UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (15-0, 8-0 B1G) went 8-1 in the Big Ten semifinals, sending eight wrestlers into tomorrow’s Big Ten Championship finals.. Penn State, hosting this year’s tournament, capped off a stellar first day in the Bryce Jodan Center by moving out to a big lead in the team race as well.
Head coach Cael Sanderson’s squad is in first place in the team race with 146.5 points. Nebraska and Ohio State are tied for second with 112.0 and Iowa is in fourth with 70.0 All nine of Penn State’s semifinalists have earned a trip to the NCAA Championships on March 19-21. The tenth wrestles for seventh place tomorrow and a trip to Cleveland as well.
Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 1 at 125, met No. 17 Jacob Moran of Indiana in Penn State’s first semifinal bout. Lilledahl blew through a high double early in the first to open up a 3-0 lead with a takedown. He cut Moran loose and quickly worked a low shot into a scramble and a second takedown to lead 6-1 at 1:51. Moran escaped to a 6-2 score and Lilledahl led by that margin after the first period. Moran chose down to start the second period and Lilledahl worked his riding time up over 1:00 before cutting him to a 6-3 score. He worked a low single into another chance to score. He continued to work for the takedown for over a minute and picked up the three points in the final second to lead 9-3 after two. Lilledahl chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 10-3 lead. He added riding time at the bout’s conclusion and moved into the Big Ten finals with an 11-3 major decision.
Marcus Blaze, ranked No. 2 at 133, battled No. 9 Drake Ayala of Iowa in the semifinals. The duo worked in the center of the mat, battling in neutral for the first two minutes. Blaze held his position on the Nittany Lion logo and began to force Ayala to the edge of the mat. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Ayala chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead after :16. Blaze again went to work on his feet, setting up on the logo while Ayala skirted the outside circle. The rest of the period was contested in neutral and Blaze trailed 1-0 after two. Blaze chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Blaze held first in the center of the mat and got off a series of quick shots that Ayala defended. The match moved to sudden victory tied 1-1. The extra period began with a flurry that ended in neutral. Blaze then zipped in on a low shot, worked through Ayala’s initial defense, and finished off the takedown with :55 on the clock to post the thrilling 4-1 (sv) win and advance to the finals.
Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 1 at 149, took on No. 16 Lachlan McNeil of Michigan in the semifinals. Van Ness worked his way in on a low shot but McNeil was able to counter the move for a takedown and an early 3-0 lead. Van Ness worked his way to an escape at 1:37, cutting the lead to 3-1. Van Ness took another shot and McNeil once again countered for a takedown to lead 6-1 at :20 and led by that score after one. Van Ness chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 6-2 score. Van Ness continued to shoot, forced a stall warning then took McNeil down to cut the lead to 6-5 at :55. Van Ness cut McNeil loose to a 7-5 score at :45. He continued to shoot the Wolverine backwards for the rest of the period and trailed 7-5 after two. McNeil chose down to start the third and Van Ness cut him to an 8-5 score. He quickly turned a scramble into a takedown and tied the bout at 8-8, then cut McNeil loose to trail 9-8. He moved through a takedown at the :50 mark to take an 11-9 lead. McNeil escaped in the final seconds but Van Ness’ late rally pushed the Nittany Lion through to the Big Ten finals with an 11-10 win.
PJ Duke, ranked No. 4 at 157, faced off against No. 9 Kannon Webster of Illinois in the semifinals. Duke and Webster worked the center of the mat for the first minute-plus. The Lion held position on the log while Webster backed away. Duke muscled Webster to the mat for the first takedown and a 3-0 lead at 1:27. Webster escaped to a 3-1 score and Duke went back to work on offense. He forced a stall warning at :32. Duke fought off a late Webster shot and led 3-1 after the opening period. Duke chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. The second period was an even battle in neutral and Duke led by three after two. Webster chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 score. Duke scrambled for a near takedown at :45 but Webster was able to back out of trouble. Duke’s first period takedown proved to be the difference in a 4-2 win to advance to the Big Ten finals.
Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, met No. 11 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota in the semifinals. Mesenbrink set a fast tempo off the opening whistle, taking numerous shots and his pressure paid off. He moved in on a low shot, scrambled his way to a takedown and led 3-0 at 1:13. Mesenbrink forced a stall warning during a strong ride and finished the period on top to lead 3-0 after one. He chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 led. Mesenbrink took Sparks down again, taking a 7-0 lead at 1:00. He went to work on top, looking to turn the Gopher. Sparks was able to keep from being turned and Mesenbrink led 7-0 after two. Sparks chose down, Mesenbrink cut him, took him down, cut him again and took him down quickly to lead 13-3 at 1:30. He picked up another takedown, cut Sparks to a 16-4 score and then finished off the 19-4 technical fall at 6:28. He advanced to the Big Ten title bout with the win.
Levi Haines, ranked No. 1 at 174, faced No. 5 Carson Kharchla of Ohio State in the semifinals. Haines fought off an early Kharchla double, forcing a stalemate at the 1:57 mark after a minute of wrestling. Kharchla hit the same move and Haines once again forced a stalemate with :45 left in the opening period. Haines turned a low shot into a late scramble but time ran out before he could finish off the takedown and the bout moved to the second tied 0-0. Haines chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Haines fought off another high Kharchla shot late in the period and then moved in through a low double for a takedown late and a 4-0 lead after two. Kharchla chose down to start the third period. Haines controlled action on top, building up over 1:00 in time with a strong ride. Haines dominated action from the top position for all but the final seconds. Haines added a riding time point and moved into the Big Ten finals with a 5-1 victory.
Rocco Welsh, ranked No. 1 at 184, met No. 7 Brock Mantanona of Michigan in the semifinals. Mantanona came out and took an early 3-0 lead with a quick takedown. Welsh escaped right away and moved in on a low single. But the Wolverine was able to fight off Welsh’s efforts for a minute and worked action out of bounds with 1:17 left in the opening stanza. Welsh continued to work his offense, getting in on two more singles. But each time Mantanona worked out of bounds and Welsh trailed 3-1 after one. Welsh chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 score. His offensive pressure paid off as the Lion sophomore muscled his way to a takedown and a 5-3 lead at the :45 mark. Mantanona escaped to a 5-4 score before the period ended and Welsh led by one after two. Mantanona chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-5 tie. The match moved to sudden victory tied 5-5. Welsh worked on his feet for a minute and then exploded through a low shot, finishing off the match with a takedown at 1:36. The fast move gave Welsh the 8-5 (sv) win and moved him into the Big Ten finals.
Josh Barr, ranked No. 1 at 197, took on No. 17 Luke Geog of Ohio State in the semifinals. Barr and Geog worked the middle of the mat for the opening minute with the Nittany Lion sophomore forcing Geog into defense with forward motion. Barr used a strong low double at :12 to take Geog down late and led 3-0 after the opening period. Barr chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He took Geog down a second time quickly thereafter and opened up a 7-0 lead with 1:18 on the clock. Barr cut Geog loose at :53 and went back to work on offense. He picked up a stall point to lead 8-1 and then muscled through a high double for another takedown and an 11-1 lead with :50 on the clock. Geog chose down to start the third period. Barr worked his riding time up over 1:00 and then fought off a reversal attempt to maintain an 11-2 lead after cutting Geog loose. He upped his margin to 14-3 with another takedown and cut and took Geog down again to lead 17-3 late. He finished the match on top and, with 2:24 in riding time, rolled into the Big Ten finals with an 18-3 tech fall at 7:00.
Cole Mirasola, ranked No. 5 at 285, met No. 4 Taye Ghadiali of Michigan in the final PSU semifinal bout of the night. The duo battled evenly on their feet for the first minute-plus, working for control on the Lion logo. Mirasola scrambled on a low shot but Ghadiali countered for a takedown and a 3-1 lead after a quick Mirasola escape at 1:15. Mirasola and Ghadiali finished the first in neutral and the Lion freshman trailed 3-1 after one. Ghadiali chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. Mirasola continued to shoot but Ghadiali’s defense kept him from scoring as the clock moved below 1:20. Mirasola, trailing 4-1, chose down to start the third period. Ghadiali was able to maintain control long enough to build his riding time up over 1:00. The Wolverine got hit for stalling at 0:47 for the first time. Mirasola escaped to a 4-2 score and then moved in on a low shot, nearly taking Ghadiali down late. But the Wolverine fought off the effort and killed the clock to win 5-2 with riding time. Mirasola moves into the consolation bracket, still alive for third place.
