Penn State Wrestling: Mitchell Mesenbrink Wins Big Ten Honor

Mesenbrink is the Big Ten wrestler of the week after a dominating performance at the Black Knight Invitational.

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink enters the arena before his 2024 NCAA championship match with Iowa State Cyclones David Carr. / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Penn State wrestling's Mitchell Mesenbrink was named the Big Ten wrestler of the week following his dominant performance at the Black Knight Invitational. Mesenbrink won the 165-pound weight class by going 4-0 with four technical falls in the tournament at Army West Point.

Mesenbrink, the returning NCAA runnerup and the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds according to InterMat, outscored his four opponents by a combined score of 72-10. Mesenbrink beat two wrestlers ranked in InterMat's top-25, and only one of the bouts went to the third period. Mesenbrink was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler and improved to 5-0. He has won all five bouts by technical fall this season.

Penn State dominated the Black Knight Invitational, winning or sharing nine of the 10 weight classes and medaling 18 of its 22 wrestlers. Penn State wrestlers accounted for both finalists in six weight classes, incuding 157, where Tyler Kasak defeated teammate Alex Facundo 5-2 for the title. Penn State's Braeden Lewis (133) did not compete after getting injured in the team's opening victory over Drexel.

True fresman Luke Lilledhal, who won the Black Knight Invitational title at 125 pounds, entered the InterMat top-20 for the first time. Lilledahl (4-0) is No. 16. Here's a look at Penn State in the national rankings, according to InterMat:

• 125: No. 16 Luke Lilledahl (4-0)

• 133: No. 10 Braeden Davis (1-0)

• 141: No. 3 Beau Bartlett (4-0)

• 149: No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (4-0)

• 157. No. 4 Tyler Kasak (4-0)

• 165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (5-0)

• 174: No. 2 Levi Haines (4-0)

• 184: No. 1 Carter Starocci (4-0)

• 197: No. 23 Josh Barr (4-0)

• Hwt: No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet (4-0)

No. 1 Penn State is off until Dec. 8, when it faces No. 15 Lehigh. The match will be held at Allentown's PPL Center. It begins at 2 p.m.

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