Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547107
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M world champion Masanosuke Ono could be in the mix or could appear one weight up despite his international weight of 57 kilograms, or 125.5 pounds. Sanderson said the program is still trying to get Ono a second year of eligibility. 141 pounds: This is the Nittany Lions' most intriguing weight class. If Blaze stays put and Ono is busy with his na- tional team, at least early on, sophomore Nate Desmond could see action again here. He had a handful of big wins last season as a fill-in at 141 despite starting the season at 125. All-American Braeden Davis was pulled off a redshirt season last year and would have one more year of eligibility if he were asked to sit out this season. There is usually one weight class each season at which final decisions are made late in the year, and this could be that class. 149 pounds: Three-time All-Amer- ican Shayne Van Ness is likely to record his 100th career victory at some point in his senior season. He's seeking to im- prove on two third-place finishes and last year's NCAA runner-up status. 157 pounds: Two-time All-Ameri- can Tyler Kasak is coming off a redshirt season, and while it might be challeng- ing for the junior to hold 157 week after week, this appears to be the best fit for him given the likelihood of PJ Duke and Mitchell Mesenbrink each bumping up a weight class. Kasak encountered con- cussion problems in both college and freestyle competition, but Sanderson said he's healthy. "I think he's good to go," the coach said. "He's looking good and he's really starting to kind of ramp things up and get ready to rock." 165 pounds: Duke, a sophomore who placed third last year after a controversial overtime loss in the NCAA semifinals, said this fall he would do what's best for the team but noted that holding 157 last season was difficult. He's ranked No. 1 at 165 by FloWrestling, ahead of Arizona State's Nicco Ruiz, Purdue's Joey Blaze, Oklahoma State's LaDarion Lockett and Michigan's Cam Catrabone. 174 pounds: Mesenbrink, a two-time NCAA champ and three-time finalist at 165, is on a 54-bout winning streak. Sand- erson said there was "a strong chance" that the senior moves up, even though he'll compete in freestyle at 74 kg, or 163 pounds. Will Henckel provides outstand- ing depth, and Sanderson said "everyone just needs to be ready to compete." 184 pounds: Rocco Welsh is a junior who placed second in 2024 and '26 and is ranked second behind Minnesota's NCAA champ Max McEnelly. State Col- lege High graduate Asher Cunningham, son of assistant coach Casey Cunning- ham, is a strong backup if needed. 197 pounds: Josh Barr roared through his sophomore season with 24 consecu- tive wins and an NCAA title while rack- ing up 23 bonus-point victories. 285 pounds: Cole Mirasola was last season's heavyweight as a redshirt fresh- man, but twin brother Connor could take over that spot. Both are undersized for the weight class but are rugged competi- tors whose strength gives them a chance in every match. "They're both looking at heavyweight right now," Sanderson said. "It's your own brother in the weight with you; it's unique. But they're just very family-ori- ented, family-first. They'll be fine." ■ 2026-27 Wrestling Schedule Date Opponent Time Nov. 12 BLOOMSBURG TBA Nov. 15 at Oklahoma TBA Nov. 22 Black Knight Invite* TBA Nov. 24 FLOWRESTLING ALL-STAR MATCH TBA Dec. 6 at Lehigh TBA Dec. 13 WEST VIRGINIA** TBA Dec. 20 Oregon State^ TBA Dec. 20 Duke^ TBA Dec. 20 Binghamton^ TBA Jan. 9 at Rutgers TBA Jan. 15 MICHIGAN** TBA Jan. 17 MARYLAND TBA Jan. 22 at Michigan State TBA Jan. 24 WISCONSIN TBA Jan. 29 at Minnesota TBA Feb. 5 IOWA** TBA Feb. 12 at Ohio State TBA Feb. 19 NORTHERN COLORADO TBA Mar. 6-7 Big Ten Championships^^ TBA Mar. 18-20 NCAA Championships# TBA * at West Point, N.Y. ** at the Bryce Jordan Center ^ Collegiate Wrestling Duals at Vestal, N.Y. ^^ at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio # at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. Mitchell Mesenbrink is expected to move up to the 174-pound class this season after winning back-to-back titles at 165 the past two years. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS