CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team capped off its fifth straight NCAA team title by claiming four individual titles in the national finals at the 2026 NCAA Championships. Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, Josh Barr and Luke Lilledahl all won in the national finals as Penn State went 4-2 with a record-tying six national finalists.
With the four titles won this year, the Nittany Lions now have 65 NCAA Champions, 44 since Sanderson’s arrival as head coach (this is his 17th season at Penn State). Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink was named the 2026 NCAA Championship Outstanding Wrestler and PJ Duke was named the 2026 Gorriaran Award winner (most falls in the least amount of time) at the tournament’s conclusion. Mesenbrink was also awarded the NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Award, a season long award given by the NCAA.
The Nittany Lions won the team race, clinching it early Saturday morning, with 181.5 points, over 50 points ahead of the second place score of 131.0. The team point total of 181.5 is a new NCAA record, breaking the mark of 177.0, set by Penn State last year in Philadelphia. The Nittany Lions now own the top three point totals in NCAA history, all consecutively in the last three seasons (181.5 this year, 177.0 last year and 172.5 in 2024).
Penn State has now won 13 of the last 15 contested NCAA Championships (no event in 2020) and its fifth straight for the first time in school history. Sanderson is now second in all-time NCAA history with 13 head coaching titles to his credit. The NCAA record is 15. The Nittany Lions have won the NCAA Championship 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 1953. Penn State totaled eight All-Americans this year. The Nittany Lions now have 272 All-Americans, 109 under Sanderson in just 17 seasons.
Junior Shayne Van Ness, the No. 1 seed at 149, took on No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford in Penn State’s first title match of the night. Valencia took Van Ness down early to a 3-0 lead and the Stanford corner called for a challenge for nearfall points, but none were awarded. Van Ness escaped to a 3-1 score after the reset. Van Ness gave up a stall warning at :53 then worked Valencia to the outside circle before the Cardinal escaped out of bounds at :19. Leading by two, Valencia chose down to start the second period. Van Ness cut him to a 4-1 score. Van Ness tied the bout at 4-4 with a takedown at the 1:02 mark. Van Ness nearly scored at the end of the period, but time ran out. Trailing 5-4, Van Ness chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-5 tie. Valencia worked in on a high single and Van Ness fought the move off to force a stalemate at :48. A late scramble ended in no scoring and the match moved to sudden victory tied 5-5. Valencia shot low early in extra time and worked a scramble to a takedown early in the period. Penn State challenged the call, but it stood and Van Ness lost the match 8-5 (sv). He ends his tournament with a 4-1 record including two tech falls and a pin. He leaves Cleveland as a three-time All-American with a 25-1 overall record.
Junior Mitchell Mesenbrink, the No. 1 seed at 165, faced No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa in the championship. Mesenbrink scored quickly, taking Caliendo down for a 3-0 lead just :13 into the match. He cut Caliendo loose and went back to work on his feet, turning a low shot into another takedown and a 6-2 lead after another cut. Mesenbrink quickly took the Hawkeye down to lead 9-3 after another cut. Mesenbrink added another takedown, forced a stall and led 12-4 after the opening period. Mesenbrink chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 13-4 lead. He added a takedown and a stall point to up his lead to 18-4 after two periods. Caliendo chose top to start the third period and Mesenbrink quickly reversed the Hawkeye to end the match. His 20-4 tech fall at 5:12 earned him his second straight NCAA title as a three-time All-American. Mesenbrink went 5-0 with three tech falls and a major and leaves Cleveland with a 26-0 record.
Senior Levi Haines, the No. 1 seed at 174, wrestled No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska in the finals. Haines and Minto battled evenly on the NCAA logo through the first two minutes. Haines became to press the Husker towards the outside circle over the final minute, and the match moved to the second stanza scoreless. Haines chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Haines pressured Minto into giving up a stall point at :22 and then scrambled through a near takedown that rolled out of bounds. The period ended in neutral and Haines led 2-0 after two periods. Minto chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 Haines lead. Haines took a low single that forced a scramble on the edge of the mat, but Minto was able to work his way out of bounds and force a reset at :58. Haines continued to pressure Minto backwards as the clock ran down. He finished the match on his feet and won his second national championship with a 2-1 victory. Haines ends his Penn State career as a two-time NCAA Champion and four-time All-American. He went 5-0 with three techs and a pin. He ends the year with a 26-0 record and 99-4 career record.
Sophomore Rocco Welsh, the No. 1 seed at 184, faced No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota in the title bout. McEnelly took a 3-1 lead with a takedown at :58 and a quick Welsh escape. The Nittany Lion and Gopher battled in the center circle through the final minute of the period and Welsh trailed by two after one. McEnelly chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-1 lead at 1:49. Welsh paced in the center circle, looking for an opening but could not break through McEnelly’s defense and he trailed 4-1 after two periods. Welsh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 score. Welsh took a handful of shots through the 1:00 mark but McEnelly was able to step away from each. He picked up one stall point, but McEnelly was able to run from Welsh for the last :50 and won the 4-3 bout. Welsh went 4-1 in Cleveland with a tech fall and a major. He ends the season with a 24-1 record.
