Penn State wrestling beats Iowa's all-time NCAA Championship scoring record; here's where they finished
Penn State wrestling put an exclamation point on its prolific 2023-2024 season by breaking the all-time points record at a single NCAA Championships. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team crowned four national champions, had two second place finishers, one who finished third, another who finished fifth, and 10 scoring competitors overall to finish with 172.5 team points. It broke the previous record of 170 points, which Iowa scored in 1997 and beat this year’s runner-up, Cornell, by exactly 100 points.
Sanderson’s team won the team title, of course, for the third consecutive year. And, the record was broken by Aaron Brooks in his final match as a Lion. He won the 197-pound title to push the Lions over the edge and become the seventh four-time NCAA champion ever after teammate Carter Starocci became the sixth two bouts earlier at 174 pounds. Senior Greg Kerkvliet also won a title at heavyweight as did sophomore Levi Haines at 157 pounds. Senior Beau Bartlett finished second at 141 and Mitchell Mesenbrink is the 165-pound runner-up. Freshman Tyler Kasak was third at 149. Graduate senior Bernie Truax was fifth at 184. And, freshman Braeden Davis and redshirt sophomore Aaron Nagao did not place.
Eight of the Nittany Lions’ 10th participants scored double-digit points in the team race, and five of them put up at least 20 points themselves. This culminates in one of the most impressive tournament performances in the sport’s storied histories and makes this team one of, if not the greatest, ever. Based on its perfect dual meet record and Big Ten tournament performance before nationals, we’ll side with the latter.
Penn State has eight All-Americans
The Nittany Lions have eight All-Americans. Besides Kerkvliet and the other finalists, freshman Tyler Kasak earned that status at 149 pounds, where he ultimately finished third. Graduate senior Bernie Truax did so while finishing fifth at 184 pounds. Only two Nittany Lions were eliminated before the top eight was established, as 125-pound freshman Braeden Davis and 133-pound redshirt sophomore Aaron Nagao lost in the Round of 12. Here is how each Nittany Lion has performed so far at nationals, courtesy of Penn State Athletics:
25: #1 Braeden Davis, Fr., Belleville, Mich./Dundee
Rd. 1: #33 Tristan Lujan, Michigan State – W, 8-1 dec.
Rd. 2: #17 Brett Ungar, Cornell – W, 2-1 dec.
Qtr: #8 Richard Figueroa, Arizona State – L, 2-3 dec.
Cn. 4: #5 Jore Volk, Wyoming – L, 1-4 (sv) dec
133: #10 Aaron Nagao, So., La Habra, Calif./Esperanza
Rd. 1: #23 Marlon Yarbrough, Virginia – L, 5-13 maj. dec.
Cn. 1: #26 Kade Moore, Missouri – W, 16-1 (TF; 5:00)
Consolation bracket. 2: #24 Julian Chlebove, Arizona State – W, 5-1 dec.
Cn. 3: #16 Nick Bouzakis, Ohio State – W, 3-0 dec.
Cn. 4: #3 Kai Orine, North Carolina State – L, 4-11 dec.
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141: #2 Beau Bartlett, Sr., Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
Rd. 1: #31 Kal Miller, Maryland – W, 6-1 dec.
Rd. 2: #15 Mitch Moore, Rutgers – WBF (5:49)
Qtr: #26 Vance Vombaur, Minnesota – WBF (6:48)
Semi: #6 Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina – W, 5-1 dec.
Finals: #1 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State – L, 4-1 dec.
149: #7 Tyler Kasak, Fr., Doylestown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic
Rd. 1: #26 Jaden Abas, Stanford – L, 2-4 dec.
Consolation bracket. 1: #23 Drew Roberts, Minnesota – W, 14-5 maj. dec.
Cn. 2: #9 Ethan Fernandez, Cornell – WBF (0:36)
Cn. 3: #17 Graham Rooks, Indiana – W, 13-1 maj. dec.
Consolation bracket 4: #3 Jackson Arrington, North Carolina State – W, 5-4 dec.
Cn. 5: #11 Quinn Kinner, Rider – W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Cn. Semi: #1 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska – W, 10-1 maj. dec.
3rd: #5 Ty Watters, West Virginia – W, 3-2 dec.
More: Penn State wrestler Tyler Kasak takes third while Bernie Truax grabs fifth at NCAAs
157: #1 Levi Haines, So., Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville —
Rd. 1: #32 Isaac Wilcox, Ohio State – W, 17-2 (TF; 7:00)
Rd. 2: #16 Teague Travis, Oklahoma State – W, 19-4 (TF; 6:41)
Qtr: #8 Peyton Robb, Nebraska – W, 8-0 maj. dec.
Semi: #12 Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech – WBF (7:48; SV)
Finals: #2 Jacori Teemer, Arizona State – W, 5-0 dec.
165: #2 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Fr., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead
Rd. 1: #31 Maxx Mayfield, Northwestern – W, 18-2 (TF; 5:32)
Rd. 2: #15 Brevin Cassella, Binghamton – W, 11-3 maj. dec.
Qtr: #10 Cameron Amine, Michigan – W, 6-1 dec.
Semi: #6 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa – W, 17-9 maj. dec.
Finals: #4 David Carr, Iowa State – L, 9-8 dec.
174: #9 Carter Starocci, Sr., Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep
Rd. 1: #24 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota – W, 12-6 dec.
Rd. 2: #8 Adam Kemp, Cal Poly – W, 5-3 dec.
Qtr: #1 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech – W, 4-0 dec.
Semi: #4 Shane Griffith, Michigan – W, 2-0 dec.
Finals: #6 Rocco Welsh, Ohio State – W, 2-0 dec.
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184: #6 Bernie Truax, Gr., Oceanside, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista
Rd. 1: #27 Cameron Pine, Clarion – W, 18-3 (TF; 5:09)
Rd. 2: #11 Colton Hawks, Missouri – W, 4-2 dec.
Qtr: #3 Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State – L, 6-16 maj. dec.
Consolation bracket 4: #10 Dylan Fishback, North Carolina State – W, 5-0 dec.
Cn. 5: #7 Thomas Stewart Jr., Virginia Tech – W, 5-1 dec.
Cn. Semi: #4 Trey Munoz, Oregon State – LBF (2:29)
5th: #2 Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota – W, 12-0 maj. dec.
197: #1 Aaron Brooks, Sr+., Hagerstown, Pa./North Hagerstown
Rd. 1: #33 Evan Bates, Northwestern – W, 18-4 (TF; 5:24)
Rd. 2: #17 Joseph Novak, Wyoming – WBF (2:20)
Qtr: #8 Stephen Buchanan, Oklahoma – WBF (2:44)
Semi: #12 Rocky Elam, Missouri – W, 17-2 (TF; 5:45)
Finals: #2 Trent Hidlay, North Carolina State – W, 6-1 dec.
285: #1 Greg Kerkvliet, Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley
Rd. 1: #32 Nick Willham, Indiana – W, 19-3 (TF; 5:16)
Rd. 2: #17 Grady Griess, Navy – W, 9-1 maj. dec.
Qtr: #9 Nick Feldman, Ohio State – W, 1-0 dec.
Semi: #4 Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State – W, 8-1 dec.
Finals: #10 Lucas Davison, Michigan – W, 13-4, maj. dec
