KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lehigh’s 125-pounder Luke Stanich lost 4-1 in sudden victory to Nebraska’s Caleb Smith in the second round of the NCAA Championships.

Stanich entered the competition as the two-seed, while Smith was the 15th-seed. The wrestlers each scored an escape in regular time, but they struggled to finish their takedown attempts before the end of the third period, sending the match into overtime.

The overtime period provided the Cornhusker with an opportunity for a surprise upset in the second round, and Smith made the most of it. Smith shot his takedown early and Stanich couldn’t hold him off as Smith dragged him to the ground and secured the takedown and the win.

The loss benefits Iowa’s Drake Ayala, as Stanich was the highest seed remaining on his side of the bracket. This gives Ayala a clearer path to a finals berth. Ayala defeated No. 30 Elijah Griffin, 10-2, in the first round and then arguably had his best match of the season with a 19-4 victory over No. 14 Nico Provo to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

Ayala will rematch Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley in the quarterfinals Friday morning. The Hawkeye beat the Cowboy 8-1 in sudden victory in their earlier meeting this season.

Ayala also has wins over Nebraska’s Smith and Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett, who the Hawkeye could potentially face in the semifinals.

125 | WHAT. A. MATCH.@gas_caleb defeats the #2 seed and advances to tomorrow’s quarters 😤 pic.twitter.com/lUkYU9f0W9

— Nebraska Wrestling (@HuskerWrestling) March 21, 2024