Penn State wrestling’s Beau Bartlett jumps to No. 1 as others see changes. Here’s a look
Penn State continues to dominate the college wrestling scene as it prepares to finish off yet another undefeated season.
The Nittany Lions, who remained No. 1 in the NWCA Top 25, haven’t lost a dual since Jan. 31, 2020. They secured their fifth straight Big Ten regular season dual title after topping Ohio State and Illinois this past weekend.
Beau Bartlett was able to top the Buckeyes’ Jesse Mendez, which vaulted him to the new No. 1 at 141 pounds. He wasn’t the only Penn State wrestler to climb the Intermat rankings.
Braeden Davis, who made a return to the Nittany Lions lineup, was 1-1 on the weekend, but was able to climb one spot to No. 7 at 133 pounds.
Josh Barr moved up to No. 2 at 197 pounds to give Penn State eight wrestlers ranked in the top two of their respective weight classes. Joining Bartlett and Barr in the top two of their weights are Shayne Van Ness (No. 2, 149 pounds), Tyler Kasak (No. 1, 157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (No. 1, 165), Levi Haines (No. 2, 174), Carter Starocci (No. 1, 184) and Greg Kerkvliet (No. 2, 285).
Luke Lilledahl, who was winning against Ohio State’s Brendan McCrone before being pinned, fell two spots at 125 pounds. The true freshman is No. 9 in the country now.
NWCA Top 25 Poll
| Rank | Team (First) | Record | Points | Previous |
| 1 | Penn State (16) | (14-0) | 400 | 1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | (13-0) | 379 | 2 |
| 3 | Iowa | (13-1) | 372 | 3 |
| 4 | Northern Iowa | (13-1) | 350 | 4 |
| 5 | Nebraska | (10-3) | 328 | 5 |
| 6 | Minnesota | (10-2) | 316 | 6 |
| 7 | NC State | (11-1) | 305 | 7 |
| 8 | Ohio State | (13-3) | 296 | 8 |
| 9 | Cornell | (10-1) | 261 | 9 |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | (8-2) | 247 | 10 |
| 11 | Rutgers | (13-5) | 224 | 12 |
| 12 | Iowa State | (11-5) | 220 | 14 |
| 13 | South Dakota State | (13-4) | 214 | 11 |
| 14 | Illinois | (9-4) | 212 | 13 |
| 15 | Little Rock | (17-3) | 171 | 15 |
| 16 | North Carolina | (8-5) | 162 | 16 |
| 17 | Stanford | (10-4) | 151 | 17 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | (9-6) | 138 | 18 |
| 19 | Michigan | (6-5) | 104 | 19 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | (8-4) | 89 | 20 |
| 21 | Lehigh | (6-4) | 72 | 22 |
| 22 | Indiana | (7-5) | 50 | 21 |
| 23 | Army West Point | (7-3) | 41 | 24 |
| 24 | West Virginia | (9-7) | 31 | 23 |
| 25 | Missouri | (5-9) | 21 | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Wyoming 19, Penn 15, Maryland 6, Northern Colorado 3, Navy 2, Appalachian State 1.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
