding time point in the process, to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, March 19.

Vigil, who was tabbed the No. 8 seed in the 165 bracket, had a long way to the finals by running through four wrestlers, the most by any finalist in any bracket this year. After clawing through the most bouts in this year’s tournament, Vigil was dubbed the 2026 SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler.

In his path to the first-place bout, Vigil posted a technical fall in the pigtail match, 17-2. Less than a couple of hours later, the Colorado native upset the nation’s 24th-ranked 165-pounder and the SoCon’s No. 1 seed from The Citadel with a sudden victory decision.

In the semifinals, Vigil used a last-minute third-period takedown to etch his name into the championship round with a 5-4 decision. With the wins on day one, Vigil became the first Keydet since Richards to make it to the championship match.

Editor’s Note: This article was first published on vmikeydets.com.