Penn State’s wrestling power was on full display in Novi Sad, Serbia, as three Nittany Lions — Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Levi Haines — captured gold medals at the U23 World Championships, with teammate PJ Duke adding a bronze.
Haines, a Biglerville High School graduate, delivered a dominant performance at 79 kilograms to secure his first U23 world title. He opened with a decisive 7-0 win over reigning U23 world champion Mahdi Yousefihajivar of Iran, then followed with a 10-0 technical fall against Bulgaria’s Aykan Seid in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Haines defeated Azerbaijan’s Davud Daudov 11-4 before overwhelming Turkey’s Ibrahim Yaprak with an 11-1 technical fall in the finals.
The gold medal capped a standout year for Haines, who also earned silver at the Senior World Championships and gold at the U23 Pan-American Championships earlier this season.
At 57 kilograms, Luke Lilledahl continued his rapid rise with another gold, becoming a three-time age-level world champion after defeating Japan’s Yuta Kikuchi in the finals. The 20-year-old now owns U17, U20, and U23 world titles, marking him as one of the top prospects in American freestyle wrestling.
Mitchell Mesenbrink, competing at 74 kilograms, swept through his bracket with a series of dominant performances, including a 12-2 technical fall over Turkey’s Muhammed Ozmus in the championship bout. The victory added to Mesenbrink’s growing international résumé, which already includes gold at the Junior Pan-American Games.
PJ Duke rounded out Penn State’s medal haul by winning bronze at 70 kilograms, pinning Armenia’s Davit Margaryan in the first period of his final match.
In all, seven Penn State–affiliated wrestlers represented the United States at the U23 World Championships, reinforcing the Nittany Lions’ reputation as the dominant force in both collegiate and international wrestling. The team returns to State College to open its NCAA season November 14 against Oklahoma in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Source: onwardstate.com