Penn State’s wrestling team had a strong showing at the Black Knight Invitational held in West Point, New York, on November 23, 2025. The team secured nine individual titles and saw six wrestlers finish as runners-up.
The Nittany Lions entered 20 athletes into the tournament, with 19 placing. According to NCAA rules, matches between teammates do not count as official wins or losses.
True freshman Nate Desmond won the championship at 125 pounds by defeating teammate and top-ranked Luke Lilledahl in the finals with a score of 5-3. Lilledahl finished second after two technical fall victories earlier in the event.
At 133 pounds, Marcus Blaze, ranked No. 14 nationally, captured his title by going undefeated through four matches. His performance included a pin and two technical falls before he defeated Army’s Ethan Berginc with a technical fall in the finals.
Junior Aaron Nagao placed second at 141 pounds after advancing to the finals but defaulting due to injury while leading his match.
Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 1 at 149 pounds, took first place for Penn State after winning all three of his matches—two by pin and one by technical fall—before beating teammate Connor Pierce in the final. Pierce also had three wins en route to his runner-up finish.
Freshman PJ Duke claimed victory at 157 pounds with three first-period pins and a narrow win over teammate Joe Sealey in the finals. Sealey earned his spot in the final with a pin, a technical fall, and a major decision.
Mitchell Mesenbrink, another top-ranked wrestler for Penn State at 165 pounds, won all four of his matches—three by pin and one by technical fall—including a championship bout against Army’s Gunner Filipowicz.
Senior Levi Haines maintained his No. 1 ranking at 174 pounds with three technical falls before winning against teammate William Henckel in the finals. Henckel reached second place after two technical falls of his own.
Sophomore Rocco Welsh earned first place at 184 pounds following two decisive victories before defeating teammate Asher Cunningham by major decision in the final. Cunningham advanced to the final after wins that included an upset over Columbia’s Aaron Ayzerov.
Redshirt freshman Connor Mirasola won at 197 pounds after recording a pin and two technical falls during the tournament, including one over Army’s William Frable in the finals.
At heavyweight (285), redshirt freshman Cole Mirasola took home Penn State’s ninth individual crown with two pins and a win over teammate Lucas Cochran in the semifinals before besting Army’s Brady Colbert for first place. Cochran finished third overall.
Other notable performances included Cael Nasdeo placing fourth at 141; Kyison Garcia taking sixth at 133; Sam Beckett finishing fifth at 165; and Dalton Perry bowing out due to injury after an opening-round win at 149.
Penn State now holds a season record of 1-0 overall (0-0 Big Ten) and will next face Drexel on December 5 before hosting Lehigh on December 7 in Rec Hall.
Fans can follow updates on Penn State Wrestling through X/twitter (@pennstateWREST), Facebook (www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest). The Family Clothesline is serving as presenting sponsor for this season.