Sophomore Josh Barr, the No. 1 seed at 197, met No. 7 Cody Merrill of Oklahoma State in the finals. Barr and Merrill battled in the center of the mat through the first two minutes. The Nittany Lion sophomore shot Merrill backwards twice, then blew through a high double for a takedown and a 3-0 lead. Merrill escaped late in the period and Barr led 3-1 after one. Merrill chose down to start the second and escaped to a 3-2 score. Barr held his position on the NCAA logo while Merrill worked the outside as the clock dipped below :30. Leading 3-2, Barr chose down to start the third period. Barr scrambled his way around Merrill and led 6-2on locked hands and a reversal. Merrill escaped to a 6-3 score at 1:20. Barr forced a stall warning on Merrill at :55. Barr counter shot Merrill off the mat at :25, gave up a stall warning and finished the bout on his feet. Barr won his first NCAA title with a 6-3 decision. He is now a two-time All-American, two-time finalist and NCAA Champion. Barr went 5-0 with two techs and two majors in Cleveland and ends the year with a 24-0 record.
Sophomore Luke Lilledahl, the No. 1 seed at 125, met No. 10 Marc-Anthony McGowan of Penn in the Nittany Lions’ last match of the finals. Lilledahl pressed the Tiger from the onset, forcing him to a defensive posture. Lilledahl continued to engage but McGowan kept his distance. Lilledahl pushed McGowan back to the outside circle as the clock hit :30 and the first period ended in a scoreless tie. McGowan chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lilledahl continued to shoot the tiger backwards and forced a first stall at 1:08. Lilledahl pressured the Tiger backwards again and a stalemate was called at :45. Lilledahl trailed 1-0 after two. Trailing by one, Lilledahl chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Lilledahl pressure McGowan backwards and took a 2-1 lead on a second stall at 1:14. Lilledahl finished the bout on his feet and earned his first national title with a 2-1 victory. Lilledahl went 5-0 with a major in Cleveland and leaves with a 25-0 record, as a two-time All-American and national champion.
Penn State went 4-2 in the finals and concluded the tournament with a 41-9 overall record. The Nittany Lions totaled 40.5 points off five majors, four pins, one injury default and a whopping 17 technical falls.
Earlier in the day, true freshman Marcus Blaze and PJ Duke closed out their All-America runs in the placing bouts. Blaze went 4-2 with three tech falls to place fourth at 133, earning All-America laurels at his first NCAA tournament. Blaze ended the season with a 25-3 record. Duke went 5-1 with two pins and two tech falls to take third place at 157 in his first national championship tournament as well. Duke ended the year with a 24-2 mark. Redshirt freshman Cole Mirasola and Braeden Davis both went 2-2 at this year’s tournament at 285 and 141 respectively, meaning each of Penn State’s 10 wrestlers contributed to this year’s NCAA record 181.5 points.
Sanderson’s 17-year head coaching ledger for team finishes at NCAAs since arriving at Penn State is as follows: 2010 (9th), 2011 (1st), 2012 (1st), 2013 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2015 (6th), 2016 (1st), 2017 (1st), 2018 (1st), 2019 (1st), 2020 (no tourn.), 2021 (2nd), 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st), 2024 (1st), 2025 (1st), 2026 (1st).
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via X/twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The Family Clothesline is the presenting sponsor for the 2025-26 Nittany Lion wrestling season. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Penn State at the 2026 NCAA Championships
March 19-21, 2026 – Rocket Arena – Cleveland, Ohio
Team Standings (top three):
1: PENN STATE – 181.5 pts.
2: Oklahoma State – 131.0
3: Iowa – 92.5
Weight by-weight agate (rankings listed are official tournament seed):
125: #1 Luke Lilledahl, So., Weldon Springs, Mo./Wyoming Seminary
Rd. 1: #32 Mack Mauger, Missouri – W, 11-2 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #17 Jett Strickenberger, West Virginia – W, 4-2 dec.
Qtr: #8 Dean Peterson, Iowa – W, 2-1 (TB)
Semi: #5 Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State – W, 8-3 dec.
Final: #10 Marc-Anthony McGowan, Princeton – W, 2-1 dec.
Lilledahl, the No. 1 seed at 125, met No. 32 Mack Mauger of Missouri in the first round. Lilledahl and Mauger battled through a scoreless first period with Lilledahl shooting the Tiger to the outside of the mat for the last minute of the opener. He chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lilledahl then took Mauger down at :30 to take a 4-0 lead into the third period. Mauger chose do and escaped to a 4-1 lead. Lilledahl quickly took him down and cut him loose to lead 7-2. Lilledahl tacked on a final takedown and riding time to post the 11-2 major decision.
He took on No. 17 Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia in the second round. Lilledahl worked his way in on a low single at 1:11 but Strickenberger was able to fight off the effort and keep the bout scoreless at :53. The bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Strickenberger escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second period. Lilledahl was able to finish off the bout’s first takedown midway through the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Strickenberger escaped to a 3-2 score and Lilledahl led by one after two. Lilledahl escaped to start the third period and opened up a 4-2 lead. Lilledahl nearly added a second takedown midway through the third, but the Mountaineer fought off the effort and Lilledahl moved into the quarterfinals with a 4-2 win.
Lilledahl met No. 8 Dean Peterson of Iowa in the first of Penn State’s eight quarterfinal bouts. Lilledahl worked the center of the mat for the first minute plus. He turned a fast low single into a scramble at 1:47 but Peterson worked out of trouble and the bout continued in neutral. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Peterson chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lilledahl and Peterson traded shots at :50 and remained in the center of the mat. Trailing 1-0, Lilledahl chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. He worked his way in on a low single right after the escape, but Peterson forced a stalemate at 1:21. Lilledahl worked another low shot into a scramble at :30 but Peterson once again forced a stalemate. The bout moved to sudden victory tied 1-1. Lilledahl forced a wild scramble at 1:20 but Peterson rolled action out of bounds. Lilledahl forced a stall at :40 then got in on a low single on the outside circle. He nearly scored; Peterson nearly countered for a takedown and Lilledahl scrambled in the last seconds for a possible takedown that went to official review. Time ran out and Lilledahl took down to start the tie-breaker. He escaped in :11. Peterson was down next and Lilledahl rode the Hawkeye out to post the 2-1 (TB) victory, advance to the semifinals, and become a two-time All-American.
