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Final X 2025: David Carr sweeps Mitchell Mesenbrink, will rep Team USA at 74 KG

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko06/14/25nickkosko59
USATSI_25523714 (1)
Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

David Carr saw this movie before: Mitchell Mesenbrink toeing the line directly across from him. It was a familiar ending under the brightest lights though.

Carr defeated Mesenbrink 4-3 and 4-4 on criteria in their two matches, sweeping the series at Final X Saturday. The two-time NCAA champion from Iowa State recently lost to Mesenbrink 16-6 at the US Open Finals earlier this year.

But with a World Team spot on the line in 2025, the former Cyclone didn’t disappoint. He beat the 2025 NCAA champion from Penn State in what was described as a heavyweight fight.

“A lot of credit to my coaches and my family, all glory to God,” Carr said clinching the 74 KG spot. Carr added it wasn’t always about results, but how he grew from experiences.

Carr also spoke about training with Jordan Burroughs, the 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, six-time World Champion and two-time NCAA champion from Nebraska. Burroughs called him “special.”

“Jordan Burroughs is one of my mentors,” Carr said. “Being able to train with him for this … it was unbelievable … It’s just a great environment … All I See is Gold Academy, I’ll definitely be back there training for the World Championships.”

These two wrestlers have history as Mesenbrink recently spoke on their budding rivalry. Carr beat Mesenbrink in the 2024 NCAA finals during Carr’s final collegiate campaign.

“I think it taught me a lot about myself and my relationships with the people here,” Mesenbrink said of the loss on Nickals and Dimes. “(After the loss I kept saying) I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it … I actually couldn’t grasp the idea that I had just lost … It was weird, because I felt like I was tricked … Was that what was supposed to happen? And that sounds really weird, but that was like, that’s how my head  wrapped around it … But now there’s not really those questions that are (there) anymore in my brain because I know what that did in the offseason, and has done to me as a man, and just all those things and as a wrestler.”