Recap: Penn State wrestling goes 20-0 on Day 1 of the 2025 NCAA Championships
PHILADELPHIA — The No. 1 Penn State wrestling team is ready for the second round of the 2025 NCAA Championships. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team had a perfect first session, which means all 10 of the team’s starters are alive in the championship bracket in tonight’s session. It starts at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN is televising the three-hour session. This is your home for live and continuous updates from it. Note: This page does not update automatically. So, please refresh your browser often for the latest information.
Kerkvliet wins, Penn State goes 20-0 on day one
03/20/2025 09:33:47 PMPenn State brought 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, and all are alive in the championship bracket after day one. Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet closed out Thursday with a 4-0 win over Gavin Hoffman of Lock Haven. The Nittany Lions racked up bunches of bonus point wins while going 20-0 on the day. The action resumes Friday afternoon at Noon with quarterfinal action.
Full results from Round 2:
125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, PSU TF No. 16 Blake West, Northern Illinois, 19-3 (6:52)
133 pounds: No. 8 Braeden Davis, Penn State d. No. 9 Braxton Brown, Maryland, 5-3
141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, PSU d. No. 16 Julian Tagg, SDSU, 4-1
149 pounds: No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State md. No. 19 Andrew Clark, Rutgers, 11-1
157 pounds: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, PSU d. No. 16 Cody Chittum, Iowa State, 8-3
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs. No. 16 Kyle Mosher, Hofstra
174 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU d. No. 18 Gavin Sax, Oklahoma, 4-0
184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State TF. No. 16 Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Rutgers, 15-0 (4:23)
197 pounds: No. 4 Josh Barr, PSU d. No. 13 Trey Munoz, Oregon State, 5-2 (SV)
285 pounds: No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State d. No. 14 Gavin Hoffman, Lock Haven, 4-0
Josh Barr wins
03/20/2025 09:16:46 PMPenn State stays perfect: Josh Barr beats Trey Munoz 5-2 in sudden victory at 197 pounds. The Lions are now nine for nine with Greg Kerkvliet to go in Round 2.
Results with one to go:
125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, PSU TF No. 16 Blake West, Northern Illinois, 19-3 (6:52)
133 pounds: No. 8 Braeden Davis, Penn State d. No. 9 Braxton Brown, Maryland, 5-3
141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, PSU d. No. 16 Julian Tagg, SDSU, 4-1
149 pounds: No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State md. No. 19 Andrew Clark, Rutgers, 11-1
157 pounds: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, PSU d. No. 16 Cody Chittum, Iowa State, 8-3
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs. No. 16 Kyle Mosher, Hofstra
174 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU d. No. 18 Gavin Sax, Oklahoma, 4-0
184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State TF. No. 16 Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Rutgers, 15-0 (4:23)
197 pounds: No. 4 Josh Barr, PSU d. No. 13 Trey Munoz, Oregon State, 5-2 (SV)
Barr and Munoz head to sudden victory
03/20/2025 09:14:33 PMThey are tied at two after seven minutes at 197 pounds.
It’s just about Josh Barr time
03/20/2025 09:00:08 PMThe 197-pound Nittany Lion will be on the mat in moments, mat three to be exact, for a round two match with Trey Munoz of Oregon State.
Penn State is now eight for eight
03/20/2025 08:45:44 PMPenn State leads the team race by a wide margin and has eight quarterfinalists with two starters left to wrestle. As of 9:46 p.m., the Lions have 36.5 team points to Nebraska’s 23. Oklahoma State is in third with 22, Ohio State is fourth with 17, and Iowa rounds out the top five with 14.5.
Carter Starocci wins by technical fall, Haines wins by decision
03/20/2025 08:45:08 PMPenn State’s bonus point barrage continues as Carter Starocci beats Shane Cartagena-Walsh of Rutgers by technical fall, 15-0, in 4:23, at 184. At 174, Levi Haines beat No. 18 Gaven Sax of Oklahoma 4-0.
Starocci, Haines are on deck
03/20/2025 08:27:19 PMIt looks like Levi Haines (174 pounds) and Carter Starocci (184) will wrestle their second round matches nearly simultaneously on mats six and five, respectively.
There will be a lull until the next Penn State match
03/20/2025 08:06:11 PMAs of 9:06 p.m. ET, Levi Haines does not yet have a mat assigned for his 174-pound second round match. He’s on the bottom half of that bracket, meaning it’ll be at least 15-20 minutes until the next Penn State match.