He met No. 5 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State in the first of Penn State’s eight semifinal bouts. Lilledahl got in on a low single early and forced a scramble, finishing off a takedown to lead 3-1 after a quick Spratley escape. Lilledahl continued to push on offense, turning a low single into a takedown. He tacked on two back points and bolted out to an 8-1 lead with :44 on the clock. Lilledahl maintained control of Spratley until the :35 mark and ended the first period with an 8-2 lead. Spratley chose down to start the second and escaped to an 8-3 score. Lilledahl held position on the NCAA logo through the :45 mark and to the end of the period to lead 8-3 after two. Lilledahl chose neutral to start the third period. He traded shots with Spratley as the clock moved towards the 1:00 mark. Lilledahl worked in on a low single at the :40 but Spratley worked his way out of bounds. Lilledahl finished in neutral and moved to the national finals with an 8-3 win.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
133: #3 Marcus Blaze, Fr., Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg
Rd. 1: #30 Gabe Whisenhunt, Oregon State – W, 17-2 (TF; 5:30)
Rd. 2: #19 Gage Walker, Missouri – W, 17-2 (TF; 6:10)
Qtr: #6 Drake Ayala, Iowa – W, 5-3 dec.
Semi: #2 Ben Davino, Ohio State – L, 2-2 (TB2) dec.
Cn. Semi: #15 Tyler Knox, Stanford – W, 20-4 (TF; 5:45)
3rd Place: #4 Aaron Seidel, Virginia Tech – L, 0-5 dec.
Blaze, the No. 3 seed at 133, took on No. 30 Gabe Whisenhunt of Oregon State in the opening round. Blaze battled through a scoreless first two minutes before securing a takedown to lead 3-0 at 1:00. He finished the period on top and led by that margin after the opening period. Blaze chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. Blaze notched another takedown to lead 7-0 midway through the second. Whisenhunt escaped and Blaze countered for a third takedown and a 10-1 lead. He turned the Beaver for four back points and led 14-1 after two. Whisenhunt escaped to start the third and Blaze quickly ended the match with a final takedown to post a 17-2 technical fall at 5:30.
He met No. 19 Gage Walker of Missouri in the second round. Blaze and Walker battled in neutral through the bulk of the first period. Blaze forced Walker back and out of bounds at the 1:15 mark, forcing a stall warning. He forced a second stall at 1:00 to take a 1-0 lead. Blaze then connected on a low single, took Walker down and then turned him to his back for seven points late to lead 8-0 after one. Blaze chose down to start the second and reversed Walker to a 10-0 lead. After a Walker escape, Blaze took the Tiger down to lead 13-1. Walker escaped before the period ended and Blaze led 13-2 after two. Walker chose top to start the final period. Blaze escaped quickly. He finished off the bout with a takedown with just :50 left to roll to the 17-2 technical fall at 6:10.
Blaze took on No. 16 Drake Ayala of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Blaze battled in the center of the mat and then scrambled Ayala out of bounds at 1:58, forcing a reset. Blaze continued to pressure Ayala to the outside circle, forcing the Hawkeye into defense with his pace. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Blaze chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Blaze turned a high single into a takedown on the edge of the mat, opening up a 4-0 lead at 1:24. Ayala escaped on a reset to a 4-1 score with 1:12 on the clock. Blaze carried the 4-1 lead into the third period. Ayala chose down to start the third period and Blaze controlled action on top. He built his riding time up over 1:00. Ayala escaped to a 4-2 score at :20, Blaze gave up a stall point and, with riding time at the bout’s end, posted the thrilling 5-3 victory. The win sends him to the semifinals and earns him All-America status as a true freshman.
He met No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State in the semis. Blaze fought off a Davino at the 2:16 mark and forced a reset. The duo battled on the NCAA logo in the center of the mat through the 1:30 mark. Blaze returned a shot at 1:15 that Davino was able to block off and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Davino chose down to start the second period. He escaped to a 1-0 lead quickly to start the second period. Blaze worked himself into control of a low single, but Davino was able to scramble out of trouble and work his way out of bounds at the :40 mark. Blaze trailed 1-0 after two periods. He chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Blaze and Davino battled on their feet for the remainder of the period and the bout moved to sudden victory. Blaze worked Davino towards the outside circle as the clock hit 1:00. Davino worked a low single into a scramble that ended out of bounds at :14. Ohio State challenged for a takedown on the call. The no takedown stood and the bout remained tied 1-1. The bout moved to a tie breaker and Davino was down first. Blaze controlled the action for :21 before Davino escaped. Blaze, down now, forced a second stall on Davino to go up 2-1. Davino was able to maintain control and ride Blaze out, getting the riding time point and appearing to win on riding time of :08. Penn State challenged the call and Davino got the 2-2 (TB2) victory. Blaze will wrestle for third place in session five.
