They just win, folks.

Penn State continued its momentum into Session IV of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on Friday night, sending six wrestlers to the championship finals, tying its own NCAA record set in 2024.

The Nittany Lions boasted a 17-0 takedown advantage and outscored their opponents 83-18. They lead the team race with 153 points, a 41.5-point advantage over second-place Oklahoma State.

Highlighting the round were technical fall victories from Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Levi Haines.

How It Happened

125 Pounds

Up first, No. 1 Luke Lilledahl faced off against Oklahoma State’s No. 5-seeded and last year’s national runner-up Troy Spratley at 125 pounds. Lilledahl was first to score with a quick takedown in the first minute. The Nittany Lion scored a second takedown in the final minute of the first, earning two additional near-fall points to extend his lead to 8-1 with 45 seconds remaining. Spratley escaped before the end of the first to cut the deficit to six.

Spratley escaped from bottom position to start the second, but no other points were scored before the buzzer. Lilledahl elected to start in neutral position for the third period, where he kept the Cowboy at bay to seal the 8-3 decision win.

133 Pounds

Next, No. 3 Marcus Blaze battled a familiar foe in No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State at 133 pounds. The two remained in neutral position for the entirety of the first period. Davino escaped after 15 seconds to start the second period. Both wrestlers engaged in a scramble situation, sparked by a deep single-leg attempt from Blaze. Despite this, no points were scored, sending the match to the third period with Davino up 1-0. Blaze escaped quickly in the third to tie the matchup 1-1. The Nittany Lion forced a stall warning before the match went to sudden victory.

The Buckeye got in deep with a shot, but after a lengthy review, the referees deemed it not a takedown, sending the match to the rideouts. Davino escaped from bottom position after 21 seconds to take the lead 2-1. The Buckeye then held the Nittany Lion down for the entirety of the second rideout period to pick up the win. Blaze now drops into the consolation semifinals in Session V.

149 Pounds

At 149 pounds, No. 1 Shayne Van Ness took on No. 20 Chance Lamer of Nebraska. The Nittany Lion jumped up to a 3-0 lead with a takedown within the first minute of the match. Van Ness escaped instantly and took the Cornhusker down for the second time to start the second period. The Nittany Lion locked up a cradle for his third takedown, securing four near-fall points to up his lead to 14-1 with minimal time left in the second. After the restart, the Nittany Lion scored another takedown to get the 22-1 technical fall.

157 Pounds

No. 1 PJ Duke wrestled No. 5 Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State at 157 pounds. The two wrestlers remained in neutral position for the entirety of the first period. Robideau escaped eight seconds into the second, but no other points were scored. Duke escaped, but again was kept at bay, sending the two to sudden victory.

After multiple scrambles that resulted in no points, the two wrestlers went to the rideout periods. Robideau reversed the Nittany Lion off the whistle to take the lead 3-1. The Nittany Lion was unable to mount a comeback, dropping him to the consolation semifinals.

165 Pounds

Next, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink battled Columbia’s No. 12-seeded Cesar Alvan at 165 pounds. Mesenbrink got to his offense in the first, putting the Lion to his back with a takedown and getting four near-fall points before the buzzer. Mesenbrink escaped and hit his second takedown to extend his lead to 11-0. The Nittany Lion turned Alvan over once more to get the 15-0 technical fall to advance to the championship finals.

174 Pounds

Penn State’s lone senior and No. 1-seeded Levi Haines faced off against No. 5 Patrick Kennedy of Iowa at 174 pounds. The Nittany Lion held a 3-0 lead going into the second after securing a takedown in the waning seconds of the first. Haines escaped and secured his second takedown of the match. The Nittany Lion secured a third and fourth takedown with near-fall points in the final frame to win an 18-3 technical fall.

184 Pounds

At 184 pounds, No. 1 Rocco Welsh took on No. 5 Brock Mantanona of Michigan. The first points came from Mantanona’s escape seven seconds into the second period. Welsh was close to scoring a takedown near the end of the second frame, but was unsuccessful. The Nittany Lion escaped to start the third. Welsh then claimed his first takedown to take the lead midway through the final period. Mantanona escaped and was awarded a stall point, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. Welsh now moves into his second NCAA finals on the back of a 4-3 decision.

197 Pounds

In the final semifinal of the night for Penn State, No. 1 Josh Barr wrestled No. 5 Joey Novak of Wyoming at 197 pounds. The Nittany Lion was first to attack, claiming a takedown in the first minute of the bout. Novak reversed Barr, but the Nittany Lion scored his second takedown of the period. Novak escaped but was taken down for a third time to go down 10-3 after two periods. Barr scored once more to seal the 14-3 major decision victory.

What’s Next?

Penn State wrestling will be back in action tomorrow at 11 a.m. for the remainder of the consolation bracket, broadcast on ESPNU. The finalists will be in the final session at 6:30 p.m., which will be available on ESPN. Both sessions are also available on ESPN+.