Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
4 0 A P R I L 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 C oaches get older. Wrestlers get older. Fans get older. Winning, however, is ageless. How 16 years have passed since Cael Sanderson took over Penn State's wrestling program is beyond comprehen- sion. What he's done in those 16 years is priceless. The most recent additions to the bur- geoning Penn State history book from the Sanderson era are a 12th NCAA team title, including four in a row; a record for most points scored at the NCAA Tournament (177); having an entire 10-man team be- come All-Americans, a feat that's now occurred twice since 1928; and crowning two NCAA champions — five-time win- ner Carter Starocci at 184, the tourna- ment's Outstanding Wrestler, and red- shirt sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165. Equally impressive Penn State numbers from the event at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia March 20-22 are a three-day record of 49-10, including 11-2 in Satur- day's consolation rounds that positioned the Nittany Lions to break their own 2024 scoring mark of 172.5. Twenty-four of the 49 wins earned bonus points. "It's been a great year," Sanderson said in Philadelphia. "Just a lot of fun people to work with … obviously the team, our staff, just from top to bottom. We're just constantly thinking ahead, and every- thing is preparation for the next thing. We don't really stop and reflect a whole lot. We're learning as we go, and we'll con- tinue to do that. That's the name of the game." Fast Start The Lions brought their A game on the first day of the NCAAs, going a perfect 10-0 in the first and second rounds and becoming just the third team ever to place seven of its 10 wrestlers in the semifinals. True freshman Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds) and sophomore Tyler Kasak (157), both No. 1 seeds, lost painfully close matches in the quarterfinals, while super senior Beau Bartlett (141) and junior Levi Haines (174) were handed narrow losses in the semifinals by eventual champions. Starocci, Mesenbrink and redshirt freshman Josh Barr (197) advanced to the finals, with Barr the lone runner-up, while Lilledahl, Bartlett, redshirt sopho- more Shayne Van Ness, Kasak and Haines each placed third. Bartlett's consolation final victory was his 100th career win. WRESTLING Alone At The Top Alone At The Top Penn State smashes records on its way to the 12th NCAA team championship of the Cael Sanderson coaching era J I M CA R L S O N | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I B U T O R Carter Starocci's 4-3 victory over Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen in the 184-pound final was one of the highlights of Penn State's 13th NCAA championship. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS