Where are the Penn State wrestlers seeded at NCAAs, and who does each Lion face first?
The brackets are set for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Penn State will take 10 competitors to the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., next week for the three-day event that starts with first round action on Thursday and ends with the finals on Saturday night. The full field was announced on Tuesday and seeds were announced on Wednesday night. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s top-ranked team has numerous No. 1s across the weight classes. It aims to both win a national team title, crown as many individual champs as possible, and have all participants hit the All-American podium.
Below, we’ve compiled each wrestler’s seed and also who he will face to start his tournament.
Penn State wrestlers’ seeds at NCAAs
125 pounds: Big Ten champ and Penn State freshman Braeden Davis is the No. 1 seed.
133 pounds: First-year Nittany Lion Aaron Nagao, who finished third at Big Tens, is the No. 10 seed at nationals. Dalton Fix of Oklahoma State is No. 1.
141 pounds: Senior Beau Bartlett, the runner-up at this year’s conference tournament, is No. 2 at NCAAs. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, who beat Bartlett at Big Tens, is No. 1.
149 pounds: Penn State freshman Tyler Kasak, who finished third at Big Tens, is the No. 7 seed. Ridge Lovett of Nebraska is No. 1.
157 pounds: Sophomore Levi Haines, who won his weight class at Big Tens, is the No. 1 seed at NCAAs.
165 pounds: Redshirt freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink, who won a conference title back on Sunday, is the No. 2 seed at NCAAs. Keegan O’Toole of Missouri, a former training partner of Mesenbrink’s, is No. 1.
174 pounds: Three-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci is the No. 9 seed after forfeiting twice for medical reasons at Big Tens and earning at an-large bid. Virginia Tech’s Mehki Lewis leads the field. The two could, shockingly, meet in the quarterfinals in a finals-caliber match.
184 pounds: Graduate senior and first-year Penn State wrestler Bernie Truax, who finished third at Big Tens, is the No. 6 seed at nationals. Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen is is No. 1.
197 pounds: Senior Aaron Brooks is the No. 1 seed at NCAAs after winning another Big Ten title last Sunday.
285 pounds: Big Ten champ Greg Kerkvliet, a senior, is the No. 1 seed.
Who will each Nittany Lion face first in Kansas City?
Here’s the breakdown:
125 pounds: No. 1 Braeden Davis, Penn State. vs. winner of No. 33 Tristan Lujuan, Michigan State vs. Mike Joyce, Brown
133 pounds: No. 10 Aaron Nagao, PSU vs. No. 23 Marlon Yarbrough, Virginia
141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, Penn State vs. No. 31 Kai Owen, Colorado
149 pounds: No. 7 Tyler Kasak, PSU vs. No. 26 Jaden Abas, Stanford
157 pounds: No. 1 Levi Haines, PSU vs. winner of No. 33 Nick Stampoulous, Buffalo vs. No. 32 Isaax Wilcox, Ohio State
165 pounds: No. 2 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs. No. 31 Maxx Mayfield, Northwestern
174 pounds: No. 9 Carter Starocci, PSU vs. No. 24 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota
184 pounds: No. 6 Bernie Truax, Penn State vs. No. 27 Cameron Pine, Clarion
197 pounds: No. 1 Aaron Brooks, PSU vs. winner of No. 33 Evan Bates, Northwestern vs. No. 32 John Crawford, Franklin & Marshall
285 pounds: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State vs. winner of No. 33 Jordan Greer, Ohio vs. No. 32 Nick Willham, Indiana
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