12:11 am ET
It’s a wrap: Penn State celebrates another historic NCAA Championships
Frank Bodani
Penn State celebrated another NCAA Wrestling Championships team title Saturday night − their 12th in 14 years − and broke some kind of history doing it.
It’s always a bit different, each year, for the nation’s top sports dynasty. This time coach Cael Sanderson’s team tied the record for most All-Americans (10), shattered their own NCAA record for team points (177) and crowned the only five-time national champion in college history (Carter Starocci).
Check out our championships final wrap-up story @ydr.com
9:57 pm ET March 22, 2025
197 pounds: Josh Barr falls short in first title shot
Frank Bodani
Josh Barr battled tough to the end but came up just short in his first national title match.
He fought a tight, taught battle with superb Iowa senior Stephen Buchanan at 197 pounds but couldn’t quite find a scoring move after so many near-misses.
Rather, Buchanan, now 26-1 this season, was the one who hit the only big scoring move necessary, with a takedown near the end of the second for a 3-2 lead.
He would win the national title, 5-2.
Barr finished his rookie season as a PSU starter at 20-4.
9:20 pm ET March 22, 2025
165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink wins his first national title
Frank Bodani
Mitchell Mesenbrink went out and beat Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo for the sixth straight time.
But this victory, on Saturday night at 165 pounds, won the Penn State sophomore his first national title.
The high-scoring Mesenbrink was frustrated a bit, missing on scoring shots as Caliendo continually attempted to keep out of arm’s-length.
One second-period takedown hit, though, would be enough. A another late one was icing.
Mesenbrink won it in the end, 8-2.
8:32 pm ET March 22, 2025
Why did Carter Starocci not like going first in NCAA finals?
Frank Bodani
Carter Starocci was asked this after his history-making finals victory over Parker Keckeisen: Why did he not participate in the annual Parade of Champions, just before the start of the event?
“I was the first match up. I’m not sure why ESPN elected for the 184-pound match to be the first one,” he said. “You’ve got a guy going for his fifth title, and you have the reigning champ (Keckeisen). I think whoever wins that match is the Hodge Trophy winner.
“We’ve been dominant all year, you put that match first? ESPN, whatever, just makes me laugh and giggle because some rules that wrestling has in place, things like that, it’s no surprise on why wrestling isn’t mainstream.
“That’s for you guys to figure it out,” he said to reporters. “You’re the ones that can have influence on that. I think you have to look yourselves in the mirror and ask yourselves questions.”
8:20 pm ET March 22, 2025
Big Ten final at 141 pounds: Jesse Mendez vs. Brock Hardy
Frank Bodani
Penn State fans and third-place finisher Beau Bartlett knows all too well the 141-pound finalists tonight.
Bartlett beat Nebraska’s Brock Hardy in a winter dual meet in Lincoln. He beat Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez twice this year before losing to him in overtime in Friday night’s semifinals.
On Saturday night, a supreme comeback by Mendez sparked the night.
The Buckey rallied from an early 5-1 deficit, storming back through the first and second periods to lead 11-6.
That’s how it ended: Mendez won his second straight national title.
8:06 pm ET March 22, 2025
Penn State breaks own NCAA team points record
Frank Bodani
Carter Starocci’s opening victoryto these NCAA Wrestling Championships finals certainly was history-making.
It not only made Starocci the first five-time national champ ever, it gave his team the new, all-time scoring record.
Starocci’s victory over Parker Keckeisen gave the Lions four more points, upping their tournament total to 173. That breaks the mark they set just last year (172.5) at the finals in Kansas City.
The Lions can add to that with finals matches to come with Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) and Josh Barr (197).
7:19 pm ET March 22, 2025
184 pounds: Carter Starocci makes history!
Frank Bodani
Carter Starocci is a legendary five-time national champion.
The Penn State senior controlled his championships-opening match with Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen − and registered one great third-period takedown for the victory here.
Starocci 4, Keckeisen 2.
Starocci escaped for the first point of the match early in the second. Keckeisen tied it up to start the third.
The fireworks, though, came with 45 seconds left when Starocci finally took down Keckeisen and appeared to control the move and earned the decisive three points.
The Northern Iowa coaches challenged the call but it was denied.
7:02 pm ET March 22, 2025
It’s showtime: NCAA Wrestling Championship finals
Frank Bodani
Here’s the match order of tonight’s NCAA Championship finals. Three Nittany Lions highlight the show, starting with four-time national champ, Carter Starocci, at 184 pounds.
The action is ready to start …
184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)
125 pounds: No. 4 Vince Robinson (NC State) vs. No. 7 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State)
133 pounds: No. 1 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. No. 2 Drake Ayala (Iowa)
141 pounds: No. 1 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. No. 3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State)
149 pounds: No. 1 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 2 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska)
157 pounds: No. 3 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) vs. No. 8 Joey Blaze (Purdue)
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State)vs. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)
174 pounds: No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State)
197 pounds: No. 2 Stephen Buchanan (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Josh Barr (Penn State)
285 pounds: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State)
6:43 pm ET March 22, 2025
It’s almost time: The Parade of Champions, Penn State-style
Frank Bodani
The Nittany Lions became just the second team ever this week to place 10 All-Americans at an NCAA Championships. And the first ever with at least one championships’ finalist.
Biglerville’s Levi Haines helped lead the 174-pound contingent of All-Americans across the mat stage.
The event-ending finals begin tonight at 7.
6:04 pm ET March 22, 2025
Carter Starocci kicks off tonight’s NCAA Wrestling Championships finals
Frank Bodani
The Nittany Lions will have their fewest national finalists − three − in years tonight.
But they still pack quite a bit of power and fan-appeal for a team that’s already clinched its 12th national team title in 14 years and is on the verge of breaking its own NCAA points record.
