Preview: Penn State Wrestling at the U23 World Championships

Penn State wrestlers fill seven of the 10 weight classes for Team USA at U23 Worlds. Several Nittany Lions are returning to the world stage after competing at other events this year. Here's a look who is representing Penn State at U23 Worlds.

Luke Lilledahl: A 2025 All-American as a true freshman, Lilledahl is wrestling in the 57 kg weight class. Lilledahl is competing for his third age-group world championship at 57 kg, having won gold at the 2024 U20 worlds and at the 2023 U17 worlds. Lilledahl begins his tournament Saturday.

Marcus Blaze: The Penn State freshman already has won a world title this season, dominating the 65 kg weight class U20 championships in August. Blaze, who graduated from Perrysburg (Ohio) High as a four-time state champion, won his second gold medal on the world stage in dominant form. The 18-year-old won four bouts by technical superiority, including a 10-0 victory over Iran’s Ahora Khateri in the men's 61 kg freestyle final. Blaze, competing at 65 kg, opens his U23 tournament Sunday.

PJ Duke: Another Penn State freshman with a 2025 world title, Duke begins his tournament Sunday at 70 kg. Duke has been among the most electric wrestlers of the freestyle season, placing 11th at Senior Worlds and winning a U20 world title. Duke is the only U.S. wrestler to compete at all three world events this season.

Mitchell Mesenbrink: Penn State's unbeaten defending NCAA champ won a bronze medal at the 2024 U23 worlds. He's seeking his second world gold medal, having won his first at the 2023 U20 tournament. Mesenbrink, competing at 74 kg, begins his tournament Friday. He is the U23 team's only returning wrestler. Mesenbrink opens the NCAA season as Flowrestling's top-ranked wrestler in the country pound-for-pound.

Levi Haines: A 2024 national champion, Haines is competing in his second world event of the freestyle season. He reached the gold-medal match at Senior Worlds, falling to 3-2 to Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece. Haines, competing at 79 kg, seeks his first gold on the world stage. He will begin wrestling Saturday.

Rocco Welsh: Another newcomer to Penn State's roster, Welsh is competing at his first world event. Welsh spent two seasons at Ohio State, making an NCAA final as a freshman in 2024. He redshirted last season, compiling a 15-0 record wrestling unattached. Welsh won the U23 national title at 86 kg this spring and will compete in that weight class in Serbia. He begins wrestling Sunday.

Josh Barr: The defending NCAA runner-up at 197 pounds, Barr is is competing in his first U23 world event. He placed second at the U20 worlds in 2020. Barr, wrestling in the 92 kg weight class, opens the competition Friday.

Penn State, the four-time defending NCAA team champ, opens the 2025-26 season Nov. 14 against Oklahoma at the Bryce Jordan Center. Coach Cael Sanderson's team this season can break the record for longest win streak in NCAA Division I men's wrestling history.