UNIVERSITY PARK – Seven Penn State Wrestlers will take part in the United World Wrestling U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, beginning on Friday, Oct. 24, and running through Monday, Oct. 27. The United States U23 World Team features ten wrestlers, seven of whom are current Nittany Lions.

The U23 World Championships officially begin on Monday, Oct. 20, with Greco Roman competition, continue midweek with women’s freestyle wrestling and conclude with men’s freestyle starting on Friday, Oct. 24.

Two-time All-American and 2025 NCAA Champion Mitchell Mesenbrink and All-American and 2025 National Runner-Up Josh Barr will be the first Penn Staters to compete in Serbia. Mesenbrink (74 kg) and Barr (92 kg) will wrestle on Friday and Saturday.

Three-time All-American and 2024 NCAA Champion Levi Haines, 2025 All-American Luke Lilledahl and true freshman PJ Duke will compete next for Penn State. Haines (79 kg), Lilledahl (57 kg) and Duke (70 kg) will wrestle on Saturday and Sunday.

All-American and 2024 National Runner-Up Rocco Welsh and true freshman Marcus Blaze will be the final Nittany Lions to wrestle at the event. Welsh (92 kg) and Blaze (65 kg) will wrestle on Sunday and Monday.

Penn State and the Penn State Olympic Regional Training Center have had a very successful freestyle season to date with seven already winning world medals at the Senior World and U20 World Championships, six of whom are current Lions. Haines won Silver at Senior Worlds while RTC wrestler Kyle Snyder won Gold. Blaze and Duke already won U20 Gold while William Henckel won U20 Silver and Connor and Cole Mirasola won U20 Bronze.

The 2025-26 NCAA season begins for Penn State on Friday, Nov. 14, when the Nittany Lions host Oklahoma in the Bryce Jordan Center.