The 2026 wrestling season concluded with the Big Ten and NCAA Wrestling Championships, marking a historic year for Penn State. Penn State secured both the Big Ten team title, setting a school record with seven individual champions, and its fifth consecutive NCAA team title, establishing a new record for points scored in the national tournament. Individual champions were crowned across various weight classes in both events, highlighting exceptional talent and competitive spirit.
2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Overview
The Big Ten Wrestling Championships featured preliminary rounds and championship finals, where Penn State's team achieved a significant milestone.
Penn State's team achieved a school record by winning seven individual weight classes, surpassing its previous record of five titles in a single tournament. The team became the fifth in Big Ten history to produce seven champions at one event.
Penn State's Performance at Big Ten Championships:
Penn State's individual champions at the Big Ten Championships included:
- 125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl
- 149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness, who secured a pin in 3 minutes, 28 seconds in the final.
- 157 pounds: PJ Duke, who won by a 12-4 major decision over top-seeded Antrell Taylor of Nebraska.
- 165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink
- 174 pounds: Levi Haines, who became a four-time Big Ten champion.
- 184 pounds: Rocco Welsh
- 197 pounds: Josh Barr
All ten Penn State starters qualified for the NCAA Championships. Other Penn State placings included Marcus Blaze, who finished second at 133 pounds; Braeden Davis, who placed seventh at 141 pounds; and Cole Mirasola, who secured fifth place at 285 pounds.
Big Ten First Round Results (Select Weight Classes):
Results from the first round included several matches decided by tech falls, pins, and decisions across various weight classes:
285 pounds
- Ben Kueter (Iowa) defeated Koy Hopke (Minnesota), 5-2.
- Nick Feldman (Ohio State) won by 21-6 technical fall against Caleb Marzolino (Indiana).
- Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) won by 19-3 technical fall over Joey Schneck (Maryland).
- Luke Luffman (Illinois) defeated Hayden Filipovich (Purdue), 5-1.
- Cole Mirasola (Penn State) pinned Gabe Christenson (Northwestern) in 25 seconds.
- Hunter Catka (Rutgers) defeated Josh Terrill (Michigan State), 4-2.
197 pounds
- Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) defeated Gavin Nelson (Minnesota), 5-1.
- Kael Wisler (Michigan State) defeated Hayden Walters (Michigan), 6-4.
- Remy Cotton (Rutgers) won by 15-2 major decision against Alex Smith (Northwestern).
- Luke Geog (Ohio State) won by 9-1 major decision over Dylan Connell (Illinois).
- Branson John (Maryland) defeated Gabe Arnold (Iowa), 4-1.
184 pounds
- Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) defeated James Rowley (Purdue), 5-2, in sudden victory.
- Dylan Fishback (Ohio State) won by 17-2 technical fall against J.D. Perez (Northwestern).
- Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) defeated Sam Goin (Indiana), 9-3.
- Chris Moore (Illinois) defeated Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (Maryland), 8-2.
- Silas Allred (Nebraska) won by 20-2 technical fall over Cale Anderson (Wisconsin).
- Brock Mantanona (Michigan) won by 20-3 technical fall against Ryan Boucher (Michigan State).
174 pounds
- Lenny Pinto (Rutgers) advanced by injury default over Derek Gilcher (Indiana).
- Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) won by 20-5 technical fall against Connor O’Neill (Michigan State).
- Ethan Riddle (Minnesota) defeated Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 4-1.
- Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) won by 19-4 technical fall over Seth Digby (Maryland).
- Colin Kelly (Illinois) defeated Brody Baumann (Purdue), 11-2.
- Beau Mantanona (Michigan) won by 14-5 major decision over Luke Condon (Wisconsin).
165 pounds
- Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) defeated Cody Goebel (Wisconsin), 2-1.
- LJ Araujo (Nebraska) pinned AJ Rodrigues (Maryland).
- Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) pinned Jack Conley (Michigan State).
- Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) won by 16-3 major decision over Justin Gates (Michigan).
- Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) defeated Tyler Lillard (Indiana), 4-1.
- Braeden Scoles (Illinois) won by 20-4 technical fall over Jacob Bostelman (Northwestern).
157 pounds
- Charlie Millard (Minnesota) defeated Bryce Lowery (Indiana), 12-4.
