Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson isn’t known to wear t-shirts when addressing media, but he made an exception Tuesday.
Sanderson addressed reporters during his weekly availability with a t-shirt that displayed the likeness of Mitchell Mesenbrink.
It was a unique gesture from a unique coach honoring a unique athlete.
For many, Mesenbrink is the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the country. After going 53-1 over his first two seasons at Penn State— his only loss was to Iowa State great David Carr in the 2024 national finals— Mesenbrink came into this season with sky high expectations, and thus far, he’s meeting them.
Mesenbrink has won all eight of his bouts so far and all of them have been by the bonus point variety— that’s an 100% bonus rate, for those scoring at home.
Mesenbrink, a Hartland, Wisconsin, native who started his college wrestling career at Cal Baptist in 2022-23, Mesenbrink has become a fan favorite in Happy Valley not just for his record, but for his upbeat personality and fondness for scoring points.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In Penn State’s four dual meets this season, Mesenbrink has scored at least 15 points in three of them, with a first-period pin in the other one.
In March of 2024, Sanderson described Mesenbrink well.
“Mitchell’s a beast, he’s just the same person every second of the day. He loves wrestling and he loves scoring points, he’s a blessing,” Sanderson said.
“He’s the missile, ‘Missile Mesenbrink.’ He’s a lot of fun, he’s just full of life and energy and gratitude.”
Mesenbrink is a contender to win college wrestling’s highest individual honor: The Dan Hodge Trophy. He’d be the second Penn State wrestling star to accomplish that feat in the past three seasons, with Aaron Brooks doing it in 2024.
