The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will have seven wrestlers seeded No. 1 at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which are scheduled for March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team, led by head coach Cael Sanderson, has qualified all ten of its wrestlers for the national tournament.
This achievement follows Penn State’s recent victories in both the Big Ten Championship and the Big Ten Regular Season title. It marks the thirteenth time during Sanderson’s tenure that nine or more competitors from Penn State have qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Among those earning top seeds are sophomore Luke Lilledahl at 125 pounds, junior Shayne Van Ness at 149 pounds, true freshman PJ Duke at 157 pounds, junior Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165 pounds, senior Levi Haines at 174 pounds, sophomore Rocco Welsh at 184 pounds, and sophomore Josh Barr at 197 pounds. Each wrestler enters the tournament with strong records against their respective fields and notable performances in previous championships. For example, Lilledahl is undefeated this season and a returning All-American; Van Ness is a two-time All-American; Haines is a three-time All-American and former NCAA champion.
Other qualifiers include true freshman Marcus Blaze (No. 3 seed at 133), junior Braeden Davis (No. 14 seed at 141), and redshirt freshman Cole Mirasola (No. 9 seed at heavyweight). Several of these athletes are making their first appearance on the national stage while others bring experience as returning All-Americans or finalists.
The championships will be held over three days in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena with sessions beginning Thursday afternoon and concluding Saturday evening. Penn State aims to secure its thirteenth NCAA championship under Sanderson and fourteenth overall after winning the last four consecutive team titles.
Fans can follow updates on social media platforms including X/twitter (@pennstateWREST), Facebook (www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest). The Family Clothesline serves as presenting sponsor for the current season.