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Penn State Wrestling's Luke Lilledahl, Levi Haines Top World Rankings

But will the Nittany Lions have the chance to compete for freestyle gold at the World Championships?
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Luke Lilledahl has his arm raised after winning the 125-pound title at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Luke Lilledahl has his arm raised after winning the 125-pound title at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State has two of the world's top-ranked men's freestyle wrestlers this year, though they might have to wait to compete for world championships. United World Wrestling announced Friday that it has postponed the 2026 World Wrestling Championships, originally scheduled for Oct. 24-Nov. 1 in Bahrain.

UWW said in a statement that it is evaluating potential new host sites to prepare for an event that can be held "in a professional and orderly manner."

"This decision has been made after careful and responsible consideration of the current geopolitical situation in the region, particularly the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pending conflict involving the Gulf region and its broader impact on regional stability and international travel," United World Wrestling said. "While Bahrain remains fully committed to hosting world-class sporting events, all parties believe that the safety, confidence, and overall experience of athletes, officials, delegations, partners, and fans must remain the highest priority."

Current Penn State wrestler Luke Lilledahl and former Nittany Lion Levi Haines are among the top wrestlers competing for spots on the U.S. Senior World Team. Flowrestling ranks both No. 1 at their respective weight classes in its latest set of international freestyle rankings. Lilledahl and Haines will pursue spots on the Senior World Team at the Final X event in June in Newark, New Jersey.

Lilledahl, the unbeaten 125-pound NCAA champion, moved up to No. 1 in the world at 57 kg after his dramatic win over Spencer Lee at the recent U.S. Open in Las Vegas. Lilledahl turned a headlock into a takedown in the waning seconds of the match for a 5-4 victory over the 2024 Olympic silver medalist.

Lilledahl, who trailed Lee 4-0 in the first period, rallied to win his second straight U.S. Open title and gain the edge entering Final X, where the two will stage a rematch. Lee defeated Lilledahl at Final X in 2025 to earn the Senior World team spot.

Lilledahl is among the country's most accomplished age-group freestyle wrestlers. In 2025 he won the 57 kg title at the U23 World Championships to become the first American wrestler to win age-group gold medals at the U17, U20 and U23 events. Lilledahl now seeks to make his first Senior World team.

Haines, Penn State's two-time NCAA champ, is Flowrestling's top-ranked wrestler internationally at 79 kg. Haines had an exceptional freestyle season in 2025, winning gold at the U23 championships and silver at Senior Worlds.

Haines recently dominated the field at the 2026 Pan American Championships and returns to Final X as the favorite. He will face Chance Marsteller in the best-of-three Final X series, scheduled for June 19 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Haines defeated Evan Wick by a combined two-match score of 16-1 in last year's Final X.

Notably absent from the world freestyle rankings is Penn State's Mitchell Mesenbrink, the undefeated Hodge Trophy winner and two-time NCAA champion. Mesenbrink, a defending U23 world champion who lost at Final X in 2025, did not compete in the qualifying events for Senior Worlds this year.

Three other current or future Nittany Lions appear in the world rankings. Rising sophomore Marcus Blaze, who placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, is ranked seventh at 61 kg. Blaze will take on Oklahoma State's third-ranked Jax Forrest at Final X. Blaze defeated Ohio State's Ben Davino at the U.S. Open to earn his spot at Final X.

At 74 kg, incoming Nittany Lion Jayden James enters the world rankings at No. 19, one spot ahead of future teammate Joe Sealey. James defeated Sealey at the Senior World Trials on his way to the final.

Elsewhere, former Nittany Lions Zain Retherford (sixth at 70 kg) and Greg Kerkvliet (15th at 125 kg) are ranked, with Retherford competing at Final X. Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members Kyle Dake (fifth at 86 kg) and Kyle Snyder (third at 97 kg) will compete at Final X as well.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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