2026 NCAA Championship Session VI Thread

[Nitlion1986]

If 5th place doesn't qualify for epic collapse, what would? 6th, 7th, 8th?

Plus not only 100 points behind the best team (or program), but 50 points behind the second place team. Which means Ohio State is closer to the 12th or 13th place teams than they are to the runner up team. It used to be they just had to catch out of reach PSU, now they can't even see Penn State and basically are struggling to find a way of catching out of reach OkieSt. To make it worse, Nebraska currently has a superior program (or team).

If not epic we could use catastrophic.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[AgSurfer]

Stanford took #6! Hats off to them. Just a few years ago they tried to cut the program. Someone is looking very foolish tonight.

 

[Nitlion1986]

And yet they were still allowed to compete in the smallest classification with public schools. It’s BS. Bottom line, put all the privates in one classification. Grow a set PIAA.

Sysemic shock will most likely cause me to faint and pop off into an arrhythmia the day the PIAA grows a set, or does what is in the best interests of publicly educated student athletes.

 

[The Pitchfork Rebel]

Sad to hear, when I went to Big Tens, I got 5, 1/2 gallons and my family did not want the Death by Chocolate one. Gave to a neighbor and not sure he wanted it. I would have dropped off for you being a wrestling fan

Sad that they compete for my attention or that I didn't get some?

Doc wants more 5B, less 3B.

 

[The Pitchfork Rebel]

Just spoke with Mikey. I admit to the man crush on a guy who tried to battle Mitchell on his terms. Never hid, and never backed away. Just had the misfortune of timing.

but…that is how life works. He has a lot of hardware and will be better for it!

cheers to Mikey. $10 says MM will miss him.

Just saw that Mesenbrink went to shake hands and Caliendo refused.

 

[Nitlion1986]

After hearing that AJ presser, I'm now truly convinced he did turn his entire life over to Jesus.

I wish he would put someone else in charge. Jesus would be a good, but so far I don't believe Jesus has heard the request to take the wheel.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Connor Pierce appreciation post, from the State Media interviews to just how happy he looks here to be part of the team as support his teammates, seems like a great teammate

I see a beaming Ty Watson standing next to Luke. It is cool as hell that every one of those kids is to made to feel as important, as equal and as special as the 4 champs.

 

[AndEEss]

So...did the attempted choke by Caliendo ever get brought up here? Because that looked...not great.

 

[Nitlion1986]

I am as big of a Penn State fan as anyone on this board, but if you don't see Ok. State as a legitimate contender in the years to come, you are kidding yourself. I believe they just put 4 freshman in the finals. They are going to keep getting better, as well. I agree that they had a dream tournament and still lost by 50, but they are pretty good and I think they are going to be very competitive with us for years to come.

I think they will be a dominant second place team, and in the next 4 years they might even get within 20 once and 30 another.

 

[Efejle]

Sorry but a choke hold used 3 times followed by refusing to shake hands is a bad look. Someone owes someone else an apology.

 

[Nitlion1986]

I just rewatched the matches and in every single one of those matches other than Barr we looked considerably smaller than the opponents. Minto looked like he was 40 pounds heavier than Levi. McGowan looked like a 141 pounder against an old time 118 pound Luke. Cutting weight is overrated

Levi probably weighed 180 tonight, Minto was probably wrestling that match much closer to 190 than 180.

 

[a_mshaffer]

I was 20 when a graduated with my bachelors, of course I wasn’t an athlete, but yeah

a lot of you guys are just smart. It is very common to graduate High School at 18 - or turn 18 that summer...

 

[Nitlion1986]

Did that really happen or is it just a rumor? If it happened, I’ll bet Cael was furious when he heard about it.

It happened.

 

[Hotshoe]

I hear you but a shot clock is an unmitigated disaster as long as finger lacing is legal. 100% guaranteed the refs will put the wrong guy on the clock. And either way, the guy not on the clock will get an automatic cheap 1 pt by lacing fingers.

Agreed. Finger lacing needs to go away as well.

