At this weekendโs Senior U.S. Wrestling Open, Penn State was, of course, well represented.
As with any tournament, there was a combination of heartbreak and triumph.
On the heartbreak side, Nittany Lion Wrestling Club member Kyle Dake, still competing at age 34, lost in the finals to Zahid Valencia 8-4.
As for the triumph, two current Penn State stars punched their ticket to Final X. At 57 KG, Luke Lilledahlโ who recently wrapped up a fantastic true freshman season with a Big Ten championship and third-place national finish at 125 poundsโ rolled through the bracket.
Luke Lilledahl: Big Ten Title Win โA Dream Come Trueโ But โJust a Stepping Stoneโ
He won his four bouts by a combined 40-4, pounding Nebraskaโs Liam Cronin 10-0 in the final.
At 74 KG, reigning NCAA Champion Mitchell Mesenbrink had a chance to prove himself in the finals against David Carr.
It Feels Like The 1st Time: Mitchell Mesenbrink Wins 1st National Title
Carr, a two-time national champ who beat Mesenbrink in an absolute classic last year in Kansas City to take his section title, met Mesenbrink in the finals.
This result was a little different.
Not only the Mesenbrink beat Carr, he did it in style, winning via tech fall 16-6, the time of victory Mesenbrink has become known for across college wrestling.
Kyle Snyder didnโt wrestle at Penn State but is a member of NLWC.
Snyder, an Ohio State legend who won Olympic Gold at the Rio games in 2016, took care of business at 97 KG.
WHATโS NEXT?
Photo by Penn State Wrestling: Mitchell Mesenbrink
So whatโs next for the three that are going to final X? Well, Lilledahl has a big-time opponent in Iowa legend Spencer Lee. Simply put, Lee is one of the best to ever do it. The two-time Hodge Trophy winner, three-time national champ and 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist (Paris) will be Lilledahlโs completion for a spot on the World Team at 57 KG.
Mesenbrink and Snyder donโt know their Final X opponents yet. That will be determined by next monthโs U.S. World Team Trials Challenge tournament.
As for Dake, the biggest question is how long he will go.
The four-time national champ, four-time world champ and two-time Olympic Bronze Medalist has said that heโd like to wrestle into his 40s. But that, of course, is much easier said than done.
OTHER RESULTS
Elsewhere at the U.S. Open, Beau Bartlett and Rocco Welsh took fifth at 65 and 86 KG, respectively. Incoming true freshman Marcus Blaze took third at 61 KG.
Other future Penn State wrestlers will be competing Sunday at the U20 and U17 quarterfinals.
At U20, 2026 commit Sam Herring is wrestling at 61 KG. 2025 signees PJ Duke (70) and William Henckel (79) are also competing, as are current Penn State sophomores Joe Sealey (74 KG), Connor Mirasola ย (92 KG) and Cole Mirasola (125 KG).
Penn Stateโs lone representative at U17 is 2026 Commit Jayden James. Heโll be wrestling in the 71 KG quarterfinals.
The quarter and semifinal rounds are set to begin at 1 eastern. The championship rounds are set to begin at 5.
Final X will take place Saturday, June 14 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
