One of the biggest stars on the Penn State wrestling team is competing on the world stage.
This October, while preparing for the 2024-25 Big Ten wrestling season, Mitchell Mesenbrink will be in Albania with the U23 version of Team USA, formally accepting his World Team spot.
Mesenbrink had earned his spot by virtue of him being the U20 freestyle champion last year. He had until June 17 to accept the position, and although there was a delay, he announced his acceptance via social media late Tuesday afternoon.
Give ’Em Both Barrels…Let’s Roll! See you in Albania.
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Click HERE for U23 World Championship Merch🐆🦁https://t.co/fKe1vrAwBB pic.twitter.com/RRdHIdITXa— Mitchell Mesenbrink (@Mitch_Mes) June 25, 2024
Mesenbrink burst onto the college wrestling scene last season.
Coming in after a redshirt season at Cal-Baptist in which he wrestled just two matches, Mesenbrink became not only one of Penn State’s best wrestlers, but one of its most exciting. He went 26-1, winning the Big Ten title at 165 and having his only loss come at the hands of Iowa State’s David Carr in a classic national title bout.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Whether he stays at 165 or moves down to 157– odds seem to favor one of those two choices— 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.
