Masanosuke Ono Provides Glimpse Into His Penn State Wrestling Future

Masanosuke Ono didn't wrestle a match for Penn State last season, but at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, few Nittany Lions looked more proud to lift the championship trophy than he did. Ono hoisted the trophy with a huge smile as teammates cheered his celebration of the team's fifth straight NCAA title.

Which prompted the obvious question about Penn State wrestling: When will Ono finally take the mat for the Nittany Lions? He offered some clues recently in an intriguing interview with United World Wrestling that offered a glimpse inside the dual wrestling worlds Ono currently inhabits.

In an interview with reporters at the Meiji Cup in Tokyo, Ono discussed his return to freestyle wrestling and his intentions to compete for a spot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. However, Ono also made some interesting comments about folkstyle wrestling that suggests he intends to be in Penn State's lineup next season.

"I want to do folkstyle more because I like folkstyle more than freestyle right now," Ono said in the interview, according to United World Wrestling. "I was world champ maybe two years ago, but I know freestyle like 95 percent but folkstyle, that I don't know. So I mean, I just I'm excited [to] compete [in] folkstyle more than freestyle right now."

Ono said at the Meiji Cup, where he did not compete, that he plans to return to freestyle competition this summer. He has wrestled a sparse competitive schedule since winning the 2024 Senior World title in the 61 kg freestyle weight class.

"I'm feeling pretty much back to normal now, so I’m absolutely fine," the 22-year-old Ono said in the interview. "It’s just that I haven’t competed much since the World Championships ended about two years ago, and there’s a part of me that simply can’t suppress the urge to get back out there. So I’m really looking forward to getting back into competition soon and giving it my all."

Ono was Penn State's prized signing in 2025, announcing that he planned to wrestle for the Nittany Lions just days after the team won its fourth straight NCAA title. Ono redshirted last season at Penn State as he adjusted to folkstyle, which is a different discipline from freestyle.

Ono joined Penn State's roster with an accomplished freestyle resume. He was a 2024 Japanese national champion and a U20 world champ, where he defeated future teammate Marcus Blaze 7-2 in the semifinals. Ono also has a win over Spencer Lee, Iowa's three-time national champion, at a 2025 exhibition sponsored by Flowrestling.

At the 2024 World Championships, a 20-year-old Ono outscored his opponents 55-2. He defeated 2020 Olympic champion Zaur Uguev of Russia and then-defending world champion Vito Arujau en route to the title.

But Ono has been quiet competitively of late as he learns the nuances of folkstyle wrestling. He trains with Blaze, who will wrestle Oklahoma State's Jax Forrest at Final X in June, saying the freshman has taught him a lot about the discipline.

"I do a lot of folkstyle and I do a bit of freestyle as well, but there’s so much to learn [in folkstyle] that I’m still very much a novice," Ono said in the interview. "When it comes to training, [Penn State] coach Cael Sanderson and his brother Cody, who’s also a coach, as well as [assistant coaches] Casey Cunningham and Nick Lee, ... I’m learning a hell of a lot from them.

"There really are so many movements that are unique to folkstyle. I still feel a bit of a gap there. But once I’ve got the hang of it, I reckon I’ll be able to grow even more myself without losing sight of the good bits. If I just focus on that one thing, it’ll disappear, so I’m thinking I’ll keep 95 percent of my style exactly as it is and just add a few bits here and there."

Ono said he's unsure when he'll debut in Penn State's lineup, which is competitive. He wrestles in the same weight class (133 pounds) as Blaze, who returns for his sophomore season. Penn State also is scheduled to return Braeden Davis, a 2025 All-American at 133 pounds who made NCAAs at 141 this past season.

"He's such a positive kid and obviously an unbelievable wrestler," Sanderson said of Ono during the season. "We just love having his energy and perspective, and it's a real blessing to have him here as part of the program."

Penn State wrestler Masanosuke Ono lifts the championship trophy at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State on SI

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