Blaze began Penn State’s Saturday with action in the consolation semifinals at 133. Blaze took on Stanford’s Tyler Knox. Blaze scored quickly, taking Knox down at 2:35 for a 3-0 lead. Blaze quickly added a second takedown after a Knox escape to up his lead to 6-1 at 1:30. Blaze turned a low single into a third takedown with :20 left and held on to a 9-2 lead after the opening period. Blaze chose down to start the second period. Knox picked up a stall during the ride and then Blaze reversed him to an 11-3 lead after cutting the Cardinal loose. Blaze tacked on a fourth takedown at the end of the period to lead 15-3 after two. Knox chose top to start the third and Blaze reversed him once more. He cut Knox loose and capped off a 20-4 technical fall with a takedown at 5:45. Blaze took on No. 4 Aaron Seidel of Virginia Tech for third place. Blaze and Seidel battled in the center of the mat through the first minute-plus. The duo fought for position through the 1:00 mark and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Blaze chose down to start the second period but was unable to escape and entered the third period still tied, but facing 2:00 in riding time to the Hokie’s favor. Seidel chose down to start the third and Blaze cut him loose to a 1-0 score. Blaze scrambled for a late takedown, but Seidel countered the frenzied effort and added a takedown, plus riding time, to post the 5-0 decision. The loss ended Blaze’s tournament at 4-2 with three tech falls and a fourth place All-American finish as a true freshman.
141: #14 Braeden Davis, Jr., Belleville, Mich./Dundee
Rd. 1: #19 Haiden Drury, Utah Valley – W, 2-0 dec.
Rd. 2: #3 Brock Hardy, Nebraska – L, 4-9 dec.
Cn. 2: #29 Jordan Titus, West Virginia – W, 10-6 dec.
Cn. 3: #11 CJ Composto, Penn – L, 2-5 dec.
Davis, the No. 14 seed at 141, met No. 19 Haiden Drury of Utah Valley in the first round. Davis and Drury battled through an even first period, taking a 0-0 tie into the second stanza. Drury chose down to start the second stanza and Davis went to work on top, controlling the action for the full two minutes, riding the Wolverine out. Davis had 2:00 of riding time as the 0-0 tie moved to the third. Davis chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He fought off a late Drury shot and, with 1:52 in riding time, moved into the second round with a 2-0 win.
He met No. 3 Brock Hardy of Nebraska in the second round. Davis and Hardy battled in neutral for the first minute. Davis used a fast high single to take Hardy down; Hardy reversed Davis and Davis quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. Davis worked his way in on another high single at :40 but Hardy forced a reset at :22 and Davis led 4-2 after one. Hardy chose down to start the second period. Davis controlled action on top for :48 before Hardy escaped to a 4-3 score. Hardy got three on neutral danger, took a 6-4 lead at :16 and Davis trailed by two after two. Davis chose neutral to start the third. Hardy added a takedown with :45 left in the match to take a 9-4 lead and held that margin until the end of the match. The 9-4 loss dropped Davis into consolation action in session three.
Davis , met No. 19 Jordan Titus of West Virginia in Penn State’s first consolation bout of the tournament. Davis turned a high single into a scramble that appeared to lead to a takedown. But none was given and Titus was awarded a takedown instead. Penn State challenged the call. The call went Penn State’s way, with Davis getting a takedown, Titus a reversal and then Davis escaped quickly on the rest to a 4-2 lead. Titus notched a quick takedown and Davis escaped before the buzzer to tie the bout at 5-5 after one. Davis chose down to start the second and escaped to a 6-5 lead. He added a takedown and led 9-5 after two. Titus chose down to start the third and Davis rode him for the entire period. He added riding time and posted the 10-6 victory. Davis met No. 11 CJ Composto in the next conso round. Davis and Composto traded shots in the first period, each of which ended in stalemates and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Composto chose down to start the second and reversed Davis to a 2-1 score after a quick Davis escape. Composto added a takedown and led 5-1 after two. Davis escaped to a 5-2 score at 1:43 to start the third. Davis scrambled for a late takedown, but the Quaker was able to fight off the move and end Davis’ tournament with a 5-2 loss. Davis went 2-2 in his third straight trip to the NCAA tournament (all at different weights).
149: #1 Shayne Van Ness, Jr., Somerville, N.J./Blair Academy
Rd. 1: #33 Austin McBurney, Brown – W, 17-2 (TF; 5:34)
Rd. 2: #16 Jacob Frost, Iowa State – WBF (2:23)
Qtr: #8 Casey Swiderski, Oklahoma State – W, 5-2 (SV)
Semi: #20 Chance Lamer, Nebraska – W, 22-1 (TF; 5:21)
Finals: #10 Aden Valencia, Stanford – L, 5-8 (sv) dec.
Van Ness, the No. 1 seed at 149, met No. 33 Austin McBurney of Brown in the opening round. Van Ness controlled the action from the onset. He picked up the bout’s first takedown at the :55 mark in the first period to lead 3-0 after one. Van Ness chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. Van Ness dominated the second period, tallying four takedowns to carry a 16-3 lead into the third period. McBurney chose down to start the third. Van Ness cut him loose then ended the bout with his sixth takedown, posting a 19-4 technical fall at 5:34.
He took on No. 16 Jacob Frost of Iowa State in his second round bout. Van Ness controlled the pace early on, forcing Frost backwards through the opening minute. He took a 3-1 lead with a takedown and cut in the second minute and then took Frost down a second time shortly after that. Van Ness then turned the Cyclone to his back and picked up the first period pin at 2:23.
Van Ness faced No. 8 Casey Swiderski of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Van Ness fought off an early Swiderski shot to keep things in neutral through the opening minute. Van Ness defended another Cowboy shot at 1:30. Van Ness became pressing Swiderski backwards in the final minute, but action moved to the second tied 0-0. Swiderski chose down to start the second period. Van Ness controlled action for :46 before Swiderski escaped to a 1-0 lead. The Lion continued to work neutral for the rest of the period and trailed 1-0 after two. Van Ness chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed the Cowboy to take a 2-1 lead. Swiderski escaped to a 2-2 tie at 1:20. Van Ness pressed the Cowboy backwards through the :30 mark and forced a stall at :20. The bout moved to sudden victory tied 2-2. Van Ness fought off a Swiderski shot, was coming around for a takedown before the official called a stalemate at :37. Van Ness continued to scramble forward, nearly taking the Cowboy down at the :05 mark. Swiderski skipped away and Van Ness, relentless, zipped through a low double to notch the winning takedown with just :01 left. The 5-2 win moved him into the semifinals and made him a three-time All-American.
