Penn State wrestling live blog: Three Nittany Lions battle in NCAA Finals

Penn State wrestling locked up the 2025 team title race earlier in the day on Saturday, winning the program’s fourth consecutive national championship with a dominant showing in the consolation rounds. Now, it’s time for three Nittany Lions to take center stage in the NCAA Finals and compete for individual titles.

It’s already been a historic NCAA Championships for Penn State wrestling, becoming just the second team ever to place 10 All-Americans. The Nittany Lions had five wrestlers take home third place on Saturday morning. Scoring eight bonus points in the day’s early round, Cael Sanderson’s squad enters the Finals just four points away from breaking the NCAA point total record set by last year’s team.

Live blog: Penn State wrestling competes in NCAA Semifinals

Saturday night’s action will begin at 6:35 p.m. with the parade of All-Americans. The final round will start at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Match-by-match results for Penn State wrestlers can be found below. Please note this page will not update automatically. To see the latest results, please refresh your browser.

Team Standings (FINAL)

* Clinched Team NCAA Championship

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NCAA Finals Results

165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) def Mike Caliendo (IOWA) by 8-2 decision

Caliendo hits his head on the mat right at the beginning of the match causing him to go down. Mesenbrink swung around to get the takedown but the referees blew the whistle for a medical timeout. After the injury stoppage Mesenbrink chose to start on bottom and quickly picked up the escape to take a 1-0 lead. Caliendo gets in on the edge of the circle but it is called a stalemate and the two wrestlers reset to the middle with 1:15 remaining in the 1st period.

Caliendo began the 2nd period on bottom and was able to get the escape in 7 seconds to even the score at 1-1. Mesenbrink gets in on a single leg and picks up the takedown before Caliendo gets the escape and the score is 4-2 with about 45 seconds remaining in the 2nd period. The crowd was growing a little bit restless before the score for a lack of offensive attempts from the Hawkeye.

Mesenbrink starts the third period on bottom and quickly gets the escape to extend his lead to 5-2. Caliendo takes a shot with 1:05 remaining but Mesenbrink plays it perfectly and the result is a stalemate. Stall warning on Mesenbrink with 35 seconds remaining. Caliendo takes a shot but Mesenbrink counters for the takedown to pick up his first national championship by 8-2 decision.

184: Carter Starocci (PSU) def Parker Keckeisen (NIU) by 4-3 decision

Starocci got in on a single leg late in the 1st period but excellent defense from Keckeisen prevented him from getting on the board. Neither wrestler could get any offense going and it was scoreless after one period. Starocci started on bottom to begin the 2nd period and picked up the escape in 10 seconds to take a 1-0 lead. He would take that 1-0 lead into the final period.

Keckeisen started on bottom and got the escape in just a few seconds to tie the score at 1-1. Starocci picked up the matches first takedown with 45 seconds remaining in the match as the two wrestlers were fighting for about 15 seconds on the mat. Northern Iowa challenged the call but it was upheld. Kecheisen picks up the escape with 20 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 4-2. A stall call on Starocci cut the lead but it was not enough as Carter Starocci became the first 5 time NCAA Champion ever.

197: Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) def Josh Barr (PSU) by 5-2 decision

Both wrestlers took some offensive attempts in the first period but neither could get anything goin. Barr started the 2nd period on bottom and Buchanan was able to ride him for almost a minute but was called for locking hands. Barr was able to get the escape at 57 seconds to lead 2-0. Buchanan gets the takedown with 32 seconds remaining to take a 3-2 lead and push his riding time over one minute. Barr was unable to get out from bottom and trailed 3-2 with Buchanan holding 1:28 of riding time.

Buchanan picked up the escape to extend his lead to 4-2 and held a riding time point. Barr was unable to get the takedown that he needed and Buchanan wins the national championship 5-2.

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