Penn State’s Levi Haines put together a dominant performance at Final X, sweeping Evan Wick 10-0 and 6-1 to earn his first trip to the Senior World Wrestling Championships. Haines, a 2024 NCAA champion, will represent the U.S. at the 79 kg men’s freestyle weight class at the World Championships in September in Croatia.
Haines and future teammate PJ Duke earned spots on the U.S. World Team, with Duke scoring a stunning upset of four-time NCAA champ Yianni Diakomihalis at 70 kg. Nittany Lions wrestlers Luke Lilledahl (57 kg), Mitchell Mesenbrink (74 kg) and Josh Barr (92 kg) lost their best-of-three championship series at the Final X event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.All five wrestlers made the U.S. National Team, as did two others representing Penn State wrestling. Marcus Blaze, an incoming freshman, and Carter Starocci, the five-time NCAA champion, won their bouts for true-third place to secure spots on the Senior National team.
Haines left no doubt at Final X, outscoring Wick 16-1 in their best-of-three championship series. Haines scored a 10-0 technical fall in the opener, rolling to a 8-0 lead quickly in the opening period. The Penn State wrestler was just as sharp in a 6-1 win to clinch the Final X title.Haines, the 2024 NCAA champ at 165 pounds, placed third at the 2025 tournament at 174. He rebounded from a semifinal loss to Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti to become a three-time All-American. Haines has placed top-3, making two NCAA finals, in his first three seasons at Penn State.
Mesenbrink and Carr continued their fierce duel at Final X. Carr defeated Mesenbrink 9-8 in the 2024 NCAA final at 165 pounds, the weight class in which Mesenbrink went unbeaten and won this past season.
Mesenbrink won the second round at the 2025 U.S. Open, scoring an impressive 16-6 technical fall over Carr. But at Final X, Carr held off the offensive-minded Mesenbrink, winning the best-of-three series 4-3 and 4-4 on criteria. Carr rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first match and fended off Mesenbrink’s late attack in the second
