In Penn State wrestling news, some matches for the NWCA All-Star Classic, scheduled for Nov. 16 in State College, have been set.
The biggest news amongst the early matchups is probably where, and who, Penn State wrestling star Levi Haines is going against.
The NWCA All-Star Classic is back at Penn State on Saturday, November 16th!
Check out some of the early matchups 👀 pic.twitter.com/RzU5sHENFt
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) September 23, 2024
Haines has already put together a decorated career at 157. He won a national championship this past March. The season before that, he was a national runner-up as a true freshman. Haines won the Big Ten title in each of his first two seasons.
Now, he’ll be taking on the defending national runner-up… at 174. Rocco Welsh is a name known well for Pennsylvania wrestling fans.
Before going to Ohio State, he was a star at Waynesburg Central. At Ohio State, Welsh became a star as a true freshman, making it to the national title match. Unfortunately for Welsh, he had to go against Penn State star Carter Starocci on his way to winning his fourth national title.
If Haines is indeed moving to 174, it means Starocci— who will be back for his fifth and final season of eligibility— won’t be.
Nothing is official yet. But Starocci has hinted before of his desire to move to 197. Haines’ move also will mean that for Alex Facundo to crack the starting lineup, it would have to be at 165. Penn State was just fine at 165 last season, with Mitchell Mesenbrink winning an individual Big Ten title and becoming a national runner-up.
Mesenbrink seems to be a good bet to move to 157.
Facundo has already burned his redshirt. So, he’s either starting or in a reserve role at Penn State. Considering Facundo shut out Haines at the Olympic Trials held in Happy Valley this past April, it’s safe to say that he’s no joke.
At 149, Shayne Van Ness is set to compete against Ty Watters of West Virginia. Watters finished fourth at NCAA’s as a true freshman last season. Van Ness finished fourth the year before and then missed all of last season due to injury.