Braeden Davis, ranked No. 14 at 141, battled Danny Pucino of Illinois in Penn State’s first bout of the session early in consolation round two. Davis wasted no time going on attack. The Lion junior moved in for a quick takedown and then turned Pucino to his back in the first :15 seconds of the match. He worked Pucino’s shoulders flat and picked up the first period fall at 0:36. Davis then met No. 6 Joey Olivieri of Rutgers in consolation round three. Davis worked his way in on a single at the 1:20 mark, forcing a scramble that Olivieri turned into a takedown and a 3-0 lead with :36 on the clock. Olivieri finished the period on top and led 3-0 after one. The Knight chose down to start the second and escaped to a 4-0 lead. Davis worked the center of the mat, trying to break through Olivieri’s defense but the Knight held firm and Davis trailed 4-0 after two. Davis chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 score. Davis forced Olivieri into a first stall warning at 1:22. He cut Olivieri’s lead to 4-2 by forcing another stall but could chase the Knight down for a final takedown and dropped the 4-2 decision. The loss dropped him into the seventh place bout in session three, needing one more win to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
Penn State went 9-2 in the second session and 20-3 overall through day one’s action. Penn State has 13.5 bonus points off four majors, three tech falls and two falls heading into Sunday.
The Big Ten Championship concludes with a final combined session on Sunday starting at 12 p.m. (consolation finals/7th place rounds followed by the finals/3rd/5th place bouts). The Nittany Lions closed out the regular season 15-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big Ten and 2026 Big Ten Regular Season Champions.
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 Big Ten Championships
March 7-8, 2026 – Bryce Jordan Center – University Park, Pa.
Team Standings (top four):
1: PENN STATE – 146.5 pts.
2: Nebraska – 112.0
2: Ohio State – 112.0
4: Iowa – 70.0
ATTENDANCE: Session 1: 13,133; Session 2: 13,186
Weight by-weight agate (rankings listed are InterMat as of 2/24/26):
125: #1 Luke Lilledahl, So. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #7 Dean Peterson, Iowa – W, 8-3 dec.
Semi: #17 Jacob Moran, Indiana – W, 11-3 maj. dec.
Final: #13 Jore Volk, Minnesota -- tomorrow
Lilledahl, top seed at 125, had a first round bye and took on No. 7 Dean Peterson of Iowa in the quarterfinals. The duo battled evenly in the middle of the mat through the first two minutes. Lilledahl got off a flurry of quick shots in the final minute but Peterson was able to back away from the action and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Peterson chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lilledahl locked Peterson at the waist and appeared to finish off a takedown at 1:30 but none was awarded. Penn State challenged the call and won, and Lilledahl led 3-2 after the second. Lilledahl chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. He worked his way into a scramble with a low shot and eventually finished off the takedown to lead 7-2 at :57. He built his riding time up over 1:00 before Peterson escaped and, with the point, posted the 8-3 win to advance to the quarterfinals and clinch a spot at the NCAA tournament.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
133: #2 Marcus Blaze, Fr. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #24 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers – W, 16-3 maj. dec.
Semi: #9 Drake Ayala, Iowa – W, 4-1 (sv) dec.
Final: #3 Ben Davino, Ohio State – tomorrow
Blaze, top seed at 133, had a first round bye and met No. 24 Dylan Shawver of Rutgers in the quarterfinals. Blaze muscled his way through a takedown at the :17 mark to take a 3-0 lead late in the first period and caried that lead into the second. Blaze chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He took Shawver down at 1:19 and cut him loose. Blaze picked up a quick stall point to lead 8-1 and then finished off the second period with a late takedown to lead 11-1 after two periods. Shawver chose down to start the third period and Blaze cut him loose. Blaze quickly took him down again and led 14-2 after a Shawver escape. Blaze added another stall point and riding time to roll into the semifinals with a 16-3 major decision. The win also earned Blaze a trip to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
141: #14 Braeden Davis, Jr. – 6th-seed
Rd. 1: Dario Lemus, Maryland – W, 6-4 dec.
Qtr: #8 Vance Vombaur, Minnesota – L, 5-20 (TF; 7:00)
Cn. 2: Danny Pucino, Illinois – WBF (0:36)
Cn. 3: #6 Joey Olivieri, Rutgers – L, 2-4 dec.
