🚨 Penn State Power Surge: Levi Haines & Josh Barr Clinch Senior World Team Trials Titles for Final X Berths!
Penn State wrestling just shook the elite wrestling world. This weekend in Louisville, Levi Haines (79 kg) and Josh Barr (92 kg) each captured their weight classes at the Senior World Team Trials, punching tickets to Final X and bringing two more Nittany Lions one step closer to the 2025 World Championships .
Haines avenged a brutal NCAA semifinal loss by decisively dominating Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti with a 10–2 victory, six takedowns across all periods. He’ll contest the best-of-three against Evan Wick (Wisconsin) on June 14 in Newark for a World Team spot .
Barr, who enters the Trials as the NCAA 197-pound runner-up, didn’t miss a beat. He carved through the bracket with a 10–4 semifinal win before overcoming Aeoden Sinclair 7–3 in the final. He now prepares for a showdown with Trent Hidlay (NC State) at Final X .
These victories injected high energy into Penn State’s already stacked freestyle presence: Kyle Dake (who edged Carter Starocci) also advanced, and incoming freshman PJ Duke won his 70 kg weight class in dominant fashion .
Penn State enters Final X with at least four athletes in the hunt—Haines, Barr, Dake, and Duke—with Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Kyle Snyder already qualified . With Cael Sanderson at the helm and a history of champions, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The drama is building: every coach, athlete, and fan knows June 14 could redefine their seasons. Will Barr and Haines rise again on the national stage, or will their challengers pull shocks? One thing’s clear—Penn State is hitting its stride when it matters most.
