Penn State wrestling rewrites record book en route to National Championship

Penn State wrestling capped off a dominant 2024 NCAA Championships with a record-breaking performance on the final night of the tournament on Saturday. Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions return to Happy Valley with the team National Championship, four individual champions, multiple NCAA records, and a place in the annals of history as one of the best college wrestling teams to ever take the mat.

Penn State wrestling breaks multiple NCAA records en route to National Championship

Penn State wrestling entered the final round of the NCAA Championships Saturday night with a chance to break multiple records, the most notable being the team points record of 170 set by the 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes. The 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions are now at the top of that list, finishing the NCAA Championships with a new record 172.5 points. The Nittany Lions also set the record for the largest margin of victory with a 100-point gap over second-place Cornell. This crushed the previous 73.75 margin of victory set by Iowa in 1986.

The only record Penn State wrestling didn’t break was having all six finalists bring home the individual National Championships. The Nittany Lions finished four for six in the finals, and sent out two of their greatest wrestlers out with historic championship victories. Cael Sanderson has now won three consecutive titles for a third time in his Penn State coaching tenure.

NCAA Championships finals recap:

141: No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OHST) def No. 1 Beau Bartlett by 4-1 decision

After a scoreless first period, both wrestlers were able to get an escape in their respective starts on bottom. It looked like Beau Bartlett had a good shot to score in the second period, but Jesse Mendez grabbed his leg on the way down to avoid giving up the takedown.

Late in the third period, Bartlett appeared to have complete control, returning Mendez to the mat for what would have been the winning takedown. Once again, though, the Buckeye was able to twist his body and ultimately get the score with just one second remaining to win the National Championship.

It was a tough result for Bartlett, who finished third last season and was looking to finally break through this year. He seemed to be the only wrestler who took shots during the match, but credit to Mendez for playing great defense and countering to pick up the win. It will be interesting to see if Bartlett chooses to use his COVID season and come back for 2025.

157: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) def No. 2 Jacori Teemer (ASU) by 5-0 decision

After a scoreless first period, Levi Haines earned a quick escape in just two seconds to get on the board and lead 1-0 in the second. Jacori Teemer chose neutral to start the third period to avoid Haines riding him out. Haines then had a quick takedown to extend his lead to 4-0, and proceeded to ride Teemer for the rest of the period to take home the title.

It was the next step in the progression of what looks to be the next dominant 157-pounder under Cael Sanderson. After finishing as runner-up his freshman season, Haines went wire to wire in 2024 as the No. 1 wrestler at 157 and will be a core piece of the Penn State wrestling lineup for at least two more years.

165: No. 4 David Carr (ISU) def No. 2 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) by 9-8 decision

David Carr came out quick and immediately got a takedown to take a 3-0 lead. He then proceeded to carry riding time up to 1:42 before Mitchell Mesenbrink finally got the escape to cut the lead to two. Carr picked up an escape to start the second period and then was able to get the takedown to extend his lead.

Mesenbrink got a point from stalling and an escape to finish the second period and head to the third down 7-3. He then picked up an escape, a stall call, and a takedown to tie the match at 8-8.

The last 20 seconds of the dual were inexplicable, as Mesenbrink really didn’t take a shot, seemingly believing the score was tied. Carr had the riding time accumulated from the first period, however, and because of that took the match 9-8.

While a heartbreaking loss, Mitchell Mesenbrink established himself as one of the top wrestlers at 165 pounds this season. The redshirt freshman and Keegan O’Toole will both be back for next year. If both stick in the 165 pounds, the two will certainly be on a collision course at next year’s NCAA Championships.

174: No. 9 Carter Starocci (PSU) def No. 6 Rocco Welsh (OHST) by 2-0 decision

Carter Starocci was on the offensive early but couldn’t get a score in as Rocco Welsh ran away much of the first period, ultimately giving up the stall point. Starocci then picked up the escape in the second and led 2-0. In the third period, the Nittany Lion went on the defensive and held off a few Welsh shots to take home his fourth National Championship.

Starocci is the first four-time NCAA Champion in Penn State wrestling history and the sixth wrestler to accomplish the milestone all-time.

When asked about battling back from injury post-match, Starocci noted that he had been on crutches 12 days prior. However, he would not comment on if the injury was a torn ACL. Ever looking ahead, the now-certified Penn State wrestling legend stated that Monday, he shifts his focus to winning an Olympic gold medal.

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) def No. 2 Trent Hidlay (NCST) by 6-1 decision

Aaron Brooks came out attacking and had Trent Hidlay on his heels the entire match. After picking up a stalling point to finish off the first period up 1-0, Brooks quickly secured a takedown in the second to put the match out of reach.

Brooks continued to try and score until late, but only tallied a stall point and an escape to win with ease. He becomes the second four-time NCAA Champion in Penn State history and the seventh to achieve the milestone, coming only moments behind his teammate Carter Starocci.

After a long and dominant career at Penn State, Aaron Brooks will now turn to the international stage and look to find success at the Olympic level. He won the U23 gold medal at last year’s World Championships, so the next step is doing the same at the Olympic level.

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) def No. 10 Lucas Davison (MICH) by 13-4 major decision

Greg Kerkvliet jumped out to an early lead with a pair of takedowns to go up 6-2 after the first period. Lucas Davison opened the second period with an escape to cut the lead to three. After Davison appeared to have taken a good shot, the Penn State heavyweight responded with a counter of his own to extend the lead to 9-3 heading into the third period.

Kerkvliet continued to dominate and used his counterattack once again to pick up a takedown and take home the National Championship with a dominating 13-4 major decision. It was a long time coming for the Nittany Lion heavyweight, who had been getting progressively closer for the past three seasons with seventh, fourth, and second-place finishes.

It will be interesting to see if Kerkvliet decides to use his COVID year and come back for the 2025 season. If he does make a return, he would be a heavy favorite to repeat as champion and would be a crucial wrestler in Penn State’s quest for a fourth consecutive National Championship.

Final NCAA Championships team standings:

No. 1: Penn State – 172.5

No.2: Cornell – 72.5

No. 3: Michigan – 71

No. 4: Iowa State – 68.5

No. 5: Iowa – 67

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