He took on No. 20 Chance Lamer of Nebraska in his semifinal bout. Van Ness fought off a quick Lamer burst, slipping out of the Husker’s reach at the 2:35 mark. He then moved in for a takedown of his own and an early 3-0 lead. Van Ness turned Lamer briefly, then reset and continued to control action on top. He forced a stall warning at :40 and finished on top to lead 3-0 with 2:18 riding time after one. Van Ness chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He then used a low single to pick up a second takedown to lead 7-1 at 1:10. Van Ness took Lamer down and turned him for four points to lead 14-1 at :26. Van Ness picked up a stall point to lead 15-1 after two periods. Lamer chose neutral to start the third period. Van Ness quickly ended the match, taking Lamer down and adding four nearfall for a 22-1 technical fall at 5:21 to advance to his first national title bout.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
157: #1 PJ Duke, Fr., State Hill, N.Y./Minisink Valley
Rd. 1: #33 Yannis Charles, Morgan State – WBF (1:55)
Rd. 2: #17 Luke Mechler, Wisconsin – WBF (1:38)
Qtr: #8 Brandon Cannon, Ohio State – W, 21-5 (TF; 5:23)
Semi: #5 Landon Robideau, Oklahoma State – L, 1-3 (TB) dec.
Cn. Semi: #7 Kannon Webster, Illinois – W, 7-3 dec.
3rd Place: #8 Brandon Cannon, Ohio State – W, 20-4 (TF; 6:37)
Duke, the No. 1 seed at 157, battled No. 33 Yannis Charles of Morgan State in the first round. Duke took Charles down quickly to open up a 3-0 lead in the opening :30 of the bout. He cut the Morgan State wrestler loose and notched a second takedown to lead 6-1 at 1:30. Duke cut Charles loose once more and took him down a third time. He quickly turned Charles to his back and picked up the first period fall at 1:55.
He battled No. 17 Luke Mechler of Wisconsin in the evening session. Duke too Mechler down just :08 into the match to lead 3-1 early. He used a high double for a second takedown and a 6-2 lead after cutting Mechler loose. He turned that trick two more times to lead 12-4 in less than a minute. Duke moved quickly on the outside circle, taking Mechler down a fifth time to open up a 15-5 lead, then took Mechler down again to lead 18-5. He locked up a cradle and finished off his second fall of the day, pinning Mechler at 1:38 to move into the quarterfinals.
Duke battled No. 8 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State in his quarterfinal bout. Duke scored quickly, taking Cannon down in the opening seconds for an early 3-0 lead. Duke worked Cannon to the mat and scrambled his way to a takedown and a 6-1 lead with 1:40 on the clock. Duke continued to work on his feet after a Cannon escape and pressured the Buckeye to the outside circle repeatedly. Duke bulled through a third takedown at the buzzer and led 9-2 after one. Cannon chose down to start the second and escaped to a 9-3 score. Duke countered a Buckeye shot for a fourth takedown and cut Cannon loose to a 12-4 score. Duke made it 15-4 at :50. Duke cut Cannon once more and finished off the period with a takedown to lead 18-5 after two. Duke chose neutral to start the third and finished off the match with a takedown to post the dominant 21-5 technical fall at 5:23. The win sent the Lion freshman to the semifinals and earned him All-America status.
He battled No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State in the semifinals. Duke and Robideau battled in neutral through the first two minutes, working for position on the NCAA logo. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Robideau chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Duke nearly connected on a low single, but the Cowboy was able to back away from contact. Trailing 1-0, Duke chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. The du traded quick shots at the :45 mark to no avail. The bout moved to sudden victory tied 1-1. Duke worked the center of the mat for the first minute of extra time and then countered a slight Robideau shot, locking a cradle and appearing to get the takedown for the 4-1 (sv) victory. Oklahoma State challenged and action was stopped as Duke was working to pin Robideau and finish off the takedown. The call was overturned. Duke fought off one last shot and the match moved to a tie-breaker. Robideau chose down and reversed Duke to a 3-1 lead. Duke chose neutral and could not take the Cowboy down. He dropped the 3-1 (TB) bout and moved into consolation action, alive for third place.
Duke battled in the consolation semifinals at 157 against Illinois’ Kannon Webster. Duke took an early 3-1 lead with a takedown in the opening period. The Nittany Lion battled the Illini in neutral through the rest of the opening period and led by two after one. Webster chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 3-2 score. Duke blew through a high double for another takedown and a 6-2 lead at 1:32. He built his time edge up to 1:07 before Webster escaped to a 6-3 score. Duke chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-3 lead. The Nittany Lion finished the match on his feet and moved into the third place bout with a 7-3 victory. Duke battled No. 8 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State for third place. Duke lifted Cannon off the mat and took him down for a quick three points just :25 into the bout. He cut Cannon loose and went back to work on offense. Duke took Cannon tohis back from his feet for a takedown and two near fall points and led 8-1. Duke finished the period on top and carried that lead into the second stanza. Cannon chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to an 8-2 score. Duke had 1:17 in riding time. Duke forced a stall and then took Cannon down to an 11-2 lead. After a neutral start, Duke added another takedown to lead 14-2 with over 2:00 in riding time. Cannon escaped and Duke took the Buckeye down again at the :38 mark to lead 17-3 with clinched riding time. Duke added a final takedown to post the 20-4 tech fall at 6:37 to claim third place. Duke ended his first tournament run with a 5-1 record, including two pins and two tech falls, as the third place All-American.
