Philadelphia, PA — Penn State wrestling once again proved why it is the standard in collegiate wrestling, securing another NCAA team title under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson. The Nittany Lions were heavy favorites coming into the tournament, and after strong performances on Saturday morning, they mathematically locked up their fourth consecutive NCAA title, extending one of the most impressive dynasties in sports.
This victory marks Penn State’s 12th NCAA title under Sanderson and the 13th in the program’s history. The Nittany Lions’ first national championship came in 1953, but it was in 2011—Sanderson’s second season at the helm—that the program won its first title under his leadership in Philadelphia. Since then, the only surprise has been the sheer dominance of Penn State, as they’ve built an insurmountable gap between themselves and the rest of the field.
Since 2010, Penn State has claimed 12 out of 15 NCAA titles, with Iowa (2010 and 2021) and Ohio State (2015) being the only teams to interrupt their streak. Now, the Nittany Lions are chasing the all-time scoring record set last year with 172.5 points. Heading into the finals on Saturday night, Penn State was just a few points shy of breaking that record, with 169 points already secured. The team also became only the second in NCAA history to have 10 All-America honorees, joining Minnesota, which achieved the feat in 2001.
After a perfect 20-0 start to the tournament on Thursday, Penn State’s momentum was briefly halted on Friday when two of its top seeds, Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds) and Tyler Kasak (157 pounds), suffered shocking upsets. Both wrestlers dropped into the consolation brackets but fought back with determination. Lilledahl, who was competing in his freshman year, secured third place with a pin, while Kasak, a third-place finisher from the previous year, earned a third-place finish with an 8-0 major decision.
Saturday’s session saw Penn State bounce back in a big way, as Nittany Lion wrestlers went 11-1, with every competitor winning their final match of the season. This dominant performance kept the team’s chances of setting a new scoring record alive.
The Nittany Lions had three wrestlers competing in Saturday night’s finals: Carter Starocci, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Josh Barr. Starocci, aiming for an unprecedented fifth NCAA title at 184 pounds, will face Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa. Starocci has been undefeated since the 2021 Big Ten finals, except for medical forfeits, and remains one of the most dominant wrestlers in the nation.
Mesenbrink, the No. 1 seed at 165 pounds, will face a familiar opponent in Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo, the No. 3 seed, in a highly anticipated final. Meanwhile, the unexpected highlight of the tournament for Penn State has been the performance of redshirt freshman Josh Barr at 197 pounds.
Despite dealing with an injury heading into the tournament, Barr knocked off top-seeded Jacob Cardenas of Michigan 5-3, and will now compete for the championship against Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan II, the No. 2 seed.
Penn State’s success wasn’t without setbacks. On Friday night, the Nittany Lions had seven wrestlers in the semifinals, but four of them fell short in their bids for an NCAA title. Beau Bartlett, the No. 2 seed at 141 pounds, lost in a heartbreaker to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (No. 3 seed) in sudden victory, 2-1. Shayne Van Ness, the No. 3 seed at 149 pounds, was defeated by Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett, 14-8, but bounced back with a dominant pin over Oregon State’s Ethan Stiles in the consolation semifinals, clinching Penn State’s team title.
Levi Haines, last year’s champion at 157 pounds, was unable to defend his title at 174 pounds, falling to Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti Jr. The loss was particularly poignant, as Haines had spent years training under Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor during his high school years. Hamiti’s victory was a bittersweet one for Taylor, who had coached Haines but was now seeing one of his own wrestlers stand in the way of Haines’ title aspirations.
In heavyweight action, Greg Kerkvliet, the reigning NCAA champion, was defeated by Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson, 8-2, in a tough match. Kerkvliet, who was forced to withdraw from the medal rounds due to injury, still earned a sixth-place finish, capping his career as a five-time All-American.
Despite these setbacks, Penn State’s incredible depth and talent shone through, and they will head into the final session of the 2024-2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships with a chance to break the all-time scoring record and add to their already unmatched legacy in the sport.
