What You Need to Know About the Nittany Lions' 2024-25 Wrestling Season

Penn State wrestling hasn’t even begun to pursue its fourth straight national championship, and head coach Cael Sanderson is already dreaming big for the future beyond this season.

“We have a strong team and we’re happy with where we’re at. We believe our best years are still ahead of us as coaches, our best years are still ahead of us for Penn State wrestling.” Sanderson said this week:. “That’s our job and that’s what we’re excited about. But yeah, we’re really excited about the group of student-athletes that are in the program right now.”

Before looking too far into the future, it’s best to enjoy the 2024-25 Penn State wrestling season, which could bring more banners to the table than last year. The Nittany Lions return a squad that features three NCAA individual champions, eight All-Americans (one from 2023) and a 190-16 overall record last season. Roster intrigue ranges from a potential five-time NCAA champion to the potential return of two standout wrestlers to the debut of a freshman contending for a title.

Here’s a look at the 2024-25 Penn State wrestling team and how it can further dominate college wrestling this season.

Who returned to Penn State wrestling?

The Nittany Lions return NCAA champions Carter Starocci, Levi Haines and Greg Kerkvliet, the two of whom will wrestle in different weight classes. Starocci, a four-time champion at 174 pounds, is moving up one weight class to 184. He aims to become the first wrestler in NCAA Division I history to win five individual titles. Haines, who went 48-2 with 157 points in two seasons, replaces Starocci with 174 points. Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet returns to defend his NCAA title in a weight class made even more intriguing by the addition of two-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson. return to Minnesota

NCAA runner-up Beau Bartlett (141) and Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) strengthened their squad. Meanwhile, Shayne Van Ness, who finished third at 149 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, returns to reclaim his spot. Van Ness started last season with a 3-0 record but eventually took a medical redshirt. Then-freshman Tyler Kasak took over and finished third at NCAAs.

What’s new on Penn State’s wrestling roster?

Braeden Davis, who won the Big Ten title at 125 as a freshman, moved up in weight class to 133. Kasak, on the other hand, is at 157, where he can duel with sophomore Alex Facundo, who redshirted at the Olympics last season. Facundo qualified for nationals in 2023.

At 197, the weight class in which Aaron Brooks is a four-time NCAA champion and won the Hodge Trophy Last season’s leading candidate was Josh Barr. Barr went 14-0 as a true freshman wrestler at 184 and earned a silver medal at the 2024 U20 World Championships. Junior Lucas Cochran is also a competitor at 197.

True freshman Luke Lilledahl is expected to step in at 125 after winning a nod. U20 world freestyle championship In September. Lilledahl won Team USA’s only gold medal at the U20 worlds and also captured the U20 Pan American Championship title.

Where are the Nittany Lions in the national rankings?

Penn State begins the 2024-25 season as the overall favorite to win its fourth straight NCAA team title. InterMat ranked Penn State The nine Nittany Lions at the top of the tournament and dual meet rankings are included in the individual rankings:

What is Cael Sanderson’s record at Penn State?

Sanderson begins his 16th season at Penn State with a career record of 203-16-2 with the program. The Nittany Lions won 11 NCAA team championships and eight Big Ten tournament titles under Sanderson. Penn State has also won 56 consecutive dual matches through 2020, the second-longest winning streak in program history. Penn State won 60 consecutive games from 2015-19.

Last year the Nittany Lions Broke NCAA Tournament scoring record They became the first team to win the homestand by 100 points with 172.5 team points. Sanderson won his 11th NCAA team title, finishing second only to Oklahoma State’s E.C. Gallagher among Division I coaches. Sanderson’s next milestone is 15, the number of championships Dan Gable won at Iowa.

Interesting statistics about Penn State wrestling

Penn State’s communications department compiled a list of statistics highlighting Penn State wrestling’s dominance since 2011, the first year it won the NCAA title under Sanderson.

Teams with four two-time NCAA champions in the same tournament: One (Penn State with Brooks and Starocci in 2024)

How to watch Penn State wrestling this season?

Penn State will open its regular season against Drexel on Sunday at Rec Hall. The match will start at 13.00 and Published on BIG+. Other games were scheduled for the Big Ten Network:

Further release dates are TBA.

When and where are the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships?

The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia will host the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships March 20-22. The event returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 2011, when Sanderson won his first NCAA title as Penn State’s head coach.