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Jr., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead
Rd. 1: #32 Cody Walsh, Drexel – W, 21-5 (TF; 5:30)
Rd. 2: #16 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State – W, 12-0 maj. dec.
Qtr: #9 Bryce Hepner, North Carolina – W, 6-0 dec.
Semi: #12 Cesar Alvin, Columbia – W, 15-0 (TF; 4:11)
Finals: #3 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa – W, 20-4 (TF; 5:12)
Mesenbrink, the No. 1 seed at 165, took on No. 32 Cody Walsh of Drexel in the opening round. Mesenbrink came out firing, taking Walsh down three times in the opening 1:15 to lead 9-2. He built his riding time up over 1:00 and worked to turn the Dragon for back points over the next minute. He cut Walsh loose after a reset, took him down twice more in just seconds and led 15-4 with over 2:00 in riding time after one. Mesenbrink chose neutral to start the second period and took Walsh down off the opening whistle. He cut Walsh loose on a reset and finished off the bout with a final takedown, posting a 21-5 tech fall at 4:45.
He took on No. 16 Paddy Gallagher of Ohio State in round two. Mesenbrink set a fast pace off the whistle, forcing a stall warning just :34 into the bout. He then took Gallagher down to open up a 3-0 lead and went to work looking for a turn. Mesenbrink worked his riding time up over 1:00 and then picked up a point on another stall to lead 4-0. He finished the period on top and led by that score, with 2:19 in time, after one. Mesenbrink escaped quickly to start the second period. Mesenbrink turned a low single into a second takedown and an 8-0 lead with 1:00 on the clock. He finished the period on top and led 8-0 with 3:10 in time after two. Gallagher chose neutral to start the third, Mesenbrink forced another stall to lead 9-0. He chased Gallagher around the outside circle until the :28 mark, picking up another stall for two points and an 11-0 lead. Mesenbrink added the riding time point and rolled to the quarterfinals with a 12-0 major decision.
Mesenbrink took on No. 9 Bryce Hepner of North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Mesenbrink forced an early scramble that Hepner was able to fight off. Hepner countered another Mesenbrink shot and the Lion fought off the counter effort to force a stalemate at :55. Mesenbrink continued to force the action and Hepner countered each move, forcing action to the sidelines. Hepner called for injury time at :27, which was changed to concussion protocol and the bout resumed in neutral. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Hepner chose down to start the second period. Mesenbrink controlled action and turned the Tar Heel for four back points during a rideout to lead 4-0 with 2:00 riding time after two. Mesenbrink chose down to start the third and escaped to a 5-0 lead. Mesenbrink picked up the riding time point at the end of the bout to roll into the semifinals with a 6-0 decision. He also became a three-time All-American with the win.
He , met No. 12 Cesar Alvin of Columbia in the semis. Mesenbrink fought off an Alvin throw at the 2:20 mark and then moved in for a first takedown at 1:52 to open up a 3-0 lead. Mesenbrink then turned Alvin over and worked for a pin over for over a minute. Alvin was able to keep from giving up the pin and Mesenbrink led 7-0 after one. Mesenbrink chose down to start the second, escaped and took Alvin down to an 11-0 lead. He then turned him one final time for four back points to roll into the finals with a 15-0 technical fall at 4:11.
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174: #1 Levi Haines, Sr., Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville
Rd. 1: #33 Grant O’Dell, Bellarmine – WBF (1:33)
Rd. 2: #16 Nick Fine, Columbia – W, 21-5 (TF; 5:26)
Qtr: #9 Beau Mantanona, Michigan – W, 18-3 (TF; 7:00)
Semi: #5 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa – W, 18-3 (TF; 7:00)
Finals: #3 Christopher Minto, Nebraska – W, 2-1 dec.
Haines, the No. 1 seed at 174, met No. 33 Grant O’Dell of Bellarmine in the first round. Haines scored quickly, connecting on a low single and finishing off a takedown for a 3-0 lead at 1:57. He swiftly turned the Knight to his back and picked up a fast fall, getting the pin at 1:33 in the opening period.
He met No. 16 Nick Fine of Columbia in the second round. Haines took Fine down in the first :10 to lead 3-1 early. He quickly took Fine down a second time to open up a 6-1 lead then went to work, looking to turn Fine for back points. Fine escaped to a 6-2 score and Haines moved in for a high shot and a third takedown at :22 to lead 9-2 with 1:40 in riding time after one. Fine chose down to start the second period. Haines let him up seconds into the period. He bulled through a high shot to lead 12-4 after a quick cut. Haines added another takedown and finished in control once more to lead 15-4 with 2:55 in time after two. Haines added two more takedowns early in the third period to move into the quarters with a 21-5 tech fall at 5:26.
Haines met No. 9 Beau Mantanona of Michigan in the quarters. Haines forced a scramble midway through the first period and took a 3-0 lead with a takedown at 1:13. He controlled action on top, building up riding time while working for back points. He picked up two near fall as the period ended and led 5-0 after one. After a neutral start to the second, Haines used a fast low double for a second takedown to lead 8-1 after a Mantanona escape. Haines added a third takedown and led 11-1 after two periods. Mantanona chose down to start the third and Haines cut him to an 11-2 score. Haines made it 14-3 after another takedown and cut and then took the Wolverine down again to lead 17-3. He finished the match on top and, with 3:10 in riding time, posted the 18-3 tech fall at 7:00. The win moved Haines into the semis and made him a four-time All-American, Penn State’s 20th.
