During his 2023 college break, Spencer Lee embarked on a trip to Japan, a wrestling mecca. During his vacation, Lee decided to visit an old friend, Takuto Otoguro, at his alma mater, Yamanashi Gakuin University in Kofu. The Pennsylvania native saw it as a chance to recharge and explore rather than train after being troubled by knee injuries. However, a chance encounter gave him a glimpse into the future. Lee squared off against a talented wrestler in the gym, half a world from Iowa City. “I just remember thinking this kid is really athletic and really good,” Lee recalled a couple of months back. Well, the “kid,” then an unknown talent, has risen to prominence and not only competed against Lee last month but emerged victorious. We are talking about the Nittany Lions’ latest acquisition- Masanosuke Ono.

Ono burst on the scene after winning the bronze at the Asian Championships in the 65 kg division, just a month after his international debut. In September last year, he won the U20 world title at 61 kg, defeating Penn State recruit Marcus Blaze in the semifinals, and followed it up with a world title win at the Tirana World Championships. And on Monday, he announced that he will be competing for the Nittany Lions next season.

He first made the announcement on FloWrestling Radio Live, before taking to Instagram to share the news with his followers. “I signed to Penn State University to wrestle for the Nittany Lions! I am excited to learn folkstyle and to compete for PSU! I will work to become an NCAA champion and I am eager to work with Coach Cael, Coach Cody, Coach Nick Lee, and Coach Cunningham. I love State College and the culture in the wrestling room at Penn State. I am excited to compete for all the great PSU wrestling fans!” he wrote in a post. Soon, his comment section was flooded by messages from Penn State wrestlers.

Carter Starocci, who became the first person in NCAA wrestling history to win a fifth national title, wrote, “Welcome to the killers.”  Fellow champion, Mitchell Messenbrink,  commented, “Boom buddy, Nittany Lion for life.” Ono was also welcomed by former PSU star Jason Nolf, who put down, “👀👀👀,” in the comments. Meanwhile, Lee also shared his delight at the news and wrote, “This is pretty cool; congrats, my friend!”

Last month, Lee, a three-time NCAA champ stepped in the main event of FloWrestling Night in America. The freestyle wrestling card brought the top talents to Coralville, Iowa, and the Olympic silver medalist, Lee, was going up against Ono in a highly anticipated contest. The match was rather uneventful and eventually saw Ono prevail at the Xtream Arena, beating Lee 3-2, with all points from first-period step-outs, stifling Lee’s explosive offense in a tactical chess match.

Now, US wrestling fans will get to see more of Ono for the next two years at least. But what exactly brought Ono to Penn State University?

Well, under Head Coach Cael Sanderson, an Olympic gold medalist and four-time NCAA champ, Penn State offers wrestlers elite training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, top facilities, and a staff including Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham. The program has won 11 NCAA team titles since 2009, produced 38 individual champs, and 91 All-Americans while competing in the Big Ten and drawing big crowds at Rec Hall.

He joins a roster that returns seven All-Americans, which means a winning combination. What else could a wrestler want from such a powerhouse? Now Ono has it all!! Ono spent time training at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, where he worked alongside Penn State senior Beau Bartlett.

“He’s a really funny guy. He’s awesome, really, really smart,” Bartlett said of Ono earlier this season. “I love being able to wrestle him. I understand why he’s a world champ.”

Penn State has been on a roll lately. At the 2025 NCAA wrestling championships, the program collected its fourth consecutive team title. The Nittany Lions also crowned individual champions in the national finals, with Carter Starocci making history and Mitchell Mesenbrink also emerging victorious.

In fact, Penn State saw eight more of its wrestlers finish on the podium, becoming just the second team in history to accomplish this feat. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better for them, Ono’s addition brings more good news for Head Coach Cael Sanderson and their fans.

Now, with Spencer Lee heading to Penn State’s wrestling dynasty, fans are buzzing about the next chapter. Ono, meanwhile, is already setting his goals.

Masanosuke Ono sets Penn State aim

Right now, it is not clear which weight class Masanosuke Ono will compete in at Penn State.  He wrestled internationally at 61 kg, which is about 134 pounds, while the program has a vacancy at 141 pounds. Ono did joke that he would wrestle anywhere from 125 to 157.

At 21, Ono is considered one of the very best freestyle wrestlers at his age, and now that he is preparing to train for folkstyle wrestling at a highly successful program, his potential seems limitless. When asked about his aims, Ono said, “I will be an NCAA champ, 100 percent,” during the interview with FloWrestling radio.

Ono has come a long way since his gym showdown with Lee Spencer and will be eager to script more history as part of the Nittany Lions next season.