Penn State Wrestling Achieves Milestone But Labors in Semis at NCAA Championships

The Nittany Lions deliver the rare feat of fielding 10 All-Americans but go 3-4 in the semifinals at Wells Fargo Center.

Penn State's Carter Starocci wrestles Caden Rogers of Lehigh during the NCAA Wrestling championships at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA | Penn State achieved a rare milestone Friday night at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, becoming just the second team in tournament history to field an entire lineup of All-Americans. And all 10 are still in contention to place third. But the Nittany Lions nevertheless had an uneven night in the semifinals Saturday at Wells Fargo Center.

Penn State wrestling went 3-4 in the semis, eliminating the possibility for setting a new NCAA record with six individual champs. Before Friday, Penn State was 56-8 in NCAA semifinal bouts under head coach Cael Sanderson. But during these semis, several Nittany Lions couldn't get to their offense.

Still, the Nittany Lions (135.5 team points) are almost assured of their fourth straight NCAA team title and could break their 2024 scoring record (172.5). Carter Starocci (184 pounds) will wrestle for a fifth NCAA championship, a feat no other Division I wrestler has achieved. And joining him in the finals are Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Josh Barr (197), who might be the best story of Penn State's season.

Here's a look at Penn State's Friday-night action.

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125 consolation: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) 6-3: Lilledahl rebounded from his quarterfinal upset to earn All-America status in his first season in Penn State's lineup. Lilledahl (21-30 scored a first-period takedown but gave up an escape and was penalized for locked hands, taking a 3-2 lead to the second.

Lilledahl secured the win with a third-period takedown, becoming Penn State's first All-American at 125 since Nico Megaludis in 2016. Lilledahl also won a 3-0 decision in the consolation round.

133 consolation: No. 8 Braeden Davis (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Evan Frost (Iowa State) 4-2: Davis, a sophomore, became a first-time All-American by standing up a first-period takedown for the victory. Davis scored quickly in the opening period and maneuvered around a late Frost scoring attempt in the third period.

With 27 seconds left, Frost was closing on a takedown before the whistle was blown. Iowa State challenged for a takedown but was denied. Davis gave up a penalty point for stalling but advanced with his third win of the tournament. Davis won again in the consolations and will wrestle for at least fifth.

141 semifinal: No. 3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) dec. No. 2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) 2-1 TB: These two rivals wrestled another tense, low-scoring bout that went to the second tiebreaker, with Mendez gripping Bartlett for the rideout and a spot in the final. Mendez escaped with 1 second left in the first tiebreaker and then outlasted Bartlett for the second consecutive time at the NCAA Championships.

"Give a shout out to Beau," Mendez said after the bout. "It's been one of my favorite rivalries I've had in college, and he's helped me jump a lot of levels, just knowing I'm going to have to go to war with him every time."

The bout was heartbreakingly close for Bartlett (24-2). He nearly allowed a takedown at the end of the third period, but Ohio State's challenge was denied. Then Mendez escaped in the closing second of the first tiebreaker. Bartlett is a three-time All-American but will end his career without a postseason title at Big Tens or the NCAAs.

149 semifinal: No. 2 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. No. 3 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) 14-8: Lovett was Van Ness' Kryptonite this season, winning their two meetings by a combined score of 24-10. Lovett snapped at Van Ness early, taking a 10-0 lead after one period with two takedowns and four near-fall points. Van Ness barely escaped the pin late in the first.

Van Ness (23-3) attempted a rally, scoring two takedowns in the second period, and Lovett gifted him two stalling points in the third. Van Ness will attempt to win his third bronze medal for Penn State.

157 semifinal: No. 1 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) dec. No. 14 Jude Swisher (Penn) 5-4: While Bartlett was dueling with Mendez, Kasak was making history for Penn State on an outer mat. His victory in the consolations gave Penn State 10 All-Americans for the first time in program history. Penn State joined the 2001 Minnesota Golden Gophers as the only Division I wrestling programs to field 10 All-Americans in one tournament.

Kasak scored his lone takedown 27 seconds into the bout and then collected riding time for what proved to the deciding point. Kasak (20-2) willingly gave up two stalling penalties late in the third. Kasak scored a fall later in the consolations and will wrestle for at least fifth.

165 semifinal: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) dec. No. 12 Chris Minto (Nebraska) 13-2: Mesenbrink returned to the 165-pound final with a commanding major decision over Minto. Mesenbrink forced a stalling call 11 seconds into the bout, then dictated terms. He scored two more takedowns and accumulated more than 3 minutes of riding time for his third bonus-point win of the tournament.

Mesenbrink (25-0) will face a familiar opponent, Iowa's Mike Caliendo, in the final. Mesenbrink is 5-0 vs. Caliendo over the past two seasons, including two technical falls and a major decision. Caliendo tightened his strategy in the Big Ten final, which Mesenbrink won 4-1.

174 semifinal: No. 3 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 2 Levi Haines (Penn State) 4-2: Haines will not win a second NCAA title in his first season at 174 pounds. Hamiti ran at Haines from the whistle, scoring a takedown 12 seconds into the bout that stood up for the win.

Haines (23-2) could not get to his offense against Hamiti, who was unbeaten until falling to Missouri's Keegan O'Toole in overtime in the Big 12 final. Haines managed just two escapes, and Hamiti fended him off late. Hamiti and O'Toole will wrestle again for the NCAA title.

184 semifinal: No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 9-3: Starocci took one more step toward a perfect five-year NCAA career with a sure-handed win over Plott. Starocci (25-0) scored two first-period takedowns to take control and reversed Plott in the second.

Starocci is now 24-0 in five NCAA tournaments and one bout from making history. He will wrestle Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen, who is unbeaten this season save for one exhibition loss — to Starocci. The Penn State senior defeated Keckeisen 4-1 in sudden victory in a November exhibition match in State College. Keckeisen, the defending 184-pound champ, will look for revenge in the final.

197: No. 4 Josh Barr (Penn State) dec. No. 1 Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) 5-3: Barr is Penn State's story of the tournament, if not the season. The redshirt freshman climbed the national rankings to reach No. 2, got injured at the Big Ten tournament and was an unknown entering NCAAs.

But Barr (20-3) has been a monster at nationals, with two majors, a sudden-victory decision and a strong performance vs. Cardenas, to whom he lost at Big Tens. Barr scored a takedown 25 seconds into the bout and accumulated enough riding time to give away a stalling point in the third.

Barr will wrestle Iowa's second-seeded Stephen Buchanan for the title. Buchanan won their January dual 5-1.

285: No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet 8-2: Kerkvliet didn't look fully healthy at NCAAs, Hendrickson took advantage. The athletic heavyweight scored a pair of takedowns, including a slick shot-and-roll move in the third period to clinch the bout.

Kerkvliet, who wore a leg wrap, will finish his career as a five-time All-American and remains in contention for third.

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