 

[Fredolay]

Excellent point. I understand he has the championship banner from some invitational Duals tournament hanging in Covelli next to the national champion photos of Moore and Pletcher.

Levi probably weighed 180 tonight, Minto was probably wrestling that match much closer to 190 than 180.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Next year ay be competetive, but Penn State will be 30+ point favorites.

Next year PSU still wins by 50.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Add Andonian as a workout partner. He is part of the staff and wrestles with the team in the back

Still not as good a training environment as the one in Stillwater. I would like to see VATech and NCST become perennial top 8 programs with a kid or two wrestling for championships. I don't see it getting there as quickly as I would like.

 

[Psalm 1 guy]

Considering all of the international success Luke has had in his career, I bet this first NCAA title is especially sweet to him.

 

[Nitlion1986]

And Beau Bartlett's wife, Syd, felt the need to reply to Cael's comments:

Still bitter.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Stanford took #6! Hats off to them. Just a few years ago they tried to cut the program. Someone is looking very foolish tonight.

If wrestling does nothing else it teaches that if you fail or get knocked down, get up and go again. Every time! Administrators who cut wrestling are by definition foolish.

 

[Sportfan2017]

Is President Trump making an appearance tonight? He is usually in attendance

Some Oklahoma State fans mentioned they brought their spurs....he immediately got a deferral.

 

[El_Jefe]

I think Caliendo is fully aware he could never match Mitch. I think he and coaches looked at film and thought one way to possibly catch lightening in a bottle was to get that side headlock ifrom top and with God's help somehow get Mitch on his back. It was his ace in the hole even if he knew the chances of it working were slim to none.

Gotta give him some credit for trying something different. What he was doing before wasn't working, and at least he didn't go into finger-grabbing stall mode.

 

[El_Jefe]

Just spoke with Mikey. I admit to the man crush on a guy who tried to battle Mitchell on his terms. Never hid, and never backed away. Just had the misfortune of timing.

but…that is how life works. He has a lot of hardware and will be better for it!

cheers to Mikey. $10 says MM will miss him.

They'll see a lot of each other in freestyle ... but probably not as much as they did in folk.

 

[El_Jefe]

Did that really happen or is it just a rumor? If it happened, I’ll bet Cael was furious when he heard about it.

Not the "in the hallway" part, but yeah, Nicolls did attempt to poach Lilledahl after Luke was enrolled at PSU.

 

[El_Jefe]

I disagree. It's like losing in spring training since an antra squad match doesn't count against your record. Should we start counting wrestle offs as loses?

Desmond was a regular season match. The only reason it didn't count was because the NCAA changed the rules after Kevin Dresser abused the system to get his guys better seeds for nationals during Covid.

 

[El_Jefe]

Caliendo looks like he just wants the photographers to hurry up and get out of there.

Where have we seen that look before?

 

[NJ Lion]

Refs find it more appropriate to give a token stall call in the last 30 secs than to call actual stalling in the first. But they never call the second if it affects the outcome. It’s an appeasement, nothing more.

Refs find it more appropriate to give a token stall call in the last 30 secs than to call actual stalling in the first. But they never call the second if it affects the outcome. It’s an appeasement, nothing more

Angel Rivera did it to RBY in the national finals a few years ago.

 

[WV lion]

And yet they were still allowed to compete in the smallest classification with public schools. It’s BS. Bottom line, put all the privates in one classification. Grow a set PIAA.

And not just wrestling

 

[WV lion]

Don't they drug test everyone before competition?

Way back when I wrestled, all AA were tested and random other wrestlers. Not sure if that is the case anymore.

 

[WV lion]

Last thoughts on Okie St:
There’s not much about Forest not to like. He’s incredible at wrestling and a kid I’d be proud of as a parent

They are going to challenge us. The next few tournaments will be dog fights and likely uncomfortable and exciting. Beating a legitimate opponent has a special satisfaction.

the arms race will reach a new level. Do you think DT is going to hold serve with their low scoring weights?

