Great competitions keep things exciting! And it’s to say that Penn State is performing exceptionally well. But so are the other teams, and therefore making the race even more thrilling to the core. Tough losses happen, as foreign as they might be to the Nittany Lions. But what counts is how you respond. Bouncing back after a setback isn’t easy, but they’re proving their resilience by doing just that—and winning.

To set the record straight, Penn State has just become only the second team in NCAA Division 1 history to have all 10 wrestlers be All-Americans in one year. Under the guidance of the force that is Cael Sanderson, the team bounced back after a pair of unexpected defeats and wrote their names in the history books yet again. It’s a feat that was accomplished for the first time 24 years ago, in 2001, by Minnesota.

Now, despite this accomplishment, a team like the Penn State Nittany Lions is not one to take it easy. After their semifinal performances, UFC legend Ben Askren dropped what Penn State’s honest feelings might be on X, writing, “So Penn St has all 10 in the top 6, but went 3-5 in semis which has typically been a huge round for them. Crazy to think about how amazing they are but they are prob still disappointed with tonight’s session.”

Given that only three Lions are headed to the finals—Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Carter Starocci (184), and Josh Barr (197)—it’s understandable why Askren believes that the team will be disappointed. But certainly not too disappointed, as the Nittany Lions have already secured the team crown, making it their 4th straight national title in a row!

What’s next for the Penn State Nittany Lions?

They may have the national title in the bag, completing their 4-peat and yet another season of pure dominance, but the Penn State Nittany Lions’ time at the Wells Fargo Center is far from over. Speaking of the national title, it was consolation wins from Luke Lilledahl and Tyler Kasak that helped seal the deal after the two wrestlers overcame their surprise defeats to secure the bronze medal finish.

But it’s not just those two; Beau Bartlett, Shayne Van Ness, and Levi Haines are all locked in to power through to a third-place finish that gave the team enough points to seal their victory. With a total of 7 wrestlers in the consolation rounds and an overall record of 11-2, it was enough to push them over the finish line with 33.5 points (though they needed just 4.5 to clinch the title).

Now, all the attention is on their 3 finalists: Carter Starocci, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Josh Barr. Starocci’s final in particular has shaped up to be the most intriguing as he faces off against Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa, the defending champion, in a bid to seal an unprecedented 5th national crown. In fact, it’s probably the most attention-grabbing plotline of the entire tournament.

Alongside Starocci, Mesenbrink and Barr will wrestle for a chance at their first-ever national titles. Mesenbrink will be up against Mikey Caliendo of Iowa, while Barr will face Stephen Buchanan, also of Iowa.

But it doesn’t end there either. Penn State has amassed a total of 169 team points, putting them 60 points clear of second-placed Nebraska. With these upcoming finals, the Nittany Lions also have a chance to break their team points record of 172.5 points from last year, which in turn beat Iowa’s record of 170 points from 1997. With the 3 wrestlers able to earn 4 points each on top of possible bonus points, we may see yet another record fall at the hands of Cael Sanderson and the Lions.

Penn State has been consistently amazing with their performances so far. Something we seem to witness year after year with Cael Sanderson. But will this showing at the Championships be the best one that we have witnessed so far? Let us know in the comments below.