The dominance of Penn State wrestling has reached…
The dominance of Penn State wrestling has reached a fever pitch as FloWrestling released its latest **NCAA Division I Pound-for-Pound (P4P) rankings**, featuring a staggering six Nittany Lions in the top 20. Leading the charge is junior powerhouse **Mitchell Mesenbrink**, who has officially ascended to the **No. 1** spot in the nation across all weight classes.
### **The Gold Standard: Mitchell Mesenbrink**
After a historic undefeated season that culminated in a 165-pound national title, Mesenbrink has become the face of collegiate wrestling. Known for his relentless “leg-attack machine” style, he recently captured gold at the **2025 U23 World Championships**. Currently boasting a 42-bout win streak, Mesenbrink is the frontrunner for the **Hodge Trophy**, widening his lead over Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez.
### **A Lineup of Titans**
The rankings reflect a Penn State roster that is arguably the most talent-dense in the history of the sport under head coach **Cael Sanderson**:
* **No. 3 Levi Haines (174 lbs):** The senior and former national champion continues his reign of dominance, allowing only two takedowns all season while racking up technical falls with surgical precision.
* **No. 7 Shayne Van Ness (149 lbs):** After returning from injury, Van Ness has been a “bonus-point machine,” recently dismantling ranked opponents with high-scoring technical falls that highlight his unmatched gas tank.
* **No. 9 Josh Barr (197 lbs):** The sophomore has surged into the top 10 after a perfect start to the season, delivering bonus points in every single victory this year.
* **No. 15 Rocco Welsh (184 lbs):** The Ohio State transfer has proven to be a vital addition, recently toppling former No. 1 Angelo Ferrari to claim the top spot in his weight class.
* **No. 17 Luke Lilledahl (125 lbs):** Only a sophomore, Lilledahl has taken over the No. 1 individual ranking at 125 pounds following a string of dominant victories against top-five opponents.
—
### **Clinching the Big Ten Title**
This individual success has translated into team glory. Just days ago, in front of a record-breaking crowd of **16,006 fans** at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State dismantled No. 2 Ohio State with a **36-5 rout**. The victory secured Penn State’s **sixth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title** and the 12th under Sanderson.
### **What’s Next?**
With the regular season finale against Princeton scheduled for February 20 at Rec Hall, the Nittany Lions are shifting their focus to the **postseason**. The Big Ten Championships are set to begin on **March 7**, where Penn State will look to crown multiple individual champions and solidify their status as the heavy favorites for another NCAA team title.
> “It’s just about constantly getting better, technically and emotionally,” Mesenbrink said following his recent international gold. For the rest of the NCAA, that “getting better” represents a terrifying prospect.
