Penn State Sports Magazine
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4 2 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M THREE BEST WRESTLERS 1. Josh Barr | R-Fr. | 197 No Nittany Lion has had a more impressive start to the season than Barr. The Davison, Mich., native entered the year battling junior Lucas Co- chran for the job at 197. Head coach Cael Sand- erson has yet to name him the full-time starter, but there is little doubt that he will be the Lions' postseason representative in this weight class. In November, Barr won the Army Black Knight Invitational by beating two teammates, freshman Connor Mirasola and Cochran, both by major decision, in the semifinals and final, respectively. Then he dominated sixth-ranked Michael Beard of Lehigh, a former Nittany Lion, by major deci- sion, 11-3, on Dec. 8. Those early-season results have established Barr as a bona fide All-America candidate. 2. Mitchell Mesenbrink | So. | 165 Mesenbrink's pursuit of his first national title is off to a roaring start. At the Army Black Knight Invitational, he earned a title by beating his four opponents by a combined score of 72-10. Each victory was by technical fall. Then, against Lehigh, he topped Thayne Lawrence by technical fall, 18- 1, in 4:37. The second-year Nittany Lion is putting a case together to be the nation's most dominant wrestler by the time the season is finished in March. He is ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds and appears to be unmatched nationally in his pursuit of an NCAA title. 3. Luke Lilledahl | Fr. | 125 Lilledahl has been as good as advertised to start his Penn State career. After earning a win by forfeit against Drexel to start his time in blue and white, Lilledahl beat teammate Kurt McHenry by decision, 8-2, in the Army Black Knight Invi- tational semifinals before topping 21st-ranked junior Charlie Farmer of Army by technical fall, 19-4, to earn a title. Then, at Lehigh, he beat se- nior Sheldon Seymour by decision, 4-1. Lilledahl is the Lions' latest budding star and an answer to the team's longstanding run of not having an All-American in the sport's lightest weight class. He beat out the super senior McHenry for PSU's starting spot at 125 pounds shortly after arriving on campus and will soon be taking on national peers for the top spots in the weight class. KEY MOMENT At Lehigh, Lilledahl and Seymour, who entered the match with a FloWrestling No. 15 national ranking at 125, both earned an escape and were tied 1-1 with 90 seconds left in the third period of their 125-pound showdown. The Mountain Hawk wrestler shot with 1:15 left but could not convert on the scoring opportunity before a stalemate was called. He got in on another good shot with 30 seconds left in regulation, but Lilledahl coun- tered it, slipped behind for control, and rode out the period to win, 4-1. It marked his second win in three weeks over a ranked opponent. Judging by his dazzling prep career and also his start in State College, it will hardly be the last. BEST HIGHLIGHT After a scoreless first period in a top-25 match at 197 pounds, Barr found himself trailing Beard of Lehigh 2-0 early in the second period thanks to a reversal for the Mountain Hawk wrestler. How- ever, Barr scored an escape and takedown before the middle stanza ended and led 4-2 entering the third period. In the final two minutes, he scored seven points, including a highlight-reel-worthy single-leg takedown with 20 seconds left to earn an 11-3 major decision. BOLD PREDICTION Penn State will earn All-America honors in all 10 weight classes at the NCAA Tournament in March. The Nittany Lions have never accomplished that feat despite their storied history, and only one college team — the 2001 Minnesota Golden Gophers — has ever done so. Coach Cael Sanderson's 2024-25 team appears entirely capable of becoming the second. There is talent, proven and otherwise, up and down the lineup. By the time the postseason arrives, each starter figures to be ranked in the top 10, at worst, and it's not crazy to think that all 10 could be inside of the top five, and certainly the top eight (which is how many All-America spots there are in each weight class). This has the potential to be a record-setting season for the Lions. — Greg Pickel PENN STATE WRESTLING SUPERLATIVES N O V . 2 4 - D E C . 8 Redshirt freshman Josh Barr earned a 11-3 major decision over former Nittany Lion Michael Beard of Lehigh, who was ranked sixth nationally at 197 pounds. PHOTO BY TYLER MANTZ/PENN STATE ATHLETICS