This is for all the marbles, folks.

After clinching its 12th national championship in the last 14 years, Penn State wrestling will send three wrestlers — Mitchell Mesenbrink, Carter Starocci, and Josh Barr — into the finals at the NCAA Championships for a shot at an individual title.

Barr and Mesenbrink will be working to win their first national championship, while Starocci has his eyes set on a record-breaking fifth title.

Here’s how your three Nittany Lions finals matchups break down.

165 Pounds. – No. 1 Mesenbrink vs. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)

In the last two seasons, Mesenbrink is a perfect 5-0 against Caliendo, winning with bonus points three times. This year, Mesenbrink beat the Hawkeye via a 19-4 tech fall in their regular season dual, and once again via a 4-1 decision in the 2025 Big Ten Championships final.

While the series may seem one-sided, this year’s matchups as well as Caliendo’s run through the national tournament show that his game may be trending in the right direction. However, Mesenbrink has always seemed to have Caliendo figured out in every facet of their bouts, favoring the Nittany Lion on his quest for his first national title.

184 Pounds – No. 1 Starocci vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

To certain fans’ pleasure and others’ dismay, Starocci vs. Keckeisen will be the first bout of the night.

Ever since Starocci made his decision to move up to the 184-pound weight class for his final season, the pair of hammers have been on a collision course headed toward this very moment. At stake is back-to-back national titles for Keckeisen in the weight class, and an unheard-of fifth national title for Starocci, something never seen before in Division I wrestling.

The two wrestlers have only competed against each other once in their careers during an exhibition bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic earlier this season. In a tight match, Starocci took the 4-1 decision victory in sudden victory.

Given that Starocci has now had a full season to adjust and perfect his performance in his new weight class, Keckeisen could be facing an even harder challenge than he did in their previous bout. However, all indications point to this match being extremely close, to many, representing the bout of the night and a shot at history for the Nittany Lion.

197 Pounds – No. 4 Barr vs. No. 2 Stephen Buchanan (Iowa)

In the second to last bout of the night, Barr will match up against Buchanan.

In their first and only bout of the season, Buchanan defeated Barr via a 4-1 decision in their team’s respective dual meet. Two injury defaults at the Big Ten Championships from Barr prevented what most expected to be yet another matchup between the two powerhouses.

While the pair only wrestled one time, it is worth noting that the Hawkeye’s only loss on the year came at the hands of No. 1 Jacob Cardenas of Michigan in the Big Ten Championships final. On the other hand, Barr is 2-1 against Cardenas this year, beating the Wolverine in the semifinals at the national tournament via a 5-3 decision last night.

While the head-to-head matchup may lean toward Buchanon, Barr’s success against Cardenas and Buchanon’s lack thereof may tell the Nittany Lion exactly what he needs to do to get the job done to win his first title.

How To Watch

Mesenbrink, Starocci, and Barr will close out the weekend for the Nittany Lions when they compete for national titles in session VI of the NCAA Championships. The session will begin at 7 p.m. with Starocci wrestling first. The session will be broadcast on ESPN.