Penn State’s Nittany Lions are all set to send their powerhouse squad of freestyle mavericks to the US Open, which is scheduled to take place from April 22-26 this year in Las Vegas, acting as the gateway to the World Championships. Despite the squad depth, two notable names, Mitchell Mesenbrink and PJ Duke, will not be part of the lineup.
The US Open serves as the gateway toward the Senior World Team selection process, where elite national-level wrestlers compete to earn a spot at the Final X bracket, a best-of-three showdown in June that will further determine who will represent Team USA at the 2026 World Championships in Bahrain.
The squad is, however, missing the recently crowned national champion Mitchell Mesenbrink and runner-up PJ Duke, who are currently at the top of the Nittany Lions roster. The absence, however, is just a strategic deviation from the US Open, as the two still remain in contention for entering through a broader qualifying pathway, which is by entering the World Team Trials (WTT) Challenge Tournament.
Just as winning the US Open, if Mesenbrink and Duke conquer WTT, they would still earn a spot to compete at the Final X.
The NCAA D1 March Madness has produced some of the greatest champions in the history of modern collegiate wrestling, which has already sent many of the newly crowned champions to international endeavors.
Penn State Nittany Lions Full Roster for the US Open
Penn State’s Nittany Lions have been one of the most dominating programs in collegiate wrestling history, evident through their domineering winning streaks and consistent team success. Backed by the former Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson as the head coach, Penn State has produced some of the nation’s best wrestlers across college and international levels.
The US Open will feature a dynamic pack of wrestlers from Penn State, scheduled to compete across multiple weight classes. Here’s the full roster:
- Luke Lilledahl (57 KG)
- Marcus Blaze (61 KG)
- Nathan Desmond (65 KG)
- Kyison Garcia (65 KG)
- Tyler Kasak (70 KG)
- Conner Pierce (70 KG)
- Joe Sealey (74 KG)
- William Henckel (79 KG)
- Kyle Dake (86 KG)
- Rocco Welsh (86 KG)
- Josh Barr (92 KG)
- Connor Mirasola (97 KG)
- Cole Mirasola (125 KG)
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