Mitchell Mesenbrink makes it six for six
03/20/2025 07:52:26 PMMitchell Mesenbrink gave up a reversal but otherwise did all the scoring in a 22-5 technical fall triumph in 4:15 over No. 16 Kyle Mosher of Hofstra at 165 pounds. That’s the 18th technical fall of the year for Mesenbrink.
Penn State first five results
03/20/2025 07:43:23 PM125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, PSU TF No. 16 Blake West, Northern Illinois, 19-3 (6:52)
133 pounds: No. 8 Braeden Davis, Penn State d. No. 9 Braxton Brown, Maryland, 5-3
141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, PSU d. No. 16 Julian Tagg, SDSU, 4-1
149 pounds: No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State md. No. 19 Andrew Clark, Rutgers, 11-1
157 pounds: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, PSU d. No. 16 Cody Chittum, Iowa State, 8-3
As of 8:43 p.m. ET, Penn State leads the team race with 31.5 points. Nebraska and Oklahoma State are tied with 18. Ohio State (17) and Illinois (12.5) round out the top five.
Penn State wins its first five second round bouts
03/20/2025 07:40:48 PMAt 157 pounds, No. 1 Tyler Kasak beats Cody Chittum of Iowa State by decision, 8-3. Penn State is now five-for-five in the second round.
Shayne Van Ness wins his second round next
03/20/2025 07:30:12 PMPenn State 149-pounder Shayne Van Ness is into the quarterfinals. He beat Andrew Clark of Rutgers by major decision, 11-1.
Updated team scores
03/20/2025 07:12:04 PMAs of 8:12 p.m. ET:
Penn State — 28.5
Oklahoma State — 16.5
Ohio State — 16
Nebraska — 15.5
Michigan/UNI — 12
Iowa –11.5
Illinois — 11
Cornell — 10.5
Minnesota — 10
Penn State wins another second round match
03/20/2025 07:07:34 PMNo. 2 Beau Bartlett is a 4-1 winner with 1:43 in riding time over No. 18 Julian Tagg of South Dakota State in a 141-pound second round match. That’s now three Nittany Lions into the quarterfinals, as Bartlett joins Luke Lilledahl and Braeden Davis.
Beau Bartlett is ready to roll
03/20/2025 06:59:15 PMPenn State senior Beau Bartlett is set to start his second round match opposite No. 18 Julian Tagg of San Dakota State now on mat six (at 8 p.m. ET).
Penn State is 2 for 2 in the second round
03/20/2025 06:35:56 PMNo. 8 Braeden Davis beats No. 9 Braxton Brown of Maryland by decision, 5-3, in a 133-pound second round match. The Nittany Lions’ first period takedown and two escapes were the difference. He gets No. 1 Lucas Byrd in the quarters tomorrow morning. Luke Lilledahl was the first round two winner for the Lions, as he won his match by technical fall to get to the quarters.
Braeden Davis is up next for Penn State
03/20/2025 06:23:12 PMNo. 8 Braeden Davis vs. No. 9 Braxton Brown of Maryland is coming up now, at 7:25 p.m. ET, on ESPN. Mat four.
Luke Lilledahl is onto the quarterfinals
03/20/2025 06:15:06 PMPenn State freshman Luke Lilledahl beat No. 16 Blake West of Northern Illinois by technical fall, 19-3, in 6:52. He scored almost at will against the Huskie. He’s into the 125-pound quarterfinals on Friday morning opposite No. 8 Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh.
Lilledahl will take the mat first
03/20/2025 05:37:36 PMPenn State freshman Luke Lilledahl will be on the mat around 7:05 p.m. ET. His Round of 16 125-pound match with No. 16 Blake West of Northern Illinois is on mat three. Sophomore Braeden Davis will be the third match up on mat four. The No. 8 seed at 133 pounds takes on No. 9 Braxton Brown of Maryland.
Who does each Penn State wrestler face in Round 2?
03/20/2025 05:37:02 PMHere’s the list:
125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, PSU vs. No. 16 Blake West, Northern Illinois
133 pounds: No. 8 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs. No. 9 Braxton Brown, Maryland
141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, PSU vs. No. 16 Julian Tagg, SDSU
149 pounds: No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs. No. 19 Andrew Clark, Rutgers
157 pounds: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, PSU vs. No. 16 Cody Chittum, Iowa State
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs. No. 16 Kyle Mosher, Hofstra
174 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU vs. No. 18 Gavin Sax, Oklahoma
184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs. No. 16 Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Rutgers
197 pounds: No. 4 Josh Barr, PSU vs. No. 13 Trey Munoz, Oregon State
285 pounds: No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State vs. No. 14 Gavin Hoffman, Lock Haven
See full brackets here.
