Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling is once again positioned to contend for a national title as the program heads to the 2025-26 NCAA Wrestling Championships with a full lineup and a host of top seeds.
The reigning Big Ten Champions will send all 10 wrestlers to the national tournament scheduled for March 19–21 in Cleveland, Ohio. Penn State earned seven No. 1 seeds for this year’s championships and qualified nine or more wrestlers for the NCAA Championships for the 13th time during Sanderson’s tenure.
At 125 pounds, sophomore Luke Lilledahl earned the top seed after capturing his second Big Ten championship. Lilledahl (17-0) will face the winner of a play-in match between Bloomsburg’s Jace Schafer and Missouri’s Mack Mauger. The returning All-American placed third at nationals last season.
True freshman Marcus Blaze earned the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds and will open against Gabe Whisenhunt of Oregon State. Blaze (21-1) finished as the Big Ten runner-up after losing to Ohio State’s Ben Davino in triple overtime and is looking for redemption his first NCAA tournament appearance.
At 141 pounds, junior Braeden Davis is seeded No. 14 and will meet Utah Valley’s Haiden Drury. Davis is a returning All-American who placed fifth nationally last season.
Penn State holds the top seed at several middle and upper weights. Junior Shayne Van Ness earned the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds after winning his first Big Ten title and posting a perfect 21-0 record this season. True freshman PJ Duke also claimed the top seed at 157 after winning the Big Ten title and being named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
At 165 pounds, junior Mitchell Mesenbrink enters as the No. 1 seed following his third Big Ten championship. Mesenbrink, the defending NCAA champion, will be making his third appearance at nationals.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Senior Levi Haines secured the No. 1 seed at 174 pounds after capturing his fourth Big Ten title. A three-time All-American and 2024 national champion, Haines carries a 14-2 career NCAA tournament record into his final postseason.
Sophomore Rocco Welsh is the top seed at 184 pounds after winning his first Big Ten title. Welsh was a national finalist in 2024 and is competing in his second NCAA tournament.
At 197 pounds, sophomore Josh Barr earned the No. 1 seed following a dominant Big Ten performance where all three of his wins came by technical fall. Barr was the national runner-up last season.
Heavyweight Cole Mirasola rounds out Penn State’s lineup as the No. 9 seed at 285 pounds. The redshirt freshman placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and will face Duke’s Connor Barket in the opening round.
Penn State heads to Cleveland seeking the program’s 14th NCAA team championship and 13th under Sanderson. The Nittany Lions have also captured four consecutive national titles, continuing one of the most dominant runs in college wrestling history.
The championships will take place at Rocket Arena, with sessions scheduled Thursday at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., and the finals set for Saturday evening.
