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Just as they have done 10 times before under head coach Cael Sanderson, the Penn State Nittany Lions captured the Division I national title.
This time, though, Penn State made a little extra history in its victory.Β
The Nittany Lions put eight athletes on the podium including four national champions, two runner-ups and two additional place winners.Β
FINAL BRACKET | FINAL TEAM SCORES
Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks headlined the success for the Blue and White, winning their fourth NCAA titles to become the sixth and seventh athletes to do so in NCAA wrestling. Starocci’s win came by way of a 2-0 decision againstΒ No. 6 Rocco Welsh of Ohio State via an escape point and a stall point, but that was all he needed to finish on top once again.Β Aaron Brooks followed Starocci’s footsteps, becoming the seventh four-time NCAA champ in history and the second for Penn State with his win over Hidlay 6-1.Β
HeavyweightΒ Greg Kerkvliet added a title at heavyweight, his first, with a 13-4 major decision of Lucas Davison in a match in which he did not give up a single offensive point. He set a tone of total domination.Β
The Nittany Lions produced another national champ at 157 pounds as No. 1 Levi Haines completed his undefeated season with a strategic 4-0 shutout against No. 2 Jacori Teemer.Β
Penn State’s No. 2 Beau Bartlett and No. 2 Mitchell Mesenbrink finished as runner-ups, as No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State topped Bartlett 4-1 at 141 pounds, and Mesenbrink fell to Iowa State’s No. 4 David Carr at 165 pounds 9-8. Carr’s win gave him his second title for the Cyclones, the first of which came in his freshman season at 157 pounds.Β
The Nittany Lions weren’t the only team with historic moments on Saturday night, though. The Virginia Tech Hokies crowned just the second national champion in program history as No. 4 Caleb Henson turned up the offense at 149 pounds and earned a 15-7 bonus-point win over Michigan’s No. 6 Austin Gomez, the 2024 Olympic rep for Mexico at 65kg. Henson is not only the second Hokie to finish on top of the podium in program history, but he is also the first national champion in NCAA wrestling history from the state of Georgia. His win is one of four podium finishers for the Hokies as part of their standout weekend in Kansas City.Β
Arizona State, Cornell and Northern Iowa will also leave the Show-Me State with one champ each. Sun Devil 125-pounder Richard Figueroa earned his first national championship by way of a 7-2 victory against Iowa’s Drake Ayala, while Cornell’s No. 6 Vito Arujau topped four-time NCAA finalist No. 1 Daton Fix of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds 5-3 for his second title and No. 1 Parker Keckeisen bonused No. 3 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State at 184 pounds.Β
Complete results below:Β
THIRD PERIOD: Hidlay chooses down to start the third period. This one is all Brooks though, as the Nittany Lion takes the win for his fourth NCAA title 6-1.
π€ Congrats AB 197 pound National Champion!! #PSUwr pic.twitter.com/KS51pHQO2Z
SECOND PERIOD: Brooks chooses down to start the second period and escapes quickly. Brooks leads 4-0 with less than a minute to go in the second period. Hidlay is hit for stalling again, so Brooks picks up another point and now leads 5-0 as the period comes to a close.
FIRST PERIOD: This is going to be a battle. Hidlay is in on a shot first. Stalemate. Both of these seniors want to end their careers with the kind of legacy-defining win that would come by emerging from this match victorious. Scoreless through the first two minutes. Hidlay is warned for stalling. Thirty seconds to go in the first period. Blood time. Takedown Brooks in short time. He leads 3-0 going into the second period.
THIRD PERIOD: First, blood time. Keckeisen chooses down to start the third period. Plott elects for the optional start, but Keckeisen bursts out off the whistle. Takedown Keckeisen! He is 90 seconds away from his first national title. The Panther leads 10-3 with riding time. He’s in a bonus-point position. One minute to go. Plott escapes. Thirty seconds. Takedown Keckeisen! He leads 13-5 with 25 seconds to go. Escape Plott. Keckeisen is in on another shot. Plott defends. Ten seconds. Five seconds. Keckeisen wins 14-5 with riding time!
Parker Keckeisen is the NATIONAL CHAMPION at 184-pounds!#NCAAWrestling x @UNI_wrestling pic.twitter.com/au2DF4dBx1
PARKER KECKEISEN IS A NATIONAL CHAMPION!
