Penn State's Levi Haines Gets Fascinating Matchup at Final X wrestling event

Levi Haines punctuated his Penn State wrestling career with an undefeated season and a second national title at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Before winning the 174-pound title in Cleveland, Haines said he wasn't leaving Penn State "anytime soon."

"Hopefully I can repay [Penn State coach Cael Sanderson] a little bit for what he's given to me, along with our other coaches," Haines said. "Just look forward to hopefully being able to give back to him in some way in the future."

Haines began that process this offseason by representing the Nittany Lion Wrestling club at the Pan American Championships, where he was dominant in winning the 79 kg freestyle title. He'll take the next step in June with a fascinating matchup at Final X to earn a return trip to the Senior World Championships.

Haines, who went 99-4 and won four Big Ten titles at Penn State, will meet Chance Marsteller in the 79 kg men's freestyle weight class at Final X, scheduled for June 19 in Newark, New Jersey. Final X is the USA Wrestling event that will determing who represents Team USA at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships. Haines and Marsteller will wrestle a best-of-three series to determines who earns the trip to worlds.

Haines is the defending U.S. champ at the weight class and placed second at the 2025 World Championships. Competing in his first Senior World event, Haines scored a dramatic takedown as time expired but fell short in a 3-2 loss to Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece in the final. Haines went on to win gold at the U23 World Championships to cap a phenomenal freestyle season.

The men’s freestyle 79 kg series at 2026 Final X, presented by @KerberosCM, features reigning World silver medalist Levi Haines and 2023 World Team member Chance Marsteller. #finalx2026 @BeattheStreets | @PruCenter | @FloWrestling https://t.co/wtxnrZkjE1
— USA Wrestling (@USAWrestling) June 2, 2026

Haines is Flowrestling's top-ranked wrestler in the world at 79 kg and the favorite at Final X. He qualified automatically with the world silver medal in 2025 in Croatia. Marsteller is ranked seventh in the world after winning the recent U.S. Open title in Las Vegas.

Marsteller, who wrestled collegiately at Oklahoma State and Lock Haven, has put together a decorated freestyle career since placing third at the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Marsteller has won two U.S. Open titles and made the U.S. Senior World team in 2023.

This is Haines' moment, however. A four-time NCAA All-American, Haines routed the field at the Pan American Championships for his first senior gold. He scored four technical falls in a dominant performance.

Haines also is positioning himself for a run at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He'll likely have to wrestle at 86 kg (or 189 pounds), since only six freestyle weight classes are recognized at the Olympics. Haines is familiar with making a major weight jump, going from 157 to 174 pounds in his final season at Penn State.

"He's disciplined," Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. "He [wrestled at] 157 his first couple years, and what that took for a young kid to be able be as disciplined as he was to compete at that level was really impressive. … He’s pretty special. He’s a guy we will miss as much as anyone we’ve had come through here."

Unfortunately for Penn State, Haines won't be able to return for a potential fifth season of eligibility. The NCAA is considering a new rule allowing athletes to compete for five years, though it won't be retroactive to athletes who have exhausted their eligibility.

Four current or former Nittany Lions will compete at Final X at the Prudential Center. Returning NCAA champ Luke Lilledahl gets a critical rematch at 57 kg with Spencer Lee, and freshman All-American Marcus Blaze takes on NCAA champ Jax Forrest at 61 kg.

Zain Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, looks to qualify for Senior worlds for the first time since winning a world title in 2023. Retherford takes on Ridge Lovett in the 70 kg freestyle class.

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines competes against Nebraska’s Christoper Minto. — Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines, top, competes against Nebraska’s Christoper Minto at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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