Penn State Dominates Day Three of NCAA Wrestling Championships
Penn State continued its dominance on Day Three of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. The Nittany Lions led the team standings with 164.0 points entering the final matches.
Penn State results and finalists
Six Penn State wrestlers advanced to championship finals across weight classes. The list includes Luke Lilledahl, Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, Rocco Welsh and Josh Barr.
On the medal podium, Marcus Blaze fell in a third-place match. Aaron Seidel defeated Blaze, 5-0 by decision. PJ Duke secured third at 157 pounds with a 20-4 technical fall over Brandon Cannon.
Finals matchups and broadcast
The championship finals begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will carry the live broadcast of the session.
| Weight | Final |
|---|---|
| 125 lbs | Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) |
| 133 lbs | Jax Forrest (OK State) vs. Ben Davino (Ohio State) |
| 141 lbs | Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Sergio Vega (OK State) |
| 149 lbs | Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. Aden Valencia (Stanford) |
| 157 lbs | Landon Robideau (OK State) vs. Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) |
| 165 lbs | Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) |
| 174 lbs | Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. Christopher Minto (Nebraska) |
| 184 lbs | Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. Max McEnelly (Minnesota) |
| 197 lbs | Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. Cody Merrill (OK State) |
| 285 lbs | Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. Isaac Trumble (NC State) |
Team standings (latest)
Updated 1:13 p.m. ET, March 21.
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Penn State | 164.0 |
| OK State | 119.0 |
| Nebraska | 101.5 |
| Iowa | 92.5 |
| Ohio State | 84.5 |
| Michigan | 66.0 |
| Stanford | 63.5 |
| Iowa State | 52.0 |
| Minnesota | 44.5 |
| Virginia Tech | 41.5 |
Penn State’s run through the bracket
The Nittany Lions produced several dominant victories earlier in the tournament. Wrestlers recorded multiple technical falls, major decisions and falls to reach the semifinals and finals.
- Luke Lilledahl advanced with strong wins in early rounds and a semifinal decision.
- Shayne Van Ness recorded falls and a 22-1 technical fall in the semis.
- Mitchell Mesenbrink posted multiple technical falls and a 15-0 semifinal win.
- Levi Haines and Rocco Welsh both advanced by technical falls and tight semifinal victories.
- Josh Barr reached the final with a technical fall in the quarterfinals and another decisive semifinal.
The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships run March 19–21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Filmogaz.com will provide live updates and results during the finals session.