SECOND PERIOD: Plott escapes to start the second period, and he now trails Keckeisen 6-3. One minute to go in the period. Keckeisen will carry his 6-3 lead into the third period.
FIRST PERIOD: Parker Keckeisen is on the board first with a quick takedown. Keckeisen has been on this stage before, finishing second to Aaron Brooks last season at 184 pounds. Keckeisen holds Plott down for 46 seconds, but Plott escapes. Another takedown for Keckeisen! The Panther leads 6-1. Thirty seconds to go in the first period.
THIRD PERIOD: Rocco Welsh chooses neutral to start the third period. He needs a takedown. Riding time is not a factor. Dueling cheers have now emerged from the stands with the Nittany Lion fans roaring out “Penn-State,” and the Buckeye fans responding with “OH-IO.” One minute to go. Starocci is 60 seconds away from history. Thirty seconds. Starocci is warned for stalling. The Nittany Lion is in on a shot. Stalemate. Eight seconds. Carter Starocci is a FOUR-TIME NCAA CHAMPION! He beats Rocco Welsh 2-0, and the crowd rises to support the Nittany Lion who has now solidified his name in the wrestling history books.
CARTER STAROCCI IS A 4X NCAA CHAMPION!!!
STAROCCI WITH THE 2-0 WIN OVER WELSH!!!!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/zn9yheB11X
SECOND PERIOD: Starocci chooses down to start the second period. More blood time. Starocci escapes for a point. He leads 2-0. Stalemate. Starocci will carry his 2-0 lead into the third period.
FIRST PERIOD: Here we go, Penn State’s first three-time NCAA champion going for his fourth title. Ohio State freshman Rocco Welsh is here to fight though. Blood time early. Scorless through the first two minutes. Starocci picks up a point after Welsh is hit for stalling a second time. More blood time.
THIRD PERIOD: Mesenbrink chooses down to start the third period. Carr is hit for stalling again, and Mesenbrink escapes. Carr’s lead has narrowed to 7-5, though he does still have 2:12 of riding time. Shot from Mesenbrink! He picks up the three-point takedown. The Nittany Lion has the 8-7 lead. Carr escapes to tie the match 8-8, and he still has riding time. Carr effectively leads by one point, with the riding time. Less than minute to go. Thirty seconds. Twenty seconds. Ten seconds. David Carr is a TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION, and the arena rewards him with a standing ovation after his 9-8 win.
Champion, again!!@Carrchamp x2 pic.twitter.com/X8DJBpqpSD
David Carr is so beloved within the wrestling community that he has Iowa State fans, Iowa fans, Arizona State fans, Cornell fans and more cheering him on. This victory has been a longtime coming, but the Cyclone has now bookended his career with NCAA championships.
SECOND PERIOD: Carr chooses down to start the second period. He escapes without giving up his 1+ minute of riding time. Carr leads 4-1. Shot from Mesenbrink. We’re scrambling! Stalemate. Carr avoids a tight situation there where Mesenbrink was working his way behind the Cyclone. Shot from Carr. No points. Another shot from Carr! This time he finishes. Carr now leads 7-1. Twenty seconds to go. Carr is hit for stalling for the second time, giving Mesenbrink a point. Penn State wants Carr to be hit again for stalling. Mesenbrink escapes at the buzzer, and Carr will lead 7-3 heading into the third period.
FIRST PERIOD: The 165-pound weight class has been fun all year. Time for these two top athletes to shine. Takedown David Carr. The Cyclone is here on a mission. Mesenbrink is known for his offense, so this early attack is key for the Iowa State senior. Carr pushes riding time up over a minute. Mesenbrink escapes after a hard effort. Carr leads 3-1. One minute to go. Carr will hold on to his 3-1 lead at the end of the first period.
THIRD PERIOD: Teemer chooses to go neutral. He’ll need a takedown to win this one. Shot from Haines. Takedown Haines! He leads 4-0. Haines pushes riding time up over a minute. Haines wrestled a smart match, and he is being rewarded. Time ticks down. Ten seconds. Penn State picks up another national champion as Levi Haines completes his undefeated season at 157 pounds!
