Penn State wrestlers Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, and Josh Barr win NCAA titles
CLEVELAND — Penn State wrestling went 4-2 in the final round of the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Levi Haines beat Nebraska’s Christopher Minto by decision, 2-1, to become a two-time NCAA champ and win the 174-pound final.
A bout earlier, Mitchell Mesenbrink became a two-time champ as well by beating Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo by technical fall, 20-4, to win the 165-pound title.
Earlier in the session, Shayne Van Ness was upset by Stanford’s Aden Valencia by decision, 8-5, in sudden victory. And after the first two winners, Rocco Welsh fell to Minnesota’s Max McEnelly by decision, 4-3, in the 184-pound final.
But, Josh Barr righted the ship a match later by winning his first NCAA title by beating Oklahoma State’s Cody Merrill by decision, 6-3, in the 197-pound final.
Last but not least, Luke Lilledahl won his first NCAA title by beating Princeton’s Marc-Anthony McGowan 2-1 in the 125-pound finals.
The Nittany Lions won their fifth straight team title, as well. They also set a new points record with a final tally of 181.5.
Read a full recap of Saturday night’s final session below.
A final note
03/21/2026 09:12:30 PM
Penn State 165-pound champ Mitchell Mesenbrink is both the NCAA’s most dominant wrestler of the year and also the most outstanding wrestler of the national tournament.
That’s a wrap
03/21/2026 08:42:24 PM
The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships are officially over. Penn State finishes with four national champions and a record-setting 181.5 team points. Oklahoma State was second with 131, and Nebraska third with 100.5.
Jax Forrest wins the 133-pound title
03/21/2026 08:41:22 PM
Oklahoma State freshman Jax Forrest won the 133-pound title by decision 5-2 over Ben Davino of Ohio State.
125-pound final: Luke Lilledahl vs. Marc-Anthony McGowan, Penn State
03/21/2026 08:17:37 PM
After a scoreless opening period, McGowan took down to start the second and escaped 14 seconds into the middle frame for a 1-0 lead. McGowan is called for a stall warning midway through the second as they remain neutral. It’s 1-0 McGowan after two.
Lilledahl takes down to start the third and is quickly out to tie the bout at one. McGowan is called for stalling again to make it 2-1 Lilledahl. That’s the final.
Luke Lilledahl wins his first national title by beating Marc-Anthony McGowan of Princeton by decision, 2-1, on the strength of a stalling point in the 125-pound final. Penn State finishes with four NCAA champs and a new team points record.
An upset at heavyweight
03/21/2026 08:08:40 PM
Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State upset top-seeded Yonger Bastida of Iowa State in the 285-pound final by decision, 5-0. It means it’s time for Luke Lilledahl vs. Marc-Anthony McGowan of Princeton in the 125-pound final to close out the Penn State portion of the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Finals results so far
03/21/2026 08:00:34 PM
141 pounds: No. 2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State d. No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, 4-1 (SV)
149 pounds: No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford d. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU, 8-5 (SV)
157 pounds: No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State d. No. 2 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska, 4-2
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU TF No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa, 20-4 (5:12)
174 pounds: No. 1 Levi Haines, Penn State d. No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska, 2-1
184 pounds: No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota d. No. 1 Rocco Welsh, PSU, 4-3
197 pounds: No. 1 Josh Barr, Penn State d. No. 7 Cody Merrill, Oklahoma State, 6-3
Penn State has set a new NCAA team points record
03/21/2026 07:52:16 PM
Josh Barr’s 197-pound title win gives Penn State 177.5 team points, which breaks its record-setting mark of 177 from 2025 with one competitor still left to take the mat: Luke Lilledahl in the 125-pound finals.
197-pound final: Josh Barr vs. Cody Merrill of Oklahoma State
03/21/2026 07:43:31 PM
Barr shot and scored midway through the first period to take a 3-0 lead, and Merrill then escaped to make it 3-1 after one.
Merrill chose down to start the second. He quickly got out to make it 3-2. That’s the score after two.