7th: Billy DeKraker, Northwestern – tomorrow
Davis, the sixth seed at 141, took on Dario Lemus of Maryland in the opening round. Davis got hit for stalling at 1:45 and then forced a stall at 1:35. Davis turned a high single at :25 into a takedown and a 3-0 lead with just :15 on the clock and carried that edge into the second period. Davis chose down to start the second period and got turned for four back points. He fought off the pin and quickly reversed Lemus to retake the lead 5-4 at 1:20. Davis controlled the action on top for the rest of the period to lead 5-4 with 1:04 in riding time after two. Lemus chose down to start the third period. Davis controlled the action on top once again, clinching his riding time point and finishing on top to post a 6-4 win with 3:04 in riding time. Davis took on No. 8 Vance Vombaur of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. Vombaur notched the first takedown of the match at the 1:22 mark. Davis escaped after :40 of work and trailed 3-1 after one. Davis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 score. He then scrambled his way to a takedown and opened up a 5-3 lead with 1:23 on the clock. Vombaur, however, escaped and took Davis down, locking a cradle and earning four back points to lead 11-5 after two periods. Vombaur added an escaped, takedown, four back points and riding time in the third period to post a strong 20-5 technical fall over Davis at 7:00. The loss sent Davis to consolation action in Saturday night’s second session.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
149: #1 Shayne Van Ness, Jr. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #17 Ryder Block, Iowa – W, 5-4 dec.
Semi: #16 Lachlan McNeil, Michigan – W, 11-10 dec.
Final: #6 Ethan Stiles, Ohio State – tomorrow
Van Ness, top seed at 149, had a first round bye and met No. 17 Ryder Block of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Block took Van Ness down at the :47 mark in the first period and finished the period on top to lead 3-0 after one. Van Ness, trailing by three, chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 deficit. He forced a first stall warning at 1:05, then picked up a stall point at :53 to trail 3-2. Block, leading 3-2, chose down to start the third period. Van Ness cut him quickly and trailed 4-2. Van Ness scrambled away from a near takedown and continued his late push. Van Ness pressed forward and Block backed away again, giving Van Ness another stall point and moving the score to 4-3. The Lion junior stayed aggressive, and Block continued to back away. Van Ness forced another stall with under :20 left in the bout for two points and walked away with a hard fought 5-4 win, advancing to the semifinals and earning a trip to the NCAA Championships.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
157: #4 PJ Duke, Fr. – 2nd-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #1 Brandon Cannon, Ohio State – W, 20-7 maj. dec.
Semi: #9 Kannon Webster, Illinois – W, 4-2 dec.
Final: #1 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska – tomorrow
Duke, the second seed at 157, had a first round bye and met No. 1 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Cannon came out and scored quickly, taking Duke down to lead 3-1 after a quick Lion escape. Duke took Cannon down quickly after his escape to lead 4-3. Cannon escaped and Duke went back to work, taking the Buckeye down for a 7-4 lead on the edge of the mat. Duke finished the period on top and carried that lead into the third period. Cannon chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-5 lead. Duke went to work on offense, finishing off another takedown at the :20 mark to lead 10-5 after two periods. Duke chose neutral to start the third period. He countered a slight Cannon shot and took him down once more to lead 13-5 with clinched riding time. He cut Cannon loose and went to work on his feet. Duke added another takedown and cut to lead 16-7 with :24 left in the bout. The Lion freshman added another takedown late and, with riding time, rolled to the 20-7 major decision.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Jr. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #15 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State – W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Semi: #11 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota – W, 19-4 (TF; 6:28)
Final: #3 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa – tomorrow
Mesenbrink, top seed at 165, had a first round by and took on No. 15 Paddy Gallagher of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Mesenbrink took Gallagher down for the first time at 2:17. He controlled action on top and built up over 1:00 in riding time before cutting Gallagher loose. Mesenbrink picked up a second takedown and opened up a 6-1 lead after one. Mesenbrink chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-1 lead. Mesenbrink chased a fleeing Gallagher around the mat for the bulk of the third period. He picked up a stall point at 1:10 and added riding time at the conclusion of the match to move into the semifinals with a 10-2 major decision. Mesenbrink also clinched a spot at nationals with the win.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
174: #1 Levi Haines, Sr. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #24 Colin Kelly, Illinois – W, 17-2 (TF; 6:02)
Semi: #5 Carson Kharchla, Ohio State – W, 5-1 dec.