LEVI HAINES IS YOUR NATIONAL CHAMPION AT 157!
HAINES THE 5-0 WIN OVER TEEMER!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/bCJthnMzNg
SECOND PERIOD: Levi Haines chooses down to begin the second period, and he’s out quickly. No attacks yet from either athlete. Jacori Teemer is warned for stalling. Thirty seconds. No points beyond Haines’ escape.
FIRST PERIOD: Penn State is one-for-two in tonight’s national finals. Here comes another Nittany Lion in No. 1 Levi Haines. Arizona State, meanwhile is one-for-one in its national finals, as Richard Figueroa picked up a win at 125 pounds. Jacori Teemer will look to keep the energy going for the Sun Devils against the top-ranked athlete in the country. Scoreless after period one.
THIRD PERIOD: Gomez starts the third period in neutral, a smart move for the Wolverine known for his ability on his feet. Two minutes to go. Gomez needs something big, and Henson knows it. The Hokie is wrestling smart, preventing Gomez from getting into his over-under position where he is just so dangerous. Gomez has Henson’s leg on the edge, but they go out of bounds. Twenty seconds. Henson wins 15-7!
πππππππππ ππππππππ. πππππ ππππ
Never a doubt. For just the second time in program history, we have a National Champion and his name is πππππ “ππ‘π ππ’ππ¦π𧔠ππππππ!#ALLINALLTHETIME #Hokies π¦ pic.twitter.com/M4irf2V9eo
Caleb Henson becomes just the second Virginia Tech national champ in program history!
SECOND PERIOD: Henson chooses down to begin the second period, and he’s out quickly. He now leads 14-4. The Hokie came here to score. Shot from Gomez. He looks to bring Henson back into the circle to finish the takedown, and he gets it. Henson still leads 14-7. Make that 15-7 following an escape from Henson. Shot from Gomez. Time expires.
FIRST PERIOD: Austin Gomez with a quick takedown! Caleb Henson escapes, but Gomez leads 3-1. Henson takes Gomez to his back for a three-point takedown and two backpoints. Wow. This is what these fans came to see. Henson leads 6-3, and he’s got Gomez on his back again. Gomez scrambles out to avoid the fall, but Henson picks up four more near fall points. He’s beating Gomez at Gomez’ game. Henson leads 10-4 after Gomez escapes. What a great first two minutes of action-packed wrestling! Gomez tries to roll Henson over and gets trapped for another takedown. Henson extends his lead 13-4. Thirty seconds remaining. Henson carries a 13-4 lead into the second period with 1:17 of riding time.
THIRD PERIOD: Bartlett chooses down to start the third period. He escapes. Riding time is not a factor. This one is tied 1-1. Shot from Bartlett! We’re scrambling! Ten seconds. Takedown Mendez! The Buckeye is a 2024 NCAA champion by a score of 4-1. Wait. Penn State challenges. Call is confirmed.
The baddest man alive π€
Jesse Mendez is the first Ohio State Champion since Kyle Snyder in 2018 βΌοΈ pic.twitter.com/AjtdTZIdzJ
SECOND PERIOD: Mendez chooses down to start the second period after Bartlett defers. Mendez escapes quickly. This is such a style clash, as Mendez is known for his pace and offense, and Bartlett is traditionally much more strategic and defensively tough. Bartlett is in on a shot in the final seconds, but Mendez scrambles away as time expires.
FIRST PERIOD: Scoreless through the first minute. This is a Big Ten finals rematch in which Mendez picked up the victory 4-1, though Bartlett won the dual meeting by the same score. Scoreless through the first period.
THIRD PERIOD: Arujau chooses down to begin the period, and he’s out. Match is paused as Fix gets his head taped up. The Cornell fans are here, and they are loud. They are ready to get back to action. Ninty seconds to go. Shot from Arujau. Fix is hit for stalling. Arujau with the takedown. He leads 5-2 with one minute to go. Oklahoma State challenges the takedown. No takedown. This one is tied 2-2. Riding time is not a factor. Just over a minute remains in the period. Takedown Arujau with assertiveness! He leads 5-2 with less than a minute to go. Fix escapes with a wild summersault. Arujau leads 5-3, and the crowd is behind him. Thirty seconds. Takedown Arujau. Fix is running out of time. Arujau leads 8-3. There is an official review, and Arujau is not happy. Call is overturned. Fifteen seconds to go. Arujau leads 5-3. Five seconds.
