Penn State Wrestling on Doorstep of Breaking Its NCAA Championships Scoring Record

After clinching the team title, six Nittany Lions win their medal-round bouts, all with bonus points.

Penn State's Luke Lilledahl wrestles Marcello Milani of Cornell during the first round of the NCAA Wrestling championships at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA | Having already clinched its fourth straight team title at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, Penn State turned toward another milestone: breaking its own scoring record. With a dominant run through the medal-round finals Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions put that goal within reach.

Penn State carries 169 team points into Saturday night's championship finals at Wells Fargo Center, where three Nittany Lions will wrestle for NCAA titles. Up first on the finals schedule: Penn State's Carter Starocci, who not only can become the first five-time NCAA champion in Division I history but also can give Penn State the tournament's scoring record for the second consecutive year. The Nittany Lions won in 2024 with a record 172.5 points. A Starocci win would give Penn State 173 points and a new record.

Penn State, which fielded 10 All-Americans for the first time in program history, put together a remarkable run through Saturday's consolation round. The six Nittany Lions who wrestled went a combined 11-1 and 6-0 in the medal finals.

Five Penn State wrestlers placed third and one finished fifth. Importantly, all six wrestlers scored bonus points in their medal-round finals, a crucial move toward breaking their tournament scoring record. In all, Penn State went 17-1 in the consolation rounds, not counting heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet, who took a medical default and finished sixth.

With the team title in hand, Penn State can focus on Saturday night's championship finals. Starocci will face Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen, the defending champion at 184 pounds, in the evening's first bout. Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) will face Iowa's Mike Caliendo, whom he has beaten five times in two years, and Josh Barr (197) will meet Iowa's Stephen Buchanan.

Penn State dazzles in the medal-round finals

Freshman Luke Lilledahl (125) recalibrated after his quarterfinal loss in overtime to go 4-0 in the consolations and place third. Lilledahl (25-3) scored a takedown in sudden victory in the consolation semifinals and punctuated a tremendous first season with a fall in the third-place bout.

Braeden Davis (133) leaped to his feet and pumped a fist after capping his season with a second-period fall in the fifth-place bout. Davis (17-7) went through a difficult season with injuries but rallied in the consolation round, going 3-1 to place fifth and become a first-time All-American.

For Beau Bartlett (141), the end was bittersweet. The senior capped his Penn State career with a fall for win No. 100 and his third NCAA medal, two bronze and one silver. He got close to winning an NCAA title but couldn't quite get there. Bartlett finished with a career record of 100-20.

Shayne Van Ness (149) became a two-time NCAA bronze medalist with a 15-4 major decision for third place. Van Ness wrestled a terrific tournament, going 5-1 with only a loss to Nebraska's Ridge Lovett. Further, Van Ness (25-3) officially clinched Penn State's team title with a pin in the consolation semifinals.

At 157, Tyler Kasak (23-2) proved his resilience once again. Following a tough 5-4 loss in the quarterfinals, Kasak went 4-0 in the consolation round with an 8-0 major decision. Kasak placed third for the second straight year and now is 11-0 in consolation bouts at the NCAA Championships.

Greg Kerkvliet ends career with an injury

Penn State's defending champion at heavyweight never looked fully healthy this week. He wore a knee brace and limped noticably after his loss in the semifinals Friday night. As a result, Kerkvliet took a medical forfeit in the consolation semifinals and finished his last NCAA Tournament in sixth place.

Kerkvliet had a phenomenal career at Penn State. He went 92-13 and was a five-time All-American. Kerkvliet punctuated his NCAA title run in 2024 with a 13-4 major decision in the final.

Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet wrestles Sam Mitchell of Wyoming during NCAA Wrestling championships at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Up Next

The 2025 NCAA Championships conclude Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center with the event finals. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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