Penn State's Mitchell Mesenbrink Scores Huge Win on World Wrestling Stage

Aoyagi won the 70 kg freestyle title at the 2025 Senior World Championships. He dominated the field at Senior Worlds, outscoring his four opponents in Croatia by a combined 34-1.

The loss was just the second of the freestyle season for Aoyagi, who entered U23 worlds with a 14-1 record competing at 70 kg. Aoyagi is the world's top-ranked 70 kg men's freestyle wrestler, according to United World Wrestling.

Competing up a weight class, Aoyagi ran into Mesenbrink, who is unranked on the world stage at 74 kg. However, Mesenbrink rolled through his first day at U23 worlds, where he won a bronze medal in 2024.

Mesenbrink advanced to the semifinals with a pin and two technical falls by scores of 10-0 and 12-2. The three-time age-group medalist will compete for his first gold medal in a world competition. Mesenbrink will wrestle Muhammed Ozmus of Turkey in Saturday's final. Ozmus defeated reigning U23 world champ Magomed Khaniev of Azerbaijan in the semifinals.

Mesenbrink produced one of the top performances in college wrestling last year, going 27-0 at 165 pounds to win his first NCAA title. The rising junior, a two-time NCAA finalist, scored 18 technical falls last season before defeating Iowa's Mikey Caliendo 8-2 in the championship match.

In two seasons at Penn State, Mesenbrink is 53-1, and his .981 winning percentage represents the best career start of any Nittany Lions wrestler. He has recorded bonus points in 40 of those wins. FloWrestling ranks Mesenbrink as the nation's No. 1 overall wrestler entering the 2025-26 season.

Penn State at the U23 World Championships

Seven Nittany Lions represent 70 percent of the U.S. men's freestyle team at the U23 World Championships. Mesenbrink and 2025 NCAA runner-up Josh Barr got underway Friday at the tournament.

Barr, competing in the 92 kg weight class, appeared to get hurt in his semifinal loss to Mobin Azimi of Iran. Barr, a defending NCAA runner-up, is scheduled to compete Saturday for the bronze medal.

Penn State's Luke Lilledahl (57 kg), and Levi Haines (79 kg) begin their tournaments Saturday. Haines, a 2024 NCAA champion, won a silver medal at the Senior Worlds in September. Freshmen Marcus Blaze (65 kg) and PJ Duke (70 kg) and transfer Rocco Welsh (86 kg) wrestle Sunday.