What a win by @varujau to become a TWO-TIME NCAA CHAMPION! pic.twitter.com/lhDTfQGijx
VITO ARUJAU IS A TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION! He takes the win 5-3!
SECOND PERIOD: Fix chooses down to start the second period. Challenge. Arujau is hit for locked hands. Fix escapes but is warned for stalling. Shot from Arujau, and weβre scrambling. Athletes go out of bounds. Cornell challenges the call, looking for the takedown. No takedown. After some scrambling on the edge, no points are awarded. Fix leads 2-1 going into the third.
FIRST PERIOD: We’ve seen this match before β in the 2023 NCAA semifinals, Arujau beat Fix 11-3. Let’s run it back!
Blood time early. These guys are warriors. More blood time. First period ends scoreless.
THIRD PERIOD: Ayala chooses down to start the third period. He trails by four. Ayala escapes. A takedown ties the match. Here we go. Figueroa nearly gets another one on the edge. Athletes go out of bounds. Reset. Ayala is pushing Figueroa around, he’s looking for a stall warning. Iowa wants the call. He gets it. Stall warning against Figueroa. Ayala still needs a takedown, and he’s fighting for it. Shot from Figueroa! Ayala tries to scrambles out. Figueroa keeps him in trouble though and picks up another three points. The Sun Devil leads as time ticks down. He takes the win 7-2.
Richard Figueroa is your 125-pound NATIONAL CHAMPION!#NCAAWrestling x @ASUWrestling pic.twitter.com/CRTfwj1B40
Richard Figueroa is a NATIONAL CHAMPION!
SECOND PERIOD: Ayala defers. Figueroa chooses down to start the second period, and he’s out quickly. The Sun Devil is on the board first. The pace has slowed. There’s a caution in the approach of each of these guys. Both fan bases are calling for stalling. Thirty seconds. This very well could be a one-takedown match, but somebody has to shoot first to make something happen. Shot from Figueroa. Takedown Figueroa! Ayala tried to scramble out on the edge, but the refs call for three points. The refs will review. “A-S-U” chants break out from the left side of the arena. They can feel it β their guy is that much closer to winning this crazy, wild, unexpected 125-pound bracket. Call is confirmed. Figueroa will hold a 4-0 lead going into the second period. What a clutch takedown from the Sun Devil! Iowa challenges. Call confirmed.
FIRST PERIOD: Back in 2021, we had a similar final between an Arizona State and an Iowa lightweight when Hawkeye three-time NCAA Spencer Lee wrestled Sun Devil Brandon Courtney to a 7-0 win. We’ll see what these two guys can do. Figueroa said his post-semifinal press conference that Courtney has been like a brother to him, whereas Ayala said he and Lee are more competitive with one another. Regardless of the outcome of this match, credit belongs to the University of Iowa and Arizona State for consistently developing elite lightweights.
The pace is quick here early as these two athletes take stock of the match. No shots through the first two periods, but they are fast on their feet. Scoreless first period.
THIRD PERIOD: Kerkvliet chooses down to start the third period, and he leads 9-3. He escapes quickly to extend his lead 10-3. Kerkvliet is 90 seconds away from adding his name to a long list of Penn State national champions. Davison needs to create some action fast to stay in this one. One minute to go. Takedown Kerkvliet! Twenty seconds. Davison escapes. He trails 13-4. Kerkvliet takes the win!
GREG KERKVLIET DOWNS LUCAS DAVISON
A 13-4 MAJOR DECISION!
Greg is your National Champion!!!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/vVXUT0PWmf
Greg Kerkvliet is a NATIONAL CHAMPION!
SECOND PERIOD: Davison chooses down to start the second period. He escapes. Nice, quick effort from the Wolverine. Kerkvliet leads 6-3. The arena is eerily quiet as these two All-Americans battle on the main stage. Shot from Kerkvliet. Davison is working to draw a stalemate, but Kerkvliet finishes. He leads 9-3 with ten seconds to go in the second period.
FIRST PERIOD: First match of the night, and we’re starting with the big men! Let’s do it!