He took on No. 5 Patrick Kennedy of Iowa in his semifinal bout. Haines got in on an early single, but Kennedy fought off the move to reset the action at 2:10. Haines continued to work his offense as Kennedy played defense deep into the opening period. Haines locked a high single at :45 and finished off the takedown to lead 3-0 at :25. Haines, leading 3-0 after one, shoes down to start the second. He quickly escaped and then took the Hawkeye down to open up a 7-0 lead. Haines carried a 7-1 lead into the third period. Kennedy chose down to start the final stanza, and Haines built his riding time up over 1:00 before Kennedy escaped to a 7-2 score. Haines notched another takedown at 1:10 to open up a 10-3 lead after a quick cut. Haines took Kennedy down once more then added four back points to lead 17-3. He finished the period on top and, with riding time, posted the strong 18-3 tech fall at 7:00. Haines moved into the national finals for the third time with the win.
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184: #1 Rocco Welsh, So., Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central
Rd. 1: #32 Caleb Uhlenhopp, Utah Valley – W, 19-4 (TF; 6:31)
Rd. 2: #16 Rylan Rogers, Lehigh – W, 13-4 dec.
Qtr: #8 Silas Allred, Nebraska – W, inj. def. (6:02 / leading 7-1)
Semi: #5 Brock Mantanona, Michigan – W, 4-3 dec.
Finals: #3 Max McEnelly, Minnesota – L, 3-4 dec.
Welsh, the No. 1 seed at 184, faced No. 32 Caleb Uhlenhopp of Utah Valley the opening round. Welsh took an early 3-1 lead with a takedown and cut to begin the bout. He skipped away from an Uhlenhopp counter shot and forced a stall warning at 0:52. Welsh used a high single off a reset to take a 6-1 lead at the :40 mark and carried that lead into the second period. Uhlenhopp chose down to start the second period and Welsh cut him to a 6-2 score. Welsh took a 9-3 lead with another takedown and cut, then notched a fourth takedown late to lead 12-3 after two. Welsh chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 13-3 lead. He picked up a fifth takedown, cut Uhlenhopp loose and finished off the 19-4 tech fall with a final takedown at 6:31.
He met No. 16 Nick Fine of Columbia in the second round. Haines took Fine down in the first :10 to lead 3-1 early. He quickly took Fine down a second time to open up a 6-1 lead then went to work, looking to turn Fine for back points. Fine escaped to a 6-2 score and Haines moved in for a high shot and a third takedown at :22 to lead 9-2 with 1:40 in riding time after one. Fine chose down to start the second period. Haines let him up seconds into the period. He bulled through a high shot to lead 12-4 after a quick cut. Haines added another takedown and finished in control once more to lead 15-4 with 2:55 in time after two. Haines added two more takedowns early in the third period to move into the quarters with a 21-5 tech fall at 5:26.
Welsh faced No. 8 Silas Allred of Nebraska in his quarterfinal bout. Welsh worked Allred to the outside circle from the onset. The Nittany Lion then fought off a low Allred shot, countered, moved around behind the Husker and nearly finished off a takedown. But Allred was able to escape out of bounds, and a reset was called at 1:00. Tied 0-0, Welsh chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He immediately turned in on a high single and finished off the takedown to lead 4-0 at 1:20. Allred escaped to a 4-1 score and Welsh went back to work on offense. He zipped through a low double to up his lead to 7-1 late in the period and finished the period on top. Trailing by six, Allred chose down to start the third. Welsh was working through a takedown when Allred suffered an injury and could not continue. Welsh, leading 7-1 at the time, won by injury default at 6:02. The win made Welsh a semifinalist and a two-time All-American.
He battled No. 5 Brock Mantanona of Michigan in the semifinals. Welsh and Mantanona battled evenly through the first minute-plus, working for position on the NCAA logo. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Mantanona chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Welsh fought off a fast Michigan shot and forced a stalemate at the 1:03 mark. Welsh turned a high shot at :35 into a scoring opportunity late in the period. Mantanona was able to skip out of trouble and the bout moved to the third with Welsh down by one. Welsh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Welsh blew through a fast high single for a takedown and a 4-1 lead at 1:15. Welsh gave up a stall warning on the ride before Mantanona escaped to a 4-2 score at :28. He gave up a stall point and moved into the national finals for the second time with a 4-3 victory.
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197: #1 Josh Barr, So., Davison, Mich./Davison
Rd. 1: #32 Blake Schaffer, Kent State – W, 20-4 (TF; 5:43)
Rd. 2: #17 Dillon Bechtold, Bucknell – W, 11-3 maj. dec.
Qtr: #9 Angelo Posada, Stanford – W, 19-3 (TF; 4:50)
Semi: #5 Joey Novak, Wyoming – W, 14-3 maj. dec.
Finals: #7 Cody Merrill, Oklahoma State – W, 6-3 dec.
Barr, the No. 1 seed at 197, wrestled No. 32 Blake Schaffer of Kent State in the first round. Barr turned a quick low shot into a takedown and a 3-0 lead at 2:23. He built up :43 in time before cutting Schaffer loose. Barr then countered a Flash shot and took him down for a 6-1 lead at 1:16. Barr used a low double for a third takedown and a 9-2 lead with :45 on the clock. He then worked Schaffer to his back for two near fall points and an 11-2 lead after one period. Barr chose neutral to start the second period and took 14-2 lead with a fourth takedown. Barr added one more takedown and led 17-3 with 3:15 in time after two. Schaffer chose down to start the third period. Barr cut him loose at 1:35 and ended the bout with a final takedown, posting the 20-4 tech fall at 5:43.