Cael will reach a new level. Game changed this tournament with counters and ride outs. He’ll figure out the puzzle and redesign his wrestlers yet again

They will close the gap next year, but not be within 30. PSU basically has 2 extra wrestlers with their bonus points machines.

 

[WV lion]

Am I the only one who thinks maybe Barr moves to Heavyweight next year?

You are the only one. He has bigger dreams on the world stage and heavyweight isn't in the plans.

 

[WV lion]

And Beau Bartlett's wife, Syd, felt the need to reply to Cael's comments:

And someone had to slither out from under a rock.

 

[WV lion]

Levi probably weighed 180 tonight, Minto was probably wrestling that match much closer to 190 than 180.

That is probably about right.

 

[Lyons212]

He is one wrestler i don't see holding his weight.

Jax will move up eventually, simple reason, there is no Olympic weight class around 133 and he is too big to make 57 KG (125.4), he will make a run at 65 KG (143) in 2028.

 

[Lyons212]

Great. But, for the first time in several years, this dynasty has some competition. I am not glass half empty, but Oklahoma State is coming. Gonna be fun. Although, I must say, as much as DT was an offense first wrestler, his guys like to slow it down. Is Dake on his staff ( LOL)?

Obviously Okie State is greatly improved and has lots of talent, they did just lose by over 50 points. That includes the hose job of Duke. Reverse the Duke semi and PSU wins by over 60 points. I think Cael will sleep just fine.

 

[Scam likely]

Mitchell Mesenbrink wins the most dominant wrestler award.

Or the no duh award, cal. Baptist let a good one go.lol

 

[BobPSU92]

Agreed. Finger lacing needs to go away as well.

Have these guys wear mittens.

 

[LittleJ]

Caliendo must have nightmares about Messenbrink.

The running comment the rest of his life will be ..but I couldn’t Measinbrink.

 

[Potterlion]

My first post in this thread (I think). Random thoughts, like Bo Nickal, I'm depressed after PSU crowns 4 individual champs and breaks the scoring record again. I'm MOSTLY still pissed about what they did to PJ Duke, but also disappointed for Cole, Braeden, Blaze and especially PJ, not to mention Shayne (who really did get the worst draw in the bracket from a style perspective as far as I'm concerned) and Rocco. Yeah, I know, you can't win 10 individual titles and someone's going to lose, but.....

Oklahoma State had a great tournament and earned a well-deserved second place trophy, BUT, like Nebraska last year, they did get every break that they could have possibly gotten, plus the freebie to Robideau and the hosing to PJ. And Taylor will continue to recruit well and to coach up his team, but count me among those who still think he's 30, 40, 50 or 60 back next year too. I know that we've gotten used to winning nationals by 50, 60 or 80 points (or 100), but that's not how things work in NCAA wrestling typically and most years there's been a horse race, yet PSU is still winning big and I think they'll continue to win fairly comfortably next year too. I'm not comfortable predicting beyond that one-year time because too much can happen in a two-year stretch (season or career ending injuries, transfers in (or out), coaching issues, etc.).

Agree that Caliendo refusing to shake hands afterwards (aside from his tactics in the match) really is a very bad look. He's a competitor and nobody blames him for feeling crushed that he never won a title, but come on, he knew that he'd be wrestling Messenbrink if he could make it to the finals himself and unless he's completely delusional, he had to have known that his chances were slim and none. Given that, buck up the courage and decency to offer your hand, even if the loss still stings and you aren't feeling it. You don't have to be happy about the loss, but Mitchell wasn't being an asshat or trying to rub it in, he was trying to be decent. I think and hope that Caliendo is a decent enough person that in his own way, he'll apologize or make it right. I understand disappointment and I know that he's still young.....

Like some of the others here, I'm not a huge freestyle fan. I do follow it more now than I did 5 years ago, mostly to follow the PSU guys, but at least it's something. We're all getting older and wishing away months or years at a time doesn't work very well anymore, so I look forward to what wrestling is available this summer. Go PSU, fight on state.