Penn State Wrestling Clinches 4th Straight NCAA Team Title Long Before the Finals

PHILADELPHIA | The Penn State wrestling dynasty clinched its fourth consecutive team title at the NCAA Wrestling Championships long before finals even began. The Nittany Lions officially sealed the team crown on Shayne Van Ness' fall during Saturday morning's consolation round at Wells Fargo Center, leaving their three individual finalists free to wrestle for gold knowing they have won another team title.

"I'm one of the last guys to wrestle in the upper weights and so it’s always fun to watch those lower guys handle business," Penn State's Carter Starocci, who will wrestle for his fifth NCAA title, said before the tournament. "It takes the stress off us because we know that, when it’s our time to wrestle, we already have the team title locked up so we can go out and kind of have fun. So it’s a blessing to have a team that’s really good."

Penn State has won 12 of the last 14 team titles at the NCAA Wrestling Championships under head coach Cael Sanderson, who is climbing the sport's record books. Sanderson ranks second all-time among coaches with 12 national championships, three behind Iowa's Dan Gable. Sanderson began the tournament tied for second with former Oklahoma State coach E.C. Gallagher.

"What Cael has done for the program is mind-boggling," Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson, competing for his third NCAA title, said before the tournament. "Seeing a coach bring a group of guys together and dominate a collegiate sport is crazy."

The Penn State Nittany Lions have officially clinched their 12th NCAA Championship under Cael Sanderson, and 13th overall, at 11:14 a.m., March 22, 2025!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/AfDxRQA7tm
— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 22, 2025

The national championship is Penn State's 13th overall; the Nittany Lions won their first in 1953. Penn State ranks third all-time behind Oklahoma State (34) and Iowa (24) in NCAA team wrestling titles. And the Nittany Lions aren't remotely finished with this event.

All 10 of Penn State's wrestlers earned All-America status, marking just the second time in NCAA history a team has accomplished that feat (Minnesota was first in 2001). Further, Penn State's 10 All-Americans all will finish at least sixth at their weight classes.

"It's awesome," Starocci said. "I think that's a true testament to every single kid in the lineup."

Penn State is one of four teams (with Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa) with three finalists. Starocci (184 pounds) can make history Saturday night by becoming the first wrestler to win five titles at the Division I championships. Starocci, who is 24-0 at nationals, is one of just seven wrestlers to win four NCAA titles. He can win a fifth because of the COVID eligiblity extension wrestlers received after competing in the 2021 tournament.

Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Josh Barr (197) seek their first NCAA titles for the Nittany Lions. Mesenbrink is a returning runnerup at his weight class, while Barr reached the final in his first season in Penn State's lineup.

"Our team effort is 100 percent every time," Barr said. "I wrestle with the best team in the whole world: best 10 guys in the starting lineup ... best coaching staff, best trainers, best support system."

Penn State went 15-0 during the regular season, completing its fifth consecutive undefeated campaign. The Nittany Lions have won 71 consecutive dual matches and can break Oklahoma State's major-college win-streak record (76) next season.

Before that, Penn State's next goal Saturday is to break the NCAA Wrestling Championships scoring record it set last year with 172.5 points. The Nittany Lions won the 2024 tournament by a record 100 points. Starocci will wrestle the first bout of tonight's finals vs. defending 184-pound champ Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa.

"I think it's extremely impressive," Missouri's Keegan O'Toole, who seeks to become a three-time NCAA champion, said before the tournament. "Obviously we're always trying to beat [Penn State], but again and again they've proven that they're on top. Yeah, you draw parallels with coach [Nick] Saban at Alabama. It's a dynasty."

The finals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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