Penn State wrestling is used to winning trophies and awards, whether that’s as a team or with individual honors.
This past March, Penn State won its 11th national title in 13 years.
Less than two weeks later, Aaron Brooks was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner, which is wrestling’s equivalent to winning the Heisman.
Brooks is out of eligibility now but one of his former teammates still has a three years left, and he’s already made a big impact on the college wrestling scene.
That teammate is Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Wednesday morning, he was named National Freshman of the Year by The Open Mat.
Penn State's Mitchell Mesenbrink has been named NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year by The Open Mat. Mesenbrink won a Big Ten title and reached the NCAA finals at 165 pounds. He finished the season with a 26-1 record. https://t.co/RrUECtYCTk#NCAAwrestling #d1wrestle pic.twitter.com/MJqTG5zVlq
— The Open Mat (@theopenmat) May 29, 2024
It’s certainly a well-deserved honor for Mesenbrink. He transferred last summer after spending his true freshman season at Cal-Baptist. There, he wrestled two matches and won both via pin. At Penn State, Mesenbrink almost instantly became a fan favorite both for his success on the mat and his exciting, high-scoring style of wrestling.
Competing at the 165-pound weight class, Mesenbrink ended the year 26-1. The lone loss came in a 9-8 heartbreaker to the much-more experienced David Carr or Iowa State.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.But Mesenbrink surely will be one of the favorites to win his first national title this coming season.
Perhaps the highlight of Year 1 came in the Big Ten title match against Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti— who has since transferred to Oklahoma State, where he’ll be wrestling for new head coach and Penn State legend David Taylor.
Second-seeded Mesenbrink trailed No. 1 and defending Big Ten champion Hamiti 9-2. He ended up winning 13-11.
Toward the end of the win, Big Ten Network play-by-play announcer Shane Sparks referred to the comeback as “Mesenbrink Magic.”
The wrestling world will expect to see more of that magic in the years ahead.
OUR 165 BIG TEN CHAMPION, MITCHELL MESENBRINK! 🥇#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/Xsc8PTcGsD
— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 10, 2024