Barr chooses down to start the third and quickly reverses Merrill to take a 5-2 lead, and he gets a point as well for a lock hands violation on Merrill to swell his lead to 6-2 before Merrill escaped to 6-3. That’s the final.
Josh Barr wins his first national championship by beating Oklahoma State’s Cody Merrill by decision, 6-3, in the 197-pound finals. He is the Lions’ third NCAA champ in 2026.
Finals results so far
03/21/2026 07:38:11 PM
We’re getting ready for the 197-pound final between Josh Barr and Cody Merrill of Oklahoma.
Here are the finals results so far:
141 pounds: No. 2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State d. No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, 4-1 (SV)
149 pounds: No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford d. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU, 8-5 (SV)
157 pounds: No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State d. No. 2 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska, 4-2
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU TF No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa, 20-4 (5:12)
174 pounds: No. 1 Levi Haines, Penn State d. No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska, 2-1
184 pounds: No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota d. No. 1 Rocco Welsh, PSU, 4-3
184-pound final: Rocco Welsh of Penn State vs. Max McEnelly of Minnesota
03/21/2026 07:23:23 PM
We’re underway in the 184-pound final. McEnelly is in on the first shot of the match and finishes it for a 3-0 lead. Welsh quickly escapes to 3-1. That’s the score after one.
McEnelly takes down to start the second, and he escapes after just six seconds for a 4-1 lead. That’s the score after two in favor of the Golden Gopher.
Welsh takes down to start the thir and is quickly out to make it 4-2 early in the third. Welsh tries to blast through on a double with just under a minute to go but McEnelly fends it off. He tries again with 20 seconds left and McEnelly avoids it. They are restarting with 18 seconds left. Welsh shoots off the whistle but can’t score. Stalling on McEnelly. Welsh chases him around the mat to no avail. McEnelly is called for stalling again but it will not matter.
Max McEnelly beats Rocco Welsh by decision, 4-3, to win the 184-pound NCAA championship. The Minnesota wrestler’s first period takedown was the difference.
174-pound final: No. 1 Levi Haines of Penn State vs. No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska
03/21/2026 07:00:46 PM
After a scoreless first period, Haines takes down to start the second and escapes 14 seconds into the period for a 1-0 lead. Minto is called for his second stall warning, giving a point to Haines, which makes his lead 2-0 with 25 seconds left in the second. That’s the score after two.
Minto is down to start the third. He’s quickly out to 2-1. Haines shoots in on a low single with 1:30 left in the third, is working to finish it, but does not as they go off the edge with 58 seconds left. Haines still leads 2-1. And that’s the final.
Levi Haines is a two-time NCAA champion and finishes his career at Penn State as the 174-pound title winner after beating Christopher Minto of Nebraska by decision, 2-1.
Finals results so far
03/21/2026 06:57:52 PM
We are through four weight classes ahead of No. 1 Levi Haines vs. No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska at 174 pounds. Here are the four results so far:
141 pounds: No. 2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State d. No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, 4-1 (SV)
149 pounds: No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford d. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU, 8-5 (SV)
157 pounds: No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State d. No. 2 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska, 4-2
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU TF No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa, 20-4 (5:12)
The final at 165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU TF No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa, 20-4 (5:12)
03/21/2026 06:55:04 PM
We’re underway in the 165-pound final. The Nittany Lion drives through a double leg 10 seconds in and finishes it for a 3-0 lead early in the first period. Caliendo is out quickly to 3-1. Mesenbrink is back in on a leg and finishes another shot for a takedown and 6-1 lead. He then cuts the Hawkeye to 6-2. Mesenbrink shoots low on a single leg again and works to finish it for a 9-2 lead halfway through the first period. Caliendo then escapes to 9-3. Mesenbrink shoots and scores again for a 12-3 lead. Caliendo is out again to 12-4 late in the first. That’s the score after one.