Much of that focus is on Carter Starocci who’s going for an NCAA-record fifth national title.
His marquee bout at 184 pounds against undefeated national champ Parker Keckeisen will kick off tonight’s action. The rest of the schedule will go in order of weights, from lightest to heaviest, starting at 125 pounds.
Penn State’s other finalists: sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) and freshman Josh Barr (197 pounds).
1:59 pm ET March 22, 2025
Penn State wrestling earns five 3rd-place finishes
Frank Bodani
The Nittany Lions ripped through today’s consolation matches in impressive fashion.
Their seven semifinalist All-Americans did nearly all they could. Five Lions won both of their late-morning/early-afternoon matches to earn third-place finishes in these NCAA Championships. The third-place finishers: Luke Lilledahl, Beau Bartlett, Shayne Van Ness, Tyler Kasak and Levi Haines.
The others?
Sophomore Braeden Davis finished his career with a pin to lock up a fifth-place spot. Senior heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet did not wrestle in the consolations, medically forfeiting from the rest of the tournament with a knee injury. He finished sixth.
1:48 pm ET March 22, 2025
141 pounds: Beau Bartlett earns 100th career win
Frank Bodani
Beau Bartlett didn’t get his shot at national title redemption, but he did earn a most satisfying consolation victory early this afternoon.
His major decision victory − his second over Penn’s C.J. Composto in two days − was the 100th of his Penn State career in his final college match. It improved his season record to 26-2 and earned him an impressive third-place finish in these championships.
All but two of Penn State’s seven semifinalist All-Americans earned third-place finishes − the highest spot they could achieve in today’s consolations.
12:34 pm ET March 22, 2025
133 pounds: Braeden Davis pins his way to 5th place
Frank Bodani
Braeden Davis delivered an emphatic ending to his sophomore season.
He produced a quick pin of No. 6 seed Connor McGonagle of Virginia Tech to finish fifth nationally at 133 pounds.
He’s also a first-time All-American.
His pin also pushes PSU’s team points total to 158, closing in on its own NCAA Championships record of 172.5.
12:03 pm ET March 22, 2025
Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet medically defaults from NCAA Championships
Frank Bodani
Penn State senior heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet will not participate in his NCAA Championships consolation matches today.
His final college tournament is finished.
The reigning national champ has medically defaulted from the rest of these NCAA’s while battling a recent knee injury. He wore a protective sleeve over his left leg while wrestling into Friday night’s semifinals, where he was dominated by undefeated Wyatt Hendrickson, losing 8-2.
Kerkvliet will finish sixth to end his storied PSU career as a five-time All-American.
The Nittany Lions did not need his expected consolation points to lock up its fourth straight team title. It did that today in the first few matches.
11:46 am ET March 22, 2025
174 pounds: Levi Haines delivers in the nick of time
Frank Bodani
Biglerville’s Levi Haines turned around his semifinal disappointment, too.
But the reigning national champion didn’t leave much time to do it in this morning’s consolation round.
Haines hit a takedown in the final 30 seconds of his match with No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell to win. He’ll now wrestle for third place this afternoon, joining teammates Luke Lilledahl, Shayne Van Ness, Tyler Kasak and Beau Bartlett.
11:41 am ET March 22, 2025
141 pounds: Beau Bartlett rallies to stay alive for third place
Frank Bodani
National-title contender Beau Bartlett produced an inspired rally and finish in his opening consolation match this morning.
The senior who suffered a heartbreaking Friday night loss in the 141-pound semifinals, got back on track this morning. He shined late in his overtime victory over No. 4 seed Josh Koderhandt of Navy.
Bartlett’s five-point move and 11-6 decision in “sudden victory” advances him to the third-place match this afternoon.
11:35 am ET March 22, 2025
149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness clinches national title!
Frank Bodani
The Penn State wrestlers are hitting the mats one after another in this busy consolation round this morning at the Wells Fargo Center.
It came to Shayne Van Ness to officially clinch some history.
The sophomore at 149 pounds delivered a quick pin of Oregon State’s Ethan Stiles. His victory not only moves him on to the third-place match early this afternoon, it officially clinched Penn State’s 12th national team title in the past 14 years.
The bonus points moved PSU over the 140-point threshold − and out of reach for second-place Nebraska and the rest of the field through the bulk of these consolations and this evening’s championship session.
11:18 am ET March 22, 2025
133 pounds: Braeden Davis loses opening consolation match
Frank Bodani
Braeden Davis lost his opening Day 3 consolation match and will wrestle for fifth place early this afternoon.
Wisconsin’s Zan Fugitt, the 14th seed, attacked hard from the outset of their opening conso and controlled Davis throughout. He quickly built a 7-1 lead and a huge riding time advantage through two periods.
Davis did fight back but didn’t have enough time. He dropped the 8-5 decision.
11:16 am ET March 22, 2025
125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl will wrestle for third place
Frank Bodani
Luke Lilledahl and Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca, the No. 1 and 3 seeds at 125 pounds, delivered a tight, entertaining opening consolation match.
Tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Lilledahl hit a scoring move in “sudden victory” to win, 4-1.
He will wrestle for third place early this afternoon.
11:01 am ET March 22, 2025
NCAA Wrestling: Day 3, consolation rounds
Frank Bodani
Seven of Penn State’s 10 starters will be wrestling in today’s consolation rounds to determine All-America placement.
The highest they can reach is third place, which Tyler Kasak did last year as a freshman at 149 pounds.
Here are the Nittany Lions on deck this morning: Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds), Braeden Davis (133 pounds), Beau Bartlett (141 pounds), Shayne Van Ness (149 pounds), Kasak, Levi Haines (174 pounds) and Greg Kerkvliet (heavyweight).
