UNIVERSITY PARK – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (14-0, 8-0 B1G) routed visiting Ohio State (17-1, 6-1 B1G) 36-5 in the Bryce Jordan Center Friday night in the Big Ten dual meet finale for head coach Cael Sanderson’s squad. The win clinched the 2026 Big Ten Regular Season Championship for the Nittany Lions in front of 16,006 fans, a new NCAA and Penn State wrestling indoor attendance record.

This year’s regular season championship is the sixth straight for Penn State and the 12th overall (all since Sanderson’s arrival as head coach for the 2009-10 season). Penn State also capped off its 11th unbeaten/untied Big Ten regular season in school history. The new attendance record of 16,006 breaks the old mark of 15,998, also held by Penn State on three different occasions (the latest was last year vs. Iowa on Jan. 31, 2025). Penn State and the BJC are now the site of every top ten indoor attendance mark in NCAA history. The Nittany Lion line-up in tonight’s dual meet featured six underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores).

The dual began at 125. Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 1 at 125, battled No. 2 Nic Bouzakis through regulation, ending in a 1-1 tie. Lilledahl then turned a single into a scramble and a winning takedown in the extra period, posting the 4-1 (sv) win. True freshman Marcus Blaze, ranked No. 4 at 133, also went to extra time against No. 2 Ben Davino. After a 1-1 tie through regulation and sudden victory and a Davino escape in the tie-breaker, Blaze used a reversal to post a thrilling 3-2 (tb) win.

Junior Braeden Davis, ranked No. 12 at 141, lost a tough 18-2 (TF; 5:49) to No. 1 Jesse Mendez, cutting Penn State’s lead to 6-5. Junior Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 1 at 149, answered that result with a tech fall of his own. Van Ness tallied six takedowns in a 20-5 tech fall (6:17) over Brogan Fielding. True freshman PJ Duke, ranked No. 4 at 157, capped off an outstanding first half for Penn State with the dual’s first fall. Duke, leading big in the second period, took Maddox Shaw down and to his back early in the second period for the pin at 3:28. Penn State led 17-5 at halftime.

Junior Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, dominated No. 16 Paddy Gallagher to start the second half. Mesenbrink used three takedowns, an escape, stall points and 3:43 in riding time to roll to a 12-2 major decision. Senior Levi Haines, ranked No. 1 at 174, continued the Nittany Lion bonus point parade. Haines rolled up three takedowns and two nearfall turns to post a 16-1 tech fall at 4:16 to put Penn State up 26-5.

Sophomore Rocco Welsh, ranked No. 1 at 184, gave up an early takedown to No. 8 Dylan Fishback and fell behind 4-0 in the second. But the Lion sophomore battled his way back, using a furious third period and a last second takedown to post the thrilling 7-6 win. Sophomore Josh Barr, ranked No. 1 at 197, picked up yet another bonus point win for Penn State. Barr dominated No. 10 Luke Geog, posting the convincing 11-2 major decision to put Penn State up 33-5. Redshirt freshman Cole Mirasola, ranked No. 12 at 285, closed out the Championship clinching night with a thrilling sudden victory win over No. 3 Nick Feldman. Mirasola battled Feldman to a 1-1 tie in regulation and then ended the night with a takedown in extra time, winning 4-1 (sv). Mirasola’s victory put the exclamation point on Penn State’s 36-5 win.

The Nittany Lions dominated the dual, posting a 25-5 margin in takedowns and winning nine of ten bouts. Five of Penn State’s nine wins were for bonus as the Nittany Lions tallied nine bonus points off one pin (Duke), two tech falls (Van Ness, Haines), and two majors (Mesenbrink, Barr).

The Nittany Lions improve to 14-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big Ten. Ohio State falls to 17-1, 6-1 B1G. Penn State closes out the dual meet season next weekend with a non-conference battle against Princeton. The Nittany Lions host the Tigers on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.