Mesenbrink takes bottom to start the second. He was almost caught by Caliendo rolling through but ultimately escapes to a 13-4 lead. He then shoots and scores for another takedown and 16-4 lead. Caliendo is hit with stalling to make it 17-4. Caliendo is called for stalling again to make it 18-4. That’s the score after two.
Caliendo takes top to start the third. Mesenbrink quickly reverses him and that’ll do it. Mitchell Mesenbrink is a two-time NCAA champ, as he beats Mikey Caliendo of Iowa by technical fall, 20-4.
157-pound final: Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State d. Antrell Taylor of Nebraska, 4-2
03/21/2026 06:39:38 PM
Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State, who knocked out PSU’s PJ Duke in the semis, beat Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor by decision in the 157-pound final, 4-2.
Mitchell Mesenbrink is up next for Penn State in the 165-pound final.
149-pound final: No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford d. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, 8-5 (SV)
03/21/2026 06:20:48 PM
An early scramble ensured and Valencia from Stanford came out on top for a takedown and a 3-0 lead. However, Penn State is challenging the call on the mat. It is upheld upon review. So Valencia leads Van Ness 3-0 with 2:18 left in the first period. SVN quickly escaped to 3-1 with two minutes to go in the first period. They’re neutral, and Van Ness is warned for stalling with 58 seconds left in the first. It’s 3-1 after one.
Valencia takes down to start the second and quickly escapes to 4-1. Van Ness they countered a Valencia shot and took the Stanford wrestler down to tie the bout at four with about a minute left in the middle frame. Valencia escapes to 5-4 with 42 seconds left in the second. Another bloody nose stoppage for Van Ness as they get ready to restart in the center of the mat. Late in the second, Van Nes got in on Valencia’s legs but couldn’t finish the shot before time expired. It’s 5-4 Valencia heading to the third.
Van Ness starts the third on bottom and is quickly out to 5-5. Another scrambles ensured with 10 seconds left but neither wrestler finished their shot. We’re off to sudden victory tied at five. But first, Van Ness needs more blood time.
Valencia gets in on Van Ness’ legs and finishes for a takedown 32 seconds into sudden victory. Penn State is challenging the call. If it is upheld, Valencia will beat Van Ness 4-1 in the 149-pound final. It is upheld.
Valencia d. Van Ness 8-5 in the 149-pound final.
The first Penn State final is coming up
03/21/2026 05:52:48 PM
No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU vs. No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford is coming up now on ESPN. Follow updates here by consistently refreshing your page.
Vega beats Mendez in 141-pound final with big Hodge Trophy implications
03/21/2026 05:52:39 PM
No. 1 Jesse Mendez and Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State are scoreless after one. Vega escapes to start the second for a 1-0 lead. And that’s the score after one. Mendez escaped in the third to tie it at one. And now the 141-pound final is headed to sudden victory. And it ends in an upset. Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State takes down No. 1 Mendez in sudden victory to win the 141-pound title.
Why does it matter to Penn State? Mendez is one of the wrestlers battling a couple of Nittany Lions for the Hodge Trophy.
Penn State can make more history tonight
03/21/2026 04:57:27 PM
Besides the team points record, which seems like a foregone conclusion, Penn State also has the opportunity to become the first team to ever have six national champions in a single tournament. Shayne Van Ness will lead things off for the Lions at 149 pounds opposite No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford.
Here is the bout order for the finals
03/21/2026 04:57:13 PM
125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State vs. No. 10 Marc-Anthony McGowan of Princeton
133 pounds: No. 1 Jax Forrest of Oklahoma State vs. No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State
141 pounds: No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State vs. No. 2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State
149 pounds: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU vs. No. 10 Aden Valencia of Stanford
157 pounds: No. 2 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska vs. No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU vs. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa
174 pounds: No. 1 Levi Haines, Penn State vs. No. 3 Christopher Minto of Nebraska
184 pounds: No. 1 Rocco Welsh, PSU vs. No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota
197 pounds: No. 1 Josh Barr, Penn State vs. No. 7 Cody Merrill, Oklahoma State
285 pounds: No. 1 Yonger Bastida of Iowa State vs. No. 2 Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State
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