Michigan’s Lucas Davison has himself quite the tournament to make it this far, taking down No. 2 Yonger Bastida in the quarterfinals and then beating No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson in the semifinals. Here’s his shot against the top seed and the athlete ranked No. 1 all year: Greg Kerkvliet.
Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet picks up the first takedown, and he’s on the board within the first 90 seconds. Davison escapes quickly, and the wrestlers are back to their feet. Takedown Greg Kerkvliet! The Nittany Lion leads 6-1. Davison picks up a critical escape in short time. Greg Kerkvliet carries a 6-2 lead into the first period. Good start for the Nittany Lions.
The 2024 NCAA wrestling championship finals go live tonight at 6pm CT/ 7pm ET on ESPN. You can also follow along for live updates on NCAA.com.
UPDATED BRACKETS | TEAM SCORES
These are the 20 athletes who will be compete for a national title tonight on the biggest stage in college wrestling.
All-American. It’s an honor that lasts a lifetime, and it’s one that just 80 athletes earn in this tournament every year. These are the wrestlers who finished on the podium this year and achieved this prestigious honor.
This is the path these All-Americans took to the finals. Finals will happen on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
β‘οΈ Tap or click here for the full article naming all 80 All-Americans and their path to the podium.
285 pounds:
3rd place: No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) over No. 6 Zach Elam (Missouri), 14-2
5th place: No. 9 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) over No. 4 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State), 11-4
7th place: No. 13 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) over No. 7 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell), 4-3
197 pounds:
3rd place: No. 8 Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) over No. 5 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell), 9-4
5th place: No. 3 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) over No. 12 Rocky Elam (Missouri), 7-0
7th place: No. 7 Stephen Little (Little Rock) over No. 4 Michael Beard (Lehigh), 10-3
184 pounds:
3rd place: No. 4 Trey Munoz (Oregon State) over No. 9 Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), 9-7
5th place: No. 6 Bernie Truax (Penn State) over No. 2 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota), 12-0
7th place: No. 7 TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) over No. 25 David Key (Navy), 20-4
174 pounds:
3rd place: No. 4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) over No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech), 4-0
5th place: No. 2 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) over No. 7 Lennox Wolak (Columbia), 5-0
7th place: No. 3 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) over No. 18 Ben Pasiuk (Army), 16-6
165 pounds:
3rd place: No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) over No. 6 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa), 12-8
5th place: No. 7 Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State) over No. 20 Hunter Garvin (Stanford), 3-0
7th place: No. 9 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) over No. 8 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 2-1
157 pounds:
3rd place: No. 3 Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) over No. 6 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford), 10-4
5th place: No. 7 Peyten Kellar (West Virginia) over No. 12 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech), FALL 3:23
7th place: No. 8 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) over No. 10 Jared Franek (Iowa), 11-2
149 pounds:
3rd place: No. 7 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) over No. 5 Ty Watters (West Virginia), 3-2
5th place: No. 2 Kyle Parco (Arizona State) over No. 1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska), 3-1
7th place: No. 8 Casey Swiderski (Iowa State) over No. 11 Quinn Kinner (Rider), 19-8
141 pounds:
3rd place: No. 9 Brock Hardy (Nebraka) over No. 3 Real Woods (Iowa), 7-6
5th place: No. 5 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) over No. 9 Brock Hardy (Nebraska), MFF
7th place: No. 4 Ryan Jack (NC State) over No. 26Vance Vombaur (Minnesota), 4-3
133 pounds:
3rd place: No. 2 Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) over No. 7 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock), 4-3
5th place: No. 5 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) over No. 8 Evan Frost (Iowa State), 17-6
7th place: No. 4 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) over No. 3 Kai Orine (NC State), 10-5
125 pounds:
3rd place: No. 12 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) over No. 10 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), 7-3
5th place: No. 2 Luke Stanich (Lehigh) over No. 15 Caleb Smith (Nebraska), 5-1
7th place: No. 5 Jore Volk (Wyoming) over No. 23 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State), 4-0
Today the 2024 NCAA wrestling championship will be crowned. Follow all the action here, as NCAA wrestling expert Shannon Scovel live blogs from the mats.
Session 5 | Medal Round
Session 6 | Championship finals
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