Penn State wrestling was nothing short of dominant this past weekend at the Big Ten Championships in Evanston, Illinois. Head coach Cael Sanderson and his team solidified their position as a powerhouse in the Big Ten, winning their third straight Big Ten championship and tying the school record with five individual title winners. Now, the Nittany Lions must see if they can continue their dominance as they prepare to compete for the NCAA Championships.  

During a selection show on Wednesday night, the NCAA released all 33 seeds for the 10 weight classes. Penn State has a wrestler featured in every weight class, with no wrestler seeded below the No. 8 seed.  

No. 1 Luke Lilledahl: 125 pounds  

True freshman Luke Lilledahl has a 20-2 record this season after defeating Caleb Smith of Ohio State for a second time this season to claim the title of Big Ten Champion. Lilledahl also upset former No. 1 Matt Ramos of Purdue in the semifinals of the Big Ten Championships. Lilledahl’s only losses this season come from Dean Peterson of Rutgers and Brendan McCrone of Ohio State.  

No. 8 Braedan Davis: 133 pounds  

Sophomore Braedan Davis has a 12-5 record this season. However, Davis did not compete for part of the season due to an injury. Davis competed in the Big Ten Championships, where he placed fourth after facing a tough loss against Dylan Shawver of Rutgers.  

No. 2 Beau Bartlett: 141 pounds  

Beau Bartlett has a 21-1 record this season after facing his first loss against Minnesota’s Vance Vombaur in the semifinals of the Big Ten Championships. Despite placing third in the Big Ten, Bartlett still secured a spot as the No. 2 seed for the NCAA Championships. This is likely because of Bartlett’s defeat over Big Ten Champion Brock Hardy of Nebraska, which came earlier in the regular season.  

No. 3 Shane Van Ness: 149 pounds  

Shane Van Ness has a 20-2 record this season and placed third at the Big Ten Championships. Van Ness’s only losses are to Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett and Illinois’s Kannon Webster.  

No. 1 Tyler Kasak: 157 pounds  

After winning the Big Ten Championships at 157 pounds, Tyler Kasak comes into the NCAA Championships with a 17-1 record. Kasak’s only loss was an injury default to Maryland’s Ethan Miller, where Kasak was placed on concussion protocol. Since his return, Kasak has shown no signs of any further issues and seems ready to go for the National tournament.  

No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink: 165 pounds  

The NCAA runner-up at 165 pounds last season, Mitchell Mesenbrink boasts an impressive 22-0 record this season. Mesenbrink won his second Big Ten title after defeating No. 2 Michael Caliendo of Iowa for a second time this season.  

No. 2 Levi Haines: 174 pounds  

After moving up two weight classes this season, Levi Haines has proven himself at 174 pounds with a 20-1 record. Haines was the national champion last year at 157 pounds and is working to claim his first national title at 174 pounds. Haines’s only loss this season is to No. 1 Keegan O’Toole of Missouri.  

No. 1 Carter Starocci: 184 pounds  

Carter Starocci comes into the NCAA Championships hoping to be the first wrestler ever to win five national championship titles. Despite moving up a weight class for his final season with the Nittany Lions, Starocci is undefeated this season with a 21-0 record. Starocci met up with No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa earlier this year at the NWCA All-Star Classic, where Starocci beat Keckeisen in a 4-1 decision. The two have not gone head-to-head since this match.  

No. 4 Josh Barr: 194 pounds  

After having to forfeit his last match in the Big Ten Championships, Josh Barr is seeded No. 3 for the national championships. Barr has a 16-3 record this season, with two of his losses coming from an injury default and a forfeit in the Big Ten Championships. As of right now, Barr is still expected to wrestle in the National tournament.  

No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet: Heavyweight  

Greg Kerkvliet has an 18-1 record this season, where he faced his first loss in the Big Ten Championships to Minnesota’s Gable Steveson. Kerkvliet is the defending national champion at heavyweight and will have the chance to earn his last national title.

The NCAA Championships will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first session is set to begin at noon on Thursday, March 20.