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— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) March 9, 2026
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No. 1 Penn State racked up a whopping 184.5 points en route to winning its fourth straight B1G Championships ? pic.twitter.com/tVb1QvXzUn
Nittany Lions capture fourth-straight Big Ten crown
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State won the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships title on Sunday with a team score of 184 before a crowd of 13,226 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions earned their 10th Big Ten Championship crown overall and fourth consecutive title.
Penn State set a program record with seven individual titles from Luke Lilledahl (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), PJ Duke (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197). Duke was selected as the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the championships.
Ohio State finished in second place with 148.5 points and claimed three postseason awards. Jesse Mendez was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, Ben Davino selected Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Tom Ryan chosen as the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting conducted by the conference coaches.
Nebraska claimed third place with 116.5, Iowa placed fourth with 87 points and Michigan rounded out the top five 86.5 points.
Lilledahl started the finals with a Big Ten Championship at 125 pounds, posting a 4-1 decision in sudden victory over two-time national qualifier Jore Volk. Lilledahl remained undefeated (20-0) in defending his Big Ten title. At 133 pounds, Davino claimed a 2-2 decision (TB-2) over Penn State freshman Marcus Blaze, who suffered his first collegiate loss.
The 141 bout saw Mendez record a 7-2 decision over Nebraska’s Brock Hardy, who was making his third appearance in the finals. Mendez captured his second Big Ten crown, staying unbeaten at 22-0. Van Ness became Penn State’s first 149 champion since 2018, defeating Ethan Stiles of Ohio State by fall (3:29), which brought a loud reaction from the home crowd.
At 157, Duke defeated national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska by a 12-4 major decision. The 165-pound title went to Mesenbrink, who seized his third-straight Big Ten belt and remained undefeated (22-0) with a bonus-points victory (12-3) over Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo.
Haines became a four-time Big Ten champion with a 2-1 decision over Nebraska’s Christopher Minto at 174. In the 184 class, Penn State’s Rocco Welsh (20-0) produced a 2-1 decision (TB-1) over Minnesota’s Max McEnelly (19-1) in their first-ever meeting on the mat.
Barr took home the 197 belt with a 19-4 tech fall win over Nebraska’s Camden McDaniel. The championship’s final match at 285 was won by Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali in a 5-2 decision over Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari.
The complete list of Big Ten individual awards and All-Big Ten honorees:
BIG TEN INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Wrestler of the Year: Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141
Freshman of the Year: Ben Davino, Ohio State, 133
Coach of the Year: Tom Ryan, Ohio State
Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships: PJ Duke, Penn State, 157
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125
Ben Davino, Ohio State, 133
Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141
Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 149
PJ Duke, Penn State, 157
Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State 165
Levi Haines, Penn State, 174
Rocco Welsh, Penn State, 184
Josh Barr, Penn State, 197
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, 285
ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
Jore Volk, Minnesota, 125
Marcus Blaze, Penn State, 133
Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141
Ethan Stiles, Ohio State, 149
Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 157
Mikey Caliendo, Iowa, 165
Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 174
Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184
Camden McDaniel, Nebraska, 197
AJ Ferrari, Nebraska, 285