He took on No. 17 Dilon Bechtold of Bucknell in the second round. Barr notched the first takedown of the bout off a high single and 1:45. He cut the Bison loose toa 3-1 score and went back to work in neutral. Barr muscled Bechtold to the mat for a second takedown and a 6-1 lead at :50. He finished the period on top and led 6-1 with 1:02 in time after the opening period. Barr escaped to start the second period, the only scoring of the middle stanza. Trailing 7-1, Bechtold chose down to start the third and escaped to a 7-2 score. Barr forced a scramble and finished off another takedown to lead 10-3 at 1:00 after a quick Bison escape. Barr added 1:27 in riding time and moved into the quarterfinals with an 11-3 major decision.
Barr took on No. 9 Angelo Posada of Stanford in Penn State’s last quarterfinal bout. Barr took Posada down quickly, taking a 3-0 lead early in the bout. Barr controlled action on top through the 2:00 mark, building up riding time looking for a turn. Barr turned Posada for four and a 7-0 lead at the end of the period with 2:31 in riding time. After a neutral start in the second, Barr took a 10-1 lead with a takedown and cut. He immediately took Posada down again to lead 13-2 after another cut. Barr finished off the bout with two more takedowns to post the 19-3 tech fall at 4:50. The win earned Barr a second All-America honor and moved him into the semifinals.
He faced No. 5 Joey Novak of Wyoming in Penn State’s last semifinal match-up of the evening. Barr muscled his way through an early high double to take a 3-0 lead at 2:29. Novak scrambled his way to a reversal to cut into the lead at 1:32 and Barr led 4-2 after a quick escape. Barr worked Novak to the mat at the :30 mark and added a late takedown to lead 7-2 after the opening period. Novak chose down to start the second period. Barr worked his riding time up over 1:00 before Novak escaped to a 7-3 score. Barr moved in on a low double and scrambled his way to a third takedown and a 10-3 lead with :42 on the clock. He finished the period on top and led 10-3 with 2:16 RT after two. Barr chose neutral to start the third. Barr muscled Novak down for a takedown at the 1:00 mark to lead 1-3 with clinched riding time. Barr finished the period on top and, with riding time, rolled to the 14-3 major decision. He advanced to his second national title bout with the win.
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285: #9 Cole Mirasola, R-Fr., Jackson, Wis./West Bend
Rd. 1: #24 Connor Barket, Duke – W, 13-7 dec.
Rd. 2: #8 Ben Kueter, Iowa – L, 0-4 dec.
Cn. 2: #29 Stephen Monchery, Appalachian State – W, 18-3 (TF; 6:03)
Cn. 3: #18 Christian Carroll, Wyoming – L, 6-9 dec.
Mirasola, the No. 9 seed at 285, battled No. 24 Connor Barket of Duke in the opening round. Mirasola scored first, taking a 3-0 lead at 2:10 with a takedown on the edge of the mat. Barket escaped to a 3-1 score and Mirasola went back to work on offense. He forced a stall warning then bulled through a shot for another takedown and a 6-1 lead at 1:10. Mirasola added one more takedown and led 9-2 after one. Barket escaped to start the second period. The duo battled in neutral for the rest of the period and Mirasola led 9-3 after two. Mirasola escaped to start the third period. He turned a low shot into a scramble on the edge of the mat and took a 13-3 lead with a takedown at :26. Barket added an escape and a late takedown, but Mirasola’s early offense allowed him to post a 13-7 win.
He met No. 8 Ben Kueter of Iowa in the last of Penn State’s second round bouts. Mirasola battled in neutral through the first minute-plus. Mirasola worked a high single into a scramble at the 1:00 mark. But Kueter was able to fight off the effort and force a stalemate with :41 left in the period. Kueter chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Mirasola worked a shot into a scramble once more, but another stalemate followed and the Lion freshman trailed 1-0 after two. Mirasola chose neutral to start the third period, trailing by one. Mirasola used a low double to force a scramble, but Kueter countered and finished off a takedown with :20 left to ice the bout with a 4-0 decision. The loss sent Mirasola to consolation action in session three.
Mirasola faced Stephen Monchery of Appalachian State in his first consolation bout. Mirasola scored quickly, taking Monchery down for an early 3-0 lead. Monchery escaped after a reset. Mirasola countered a Monchery shot to score a second takedown and lead 6-1 at 1:40. He worked his riding time up over 1:00 before cutting Monchery loose to a 6-2 score. Mirasola took a 9-2 lead with a third takedown and finished the period on top to lead by seven after one. After a neutral start in the second, Mirasola turned a low single into a scramble and a fourth takedown at 1:05. Another rideout gave the Lion a 12-2 lead with 3:06 in riding time after two. Mirasola finished off the match with two more takedowns to post an 18-3 tech fall at 6:03. Mirasola battled No. 18 Christian Carroll of Wyoming in the next consolation round. Mirasola and Carroll battled through a scoreless opening period. Mirasola chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Carroll finished off a takedown at the 1:10 mark to take a 3-1 lead. Mirasola escaped to a 3-2 score at 1:04. Mirasola used a low double to take Carroll down to a 5-4 lead after a quick Carroll escape. Trailing by one, Carroll chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-5 tie. Mirasola gave up a point on stalling and trailed 6-5 at 1:18. Carroll added one more takedown and Mirasola’s tournament ended with a 9-6 loss. Mirasola went 2-2 with a tech fall at his first NCAA tournament.