Penn State Wrestling Wins 5th Straight NCAA Team Title Long Before Finals

CLEVELAND | Six Penn State wrestlers will compete for national championships Saturday night knowing they've already won one. The Nittany Lions clinched their fifth straight team title Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, seven hours before the finals even begin.

Marcus Blaze, the Penn State freshman who lost a grueling semifinal bout Friday, helped the Nittany Lions officially seal the team title with a 20-4 technical fall in the 133-pound consolations. The title is Cael Sanderson's 13th in 17 seasons as Penn State's head coach. Next up: Penn State seeks to break two NCAA records for scoring and most champions.

The Nittany Lions scored 177 points in Philadelphia last year, when they had three finalists and won two national championships. Six Penn State wrestlers will compete for titles Saturday night at Rocket Arena. The NCAA record for champions is five, which Penn State and Iowa have accomplished twice and Oklahoma State once. The finals begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

"As much as wrestling is an individual sport, but the team race is a lot of fun," said Levi Haines, Penn State's only starting senior and a four-time national team champ. "That's what we strive to do as a team every year, is be national champions. I think our guys have done a really good job this tournament scoring bonus points to separate ourselves in that team race. I think you'll just continue to see our guys doing that."

Six Nittany Lions can not only win national titles but also finish their seasons undefeated. Penn State's finalists are Haines, Luke Lilledahl (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197). Mesenbrink and Haines are pursuing their second NCAA titles.

An exciting day two in Cleveland! 🙌#PSUwr https://t.co/3VGCtecZnm
— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 21, 2026

Penn State tied the NCAA record, which it shared with Iowa, for most finalists in a tournament. The Nittany Lions can break the record for NCAA individual titles if they go 6-0 in the finals. Penn State will finish the 2026 tournament with eight All-Americans, with Blaze wrestling for third and PJ Duke competing at 157 after controversial matches in Friday's semifinals.

Penn State has won 13 of the last 17 team titles at the NCAA Wrestling Championships under Cael Sanderson, who is climbing the sport's record books. Sanderson ranks second all-time among coaches with 13 national championships, two behind Iowa's Dan Gable for the career record.

"Fans, I think, care more," said Mesenbrink, who seeks to become a two-time NCAA champ at 165. "I haven't looked at the team race. I don't know what the team race is. I don't know what team points are up on the board right now. I don't know how far ahead we are.

"... There's a cool quote. "It's like, you worry too much for someone who figures it out every single time. I really like that. It's like, why worry about something when it's going to come to be either way. It's just like giving our best effort. I think as a collective our guys know that."

The national championship is Penn State's 14th 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.

Penn State completed one of its most dominant regular seasons ever, going 15-0 with eight shutouts. The Nittany Lions outscored opponents 630-39 in dual matches and went 74-6 in individual bouts during eight Big Ten wins.

Looking ahead to Penn State's future

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson reacts in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. — Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson reacts during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

And the team is far from finished. The Nittany Lions lose just one senior, Haines, from their starting lineup, is redshirting a two-time All-American in Tyler Kasak and also is redshirting a world freestlye champion in Masanosuke Ono of Japan. All six of Penn State's 2026 finalists have at least one year remaining.

"What Cael has done for the program is mind-boggling," former Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson said in 2025. "Seeing a coach bring a group of guys together and dominate a collegiate sport is crazy."

The 2027 NCAA Wrestling Championships return to St. Louis, where the Nittany Lions will go for their sixth straight. College wrestling coaches wonder what it will take to break Penn State's grip on the sport.

"I think everyone in life needs something to chase and pursue," Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. "I think it's just part of the way we're wired, to chase and pursue. And Penn State has provided something for every Division I program to chase and pursue. And that's really important."

Oklahoma State coach David Taylor, a two-time NCAA champion at Penn State, seeks to turn the Cowboys into a contender vs. his alma mater. Oklahoma State qualified four wrestlers, all freshmen, to the finals.

"There's always going to be obstacles in the way," Taylor said. "What are those obstacles going to be? They're going to change. It's a moving target. What we can focus on is helping our guys, like coach [Ryan] said, be the best versions of themselves. That's the most important thing.

"I'm not laser-focused on one individual or one individual program. I'm focused on helping my guys be the best that they possibly can be, giving them the abilities to succeed."

FIVE. STRAIGHT. TITLES. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆@pennstateWREST has mathematically clinched the team national championship title at the 2026 @NCAA DI Men's Wrestling Championships. #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/pCfKypnUJf
— NCAA Men's Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 21, 2026

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