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Where are Penn State wrestlers in the first NCAA coaches' rankings for the 2025 season?

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel01/23/25GregPickel
Tyler Kasak gets a fall against Michigan State’s Braden Stauffenberg (3:46). Penn State wrestling would roll the visiting Michigan State Spartans 55-0 on Friday Jan. 10, 2025 at Rec Hall. (Photo/Caleb Craig)
Tyler Kasak gets a fall against Michigan State’s Braden Stauffenberg (3:46). Penn State wrestling would roll the visiting Michigan State Spartans 55-0 on Friday Jan. 10, 2025 at Rec Hall. (Photo courtesy of Caleb Craig/Penn State Athletics)

Penn State wrestling is represented across all 10 weight classes, and holds the first spot in four of them, in the initial NCAA coaches’ rankings for the 2025 championships. The first set is not an end-all, be-all. But, it does play a role in the eventual selection of at-large bids and then tournament seeding at nationals. This year’s NCAA Tournament is at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia March 20-22.

Four-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci is No. 1 at 184 pounds. He is 11-0 in his new weight class after bumping up from 174 pounds. The other Nittany Lions on the first-seed line are Tyler Kasak at 157 pounds, Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165 pounds, and Greg Kerkvliet at heavyweight. Starocci and Mesenbrink are both No. 1 according to InterMat, as well. Kasak is No. 3 and Kerkvliet No. 2 in the InterMat rankings. But, both are No. 1 in the coaches’ rankings. That’s because those ahead of them at InterMat do not have enough matches to qualify for the coaches’ rankings.

More: Cael Sanderson reiterates stance on potentially adding an NCAA dual meet championship; talks Nebraska and more

“The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 16 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the eight conferences,” the NCAA writes in a news release. “For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.

“The coaches’ ranking is one of several criteria that will be evaluated by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee during the at-large selection and seeding process along with head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents and win percentage.”

Here’s a full rundown of where each Penn State wrestler is in the first coaches’ rankings. The next update will come later this year.

125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl, No. 4

133 pounds: Braeden Davis, tied for No. 7

141 pounds: Beau Bartlett, No. 2

149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness, No. 4

157 pounds: Tyler Kasak, No. 1

165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink, No. 1

174 pounds: Levi Haines, No. 2

184 pounds: Carter Starocci, No. 1

197 pounds: Josh Barr, No. 4

285 pounds: Greg Kerkvliet, No. 1

You can watch this week’s Penn State wrestling show in the video player below and also on YouTube. Or, you can listen at your favorite destinations for audio like SPOTIFY and APPLE.

Penn State returns to the mat Friday night at Rutgers. The match starts at 8 p.m. ET. Big Ten Network will televise it. The Nittany Lions seek their 65th consecutive dual meet victory. They are a heavy favorite to earn it. BWI will have live coverage as the meet unfolds in Piscataway, N.J. It is head coach Cael Sanderson’s team’s penultimate match of January. It closes out the month next Friday night at the BJC when Iowa comes to State College. That match starts at 7 p.m. ET. And, it will also air on Big Ten Network.

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