Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535618
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 5 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club had a successful championship round at the U.S. World Team Trials on May 17 in Lou- isville, Ky. The winners now join rising sophomore Luke Lilledahl and redshirt junior Mitchell Mesenbrink at Final X next month in New Jersey. It's there that the U.S. Senior World Team will be set. Lilledahl and Mesenbrink are in the 57- and 74-kilogram finals, respectively. They will need to win two out of three matches to make the World team. Lille- dahl faces Iowa great Spencer Lee, a three-time NCAA champ and Olympic silver medalist, while Mesenbrink is op- posite former Iowa State star David Carr. As for who is joining them, incoming Penn State freshman PJ Duke will face Yianni Diakomihalis in the 70-kg match at Final X after knocking out three-time Virginia Tech All-American Bryce Ando- nian, 4-1, at the team trials. Duke also beat two NCAA champions en route to the final round. In the quar- terfinals, he rallied in the final minute for a 9-6 win over Nebraska's Antrell Taylor, the 157-pound national champ this past March. Then in the semifinals, Duke earned a 3-2 victory over another Cornhusker, Ridge Lovett, this year's 149-pound champ. Penn State senior Levi Haines rolled to a 10-2 win over Oklahoma State's Dean Hamiti in the 79-kg finals and will face Evan Wick of Cal Poly at Final X. Haines had takedowns in the first and second periods to overcome Hamiti, the wres- tler who had defeated him, 4-2, in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in March. Nittany Lion Wresting Club member Kyle Dake earned a controversial 3-3 win on criteria over five-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci to earn his spot at Fi- nal X opposite Zahid Valencia at 86 kg. Starocci was awarded a late takedown for the win, but it was overturned on replay review. Also, Penn State redshirt sophomore Josh Barr is on to Final X after beating Aeoden Sinclair, 7-3, to earn a Final X matchup with former NC State standout Trent Hidlay at 92 kg. Barr poured it on late with a 4-point throw and takedown. Incoming freshman Marcus Blaze placed third in the 65-kg class, defeating Oklahoma State's Carter Young, 4-0, in the consolation final. The Final X tournament will take place June 14 at the Prudential Center in New- ark, N.J. Starocci Saluted As Top Collegiate Wrestler Carter Starocci earned one final col- legiate accolade before moving on to the next phase of his competitive career. On May 7, he was named Open Mat's 2025 Division I Wrestler of the Year. Starocci went 26-0 in his final sea- son, with 22 of those wins yielding bo- nus points. He wrapped up his Penn State career by defeating Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen, 4-3, in the 184-pound final at the NCAA Tourna- ment. It marked his first championship in that weight class after four first- place showings at 174 pounds. Starocci was eligible to compete this past season because of the bonus year of eligibility that was granted to athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He's the first five-time NCAA champ, and while there's been some WRESTLING NITTANY LIONS SHINE AT U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Levi Haines avenged his 4-2 loss to Dean Hamiti at the NCAA Tournament, rolling to a 10-2 victory over the Oklahoma State wrestler at the U.S. World Team Trials. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS