Penn State Wins Fourth Straight NCAA Wrestling Championship

PHILADELPHIA - Penn State won the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, capturing the 12th NCAA wrestling title in school history and fourth straight. The Nittany Lions’ national championship marked the 18th straight year that a Big Ten school has claimed the NCAA Championship.

Penn State won the team title with 177 points, while Nebraska took second with 117 points for the best finish in program history. Iowa was fourth with 81 points, Minnesota and Ohio State tied for fifth with 51.5 points each and Illinois finished 10th with 44.5 points. Penn State’s 177 points set a new NCAA record, breaking the previous mark of 172.5 set by the Nittany Lions last year.

Seven Big Ten wrestlers claimed individual titles at the NCAA Championships. Illinois’ Lucas Byrd earned the program’s first NCAA title since 2016, taking home the crown at 133 pounds, while Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan captured the 197-pound title.

Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett defeated the reigning 149-pound champion to claim his first NCAA title, while teammate Antrell Taylor took home the 157-pound title to give the Huskers a pair of national champions for the first time since 1984. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez successfully defended his title at 141 pounds.

Nittany Lions’ Mitchell Mesenbrink earned his first national championship at 165 pounds, while Carter Starocci became the first ever five-time national champion with the 184-pound crown.

Thirty-seven Big Ten wrestlers earned All-America honors. The full list of Big Ten All-Americans, along with their weight class can be found below.

2024-25 ALL-AMERICANS

Caleb Smith, Nebraska, 125

Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125

Matt Ramos, Purdue, 125

Lucas Byrd, Illinois, 133

Drake Ayala, Iowa, 133

Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska, 133

Braeden Davis, Penn State, 133

Zan Fugitt, Wisconsin, 133

Vance VomBaur, Minnesota, 141

Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141

Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141

Beau Bartlett, Penn State, 141

Ridge Lovett, Nebraska, 149

Dylan D’Emilio, Ohio State, 149

Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 149

Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 157

Trevor Chumbley, Northwestern, 157

Tyler Kasak, Penn State, 157

Joey Blaze, Purdue, 157

Mike Caliendo, Iowa, 165

Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 165

Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 165

Patrick Kennedy, Iowa, 174

Levi Haines, Penn State, 174

Donnell Washington, Indiana, 184

Jaxon Smith, Maryland, 184

Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184

Silas Allred, Nebraska, 184

Carter Starocci, Penn State, 184

Stephen Buchanan, Iowa, 197

Jacob Cardenas, Michigan, 197

Camden McDanel, Nebraska, 197

Josh Barr, Penn State, 197

Ben Kueter, Iowa, 285

Joshua Heindselman, Michigan, 285

Gable Steveson, Minnesota, 285

Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State, 285