- Brandon Cannon (Ohio State) defeated Victor Voinovich (Iowa), 6-0.
- Kannon Webster (Illinois) pinned Ty Wilson (Northwestern).
- Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) defeated Stoney Buell (Purdue), 7-2.
- Darius Marines (Michigan State) defeated Tony White (Rutgers), 4-3.
- Cameron Catrabone (Michigan) pinned Mekhi Neal (Maryland).
149 pounds
- Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) defeated August Hibler (Northwestern), 9-7.
- Lachlan McNeil (Michigan) pinned Clayton Jones (Michigan State).
- Drew Roberts (Minnesota) defeated Andrew Clark (Rutgers), 5-3.
- Chance Lamer (Nebraska) defeated Joey Buttler (Indiana), 9-1.
- Ryder Block (Iowa) defeated Michael Gioffre (Illinois), 4-1.
- Carter Young (Maryland) defeated Gavin Brown (Purdue), 8-1.
141 pounds
- Joey Olivieri (Rutgers) defeated Greyson Clark (Purdue), 4-2.
- Braeden Davis (Penn State) defeated Dario Lemus (Maryland), 6-4.
- Vance Vombaur (Minnesota) pinned Jaden Crumpler (Michigan State).
- Nasir Bailey (Iowa) defeated Carson Exferd (Wisconsin), 8-4.
- Billy DeKraker (Northwestern) won by 15-0 technical fall over Henry Porter (Indiana).
- Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) defeated Danny Pucino (Illinois), 7-5.
133 pounds
- Ben Davino (Ohio State) won by 18-2 technical fall over Jager Elsch (Minnesota).
- Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) defeated Caleb Weland (Michigan State), 9-3.
- Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) defeated Gauge Botero (Michigan), 7-1.
- Blake Boarman (Purdue) defeated Sean Spidle (Northwestern), 3-2.
- Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) defeated Braxton Brown (Maryland), 3-2, via riding time tiebreaker.
- Drake Ayala (Iowa) won by 21-6 technical fall over Blaine Frazler (Indiana).
125 pounds
- Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) defeated Dedrick Navarro (Northwestern), 8-1.
- Jore Volk (Minnesota) won by 16-0 technical fall over Kael Lauridsen (Nebraska).
- Dean Peterson (Iowa) defeated Diego Sotelo (Michigan), 6-2.
- Nick Corday (Michigan State) defeated Ayden Smith (Rutgers), 4-1.
- Spencer Moore (Illinois) won by 9-0 major decision over Abram Cline (Maryland).
- Jacob Moran (Indiana) won by 17-2 technical fall over Ashton Jackson (Purdue).
2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships
The 2026 NCAA Championships, held in Cleveland, concluded with Penn State securing its fifth consecutive team title. The Nittany Lions not only claimed the team championship but also set a new tournament record with 181.5 points.
Penn State Individual National Champions:
Four Penn State wrestlers claimed individual national titles:
- 125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl earned his first NCAA title with a 2-1 victory against Marc-Anthony McGowan of Princeton, assisted by a stalling call.
- 165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink won his second NCAA title by a 20-4 technical fall over Mikey Caliendo of Iowa. Mesenbrink was named the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year and the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the national tournament.
- 174 pounds: Levi Haines became a two-time NCAA champion by defeating Christopher Minto of Nebraska, 2-1.
- 197 pounds: Josh Barr earned his first NCAA championship by defeating Cody Merrill of Oklahoma State, 6-3.
Penn State Finalists:
Two Penn State wrestlers reached their respective finals but did not claim titles:
- 149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness was defeated by Aden Valencia of Stanford, 8-5, in sudden victory.
- 184 pounds: Rocco Welsh lost to Max McEnelly of Minnesota by a 4-3 decision.
Team Standings:
Penn State's dominant performance led the team standings. The top three teams were:
- Penn State: 181.5 points
- Oklahoma State: 131 points
- Nebraska: 100.5 points
Other Final Results:
Additional individual champions and final results from the NCAA Championships included:
- 133 pounds: Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) defeated Ben Davino (Ohio State), 5-2.
- 141 pounds: Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State) defeated Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), 4-1 (SV).
- 157 pounds: Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State) defeated Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 4-2.
- 285 pounds: Isaac Trumble (North Carolina State) defeated Yonger Bastida (Iowa State), 5-0.