The journey of Mitchell Mesenbrink began in Hartland, Wisconsin, where he spent his youth immersing himself in wrestling. And he did that from a young age, too! All thanks to his father and former collegiate wrestler, John Mesenbrink. By the time Mitchell was in high school, wrestling was habitual to him. During his time at Arrowhead High School, he went on to win three-time WIAA state championships! This obviously put him higher in the ranks, making him one of the top recruits for college.

Soon after, Mitchell committed before his senior year even ended. His choice? California Baptist University (Cal Baptist). An undoubtedly promising selection that did do Mitchell a lot of good. During his time at Cal Baptist, he went on to win silver at the U20 World Championships and gold at the U20 Pan American Championships in 2022. Yet life had other plans. After the big wins of his freshman year, he decided to take the transfer portal and eventually found himself back in Wisconsin. Come April 2023, Mitchell was the biggest name in one of the best wrestling programs in the country!

Mitchell Mesenbrink made a big move to Penn State.

After redshirting during his freshman year at Cal Baptist, Mitchell Mesenbrink made his way to Cael Sanderson’s shelter of prodigies. He joined the Nittany Lions! The decision came despite having a good run at Cal Baptist. It seems like Mitchell is no longer ready to settle for Silvers. The decision makes it clear that Mitchell is aiming for something bigger. And what would be bigger than PSU and Sanderson, who together have produced names like David Taylor?

The move is a no-brainer game-changer for Mitchell. “When I stepped foot on Penn State’s campus, it felt like coming home,” said Mitchell. And guess what? The Mitchell Mesenbrink effect is already reverberating through the mats of PSU. Mitchell recently took a trip out to Michigan, where he went head-to-head against Cam Amine. Amine is ranked seventh in the 165-pound category. Mitchell won that match like hot butter through knife with a 12-1 score and got four stalling points along the way. But Mitchell was far from done!

Mitchell Mesenbrink then went against tenth-ranked Caleb Fish. Now, here the match got interesting, with a score of 7-6 after three minutes. Then again, the unexpected leveling up for Mitchell. He went on to finish with an 18-9 win. It is safe to say now that Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions seem to be just what Mitchell needed to win! So, what exactly was the story prior that led to this momentous win?

All about Mitchell Mesenbrink’s early wrestling phase

Mitchell Mesenbrink’s early years molded his unbreakable bond with wrestling. As Mitchell likes to put it, he grew up in a “wrestling household.” He spent his yesteryears wrestling stuffed animals under his father’s omnipresent yet watchful eye. John Mesenbrink wasn’t just a father to Mitchell but a coach and mentor who looked at his emotional growth just as he did his athletic. As Mitchell himself puts it, “I don’t know wrestling without my dad.”

As time went by, Mitchell grew into the talent he was always meant to be. And his father’s open-minded approach set the stage for his seamless transfer to Penn State. Coming face to face with legends like Cael Sanderson, Cody Sanderson, Casey Cunningham, and Jimmy Kennedy can be a daunting task. But not when you have John as your father. As Mitchell heads into the Nittany Lions’ practice room, it is a new era for wrestling in the making.

As the upcoming NCAA season gets closer, Mitchell Mesenbrink is definitely on the watch list. But for him, this season isn’t about medals or wins. As Mitchell himself puts it, “There’s room for intensity and competitiveness, but at the end of the day, we’re all here because we love the sport. Why not enjoy every moment of it?” Right on, Mitchell! Win or lose, the upcoming season is bound to see a lot of Mitchell walking onto the mat in the blues and whites of PSU.