The Penn State Nittany Lions won their 13th national title and made some history at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. Read all of our coverage here.
All 10 Penn State wrestlers finished as All-Americans, and the Nittany Lions produced two individual champs in Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) and Carter Starocci (184), the latter of which made history with his fifth NCAA title.
Below is a look at scenes from each day of the three-day tournament:
Saturday
Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) and Carter Starocci (184) finished as national champions, while Josh Barr (197) was a runner-up. Penn State set a scoring record with 177 points in the team title race, beating the record it set last year with 172.5.
Penn State wrestler Zack Ryder talks a selfie with teammates as they celebrate winning the team title at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State wrestling celebrates winning the team title at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink hold up his 165-pound championship trophy at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink wrestles Iowa’s Mike Caliendo in the 165-pound championship bout of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Carter Starocci controls Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in the 184-pound championship bout of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
The 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Day 3, the final day of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships, saw the Nittany Lions clinch the team title in Session 5, which kicked off in the morning. Five PSU wrestlers finished in third place, one in fifth place and one in sixth place.
Penn State’s Beau Bartlett has his hand raised after winning third place at 141 pounds in the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness pins Oregon State’s Ethan Stiles in the 149-pound consolation semifinals bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl pins Purdue’s Matt Ramos in the 125-pound third place bout of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Friday
Day 2 ended with Penn State at 135.5 team points. Three finalists — Mitchell Mesenbrink, Carter Starocci and Josh Barr — will compete for a national title on Saturday.
Penn State’s Carter Starocci has his hand raised after beating Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott in the 184-pound semifinal bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Josh Barr celebrates his semifinal bout win over Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Josh Barr controls Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas in a 197-pound semifinal bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Tyler Kasak pins Oklahoma State’s Caleb Fish I’m a 157-pound bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Braeden Davis wrestles Iowa State’s Evan Frost in a 133-pound at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti and Penn State’s Levi Haines face off in a 174-pound semifinal bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State went 7-3 in Session 3’s quarterfinals matches.
UNC’s Lachlan McNeil and Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness face off in a 149-pound quarterfinal bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Levi Haines wrestles Navy’s Danny Wask in a 174-pound quarterfinal bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink controls Oklahoma State’s Cameron Amine in a 165-pound quarterfinal bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Josh Barr slaps himself in the face before his 197-pound quarterfinal bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet stops to take photos and high-five young fans after he won his 285-pound quarterfinal bout at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl controls NIU’s Blake West in the 125 lb bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Beau Bartlett wrestles SDSU’s Julian Tagg in a 141 lb bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson yells for a takedown during Tyler Kasak bout against Iowa State’s Cody Chittum during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Braeden Davis waits for his bout against Maryland’s Braxton Brown at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Carter Starocci controls Rutgers’ Shane Cartagena-Walsh in a 184 lb bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State’s Josh Barr acknowledges Nittany Lion fans after he beat Oregon State’s Trey Munoz in a 197 lb bout during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Penn State fans cheer after Josh Barr’s overtime win over Oregon State’s Trey Munoz during the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 9:54 AM.
The Penn State Nittany Lions won their 13th national title and made some history at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. Read all of our coverage here.