Final: #4 Chris Minto, Nebraska – tomorrow
Haines, top seed at 174, had a first round bye and met No. 24 Colin Kelly of Illinois in the quarterfinals. Haines picked up the bout’s first takedown at the :56 mark in the opening period. The Lion senior controlled action on top and finished the period in control to lead 3-0 after one. Haines chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He moved in for a quick takedown and opened up a 7-1 lead after a quick cut. Haines forced a stall point and then used a low double for a takedown to lead 11-1 after the second period. The third began in neutral and Haines quickly took the Illini down for a 14-2 lead. Haines finished off the bout with a final takedown, notching the 17-2 tech fall, earning a spot in the semifinals and a trip to the NCAA Championship.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
184: #1 Rocco Welsh, So. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #2 Angelo Ferrari, Iowa – W, 3-2 (TB1)
Semi: #7 Brock Mantanona, Michigan – W, 8-5 (sv)
Final: #4 Max McEnally, Minnesota – tomorrow
Welsh, the top seed at 184, had a first round bye and took on No. 2 Angelo Ferrari of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Welsh and Ferrari battled through an even two minutes with Welsh working on his feet and the Hawkeye dropping to a knee throughout the stanza. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Ferrari chose down to start the second period. Welsh controlled action on top for :44 before Ferrari escaped to a 1-0 lead. Welsh fought off a solid Ferrari shot at the :40 mark, keeping action in neutral. Welsh trailed 1-0 after two and chose down to start the third period. Welsh quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie and went back to work on his feet. Welsh and Ferrari battled in neutral through the rest of the period and action moved to sudden victory. Welsh shot Ferrari backwards and then fought off a Hawkeye counter shot for over :30 before forcing a reset at :55. Welsh turned a low single into a late scramble, but Ferrari was able to force a stalemate at :05 and the match moved to a tie-breaker. Welsh chose down to start the tie-breakers. He escaped in just :09 to take a 2-1 lead. Ferrari then took down in the second tie-breaker. Welsh controlled Ferrari for :13 to own an :04 riding time edge, enough to move into the semifinals with a thrilling 3-2 TB1 victory. The win also sends Welsh to the NCAA Championships.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
197: #1 Josh Barr, So. – 1st-seed
Rd. 1: bye
Qtr: #22 Gabe Sollars, Indiana – W, 21-6 (TF; 4:09)
Semi: #17 Luke Geog, Ohio State – W, 18-3 (TF; 7:00)
Final: #10 Camden McDanel, Nebraska – tomorrow
Josh Barr, the top seed at 197, had a first round bye and took on No. 22 Gabe Sollars of Indiana in the quarterfinals. Barr took Sollars down quickly in the bout to open up an early 3-1 lead. The Lion sophomore tacked on a second takedown, cut Sollars loose and moved in for a third takedown and a 9-3 lead after another cut. Barr finished the first with a late takedown to lead 12-3 after one period. Sollars chose down to start the second, Barr cut him loose and went on to finish off the bout with three more takedowns in just over 1:00. Barr got the final takedown at 4:09 to move into the semifinals, and advance to NCAAs, with a 21-6 tech fall.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT
285: #5 Cole Mirasola, R-Fr. – 4th-seed
Rd. 1: Gabe Christenson, Northwestern – WBF (0:25)
Qtrs: #8 Braxton Amos, Wisconsin – W, 4-2 dec.
Semi: #4 Taye Ghadiali, Michigan – L, 2-5 dec.
Cn. Semi: #8 Ben Kueter, Iowa – tomorrow
Mirasola, the fourth seed at 285, battled Gabe Christenson of Northwestern in the opening round. Mirasola scored seconds into the bout to take a 3-1 lead after a quick cut. Mirasola took Christenson down again seconds later, locked his shoulders, took him to his back and got the fast fall at 0:25. Mirasola met No. 9 Braxton Amos of Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. Mirasola drew first blood, taking Amos down in the opening minute to lead 3-0. The Badger worked his way to an escape and cut the score to 3-1. Mirasola chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. The big men battled in center of the mat for the remainder of the period and Mirasola led by three after two. Amos chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escaped, cutting the Mirasola lead to 4-2. Mirasola and Amos spent the rest of the period working on their feet and the Lion freshman, off the strength of the first period takedown, advanced to the semis with a 4-2 victory. He also earned a trip to his first NCAA tournament as well.
SEE ABOVE STORY FOR THIS SESSION’S BOUT-BY-BOUT