Shayne Van Ness arrived late for the award ceremony after his defeat in the final of the 2026 NCAA Championships. Van Ness, the top seed, lost to No. 10 Aden Valencia in overtime at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Saturday night.
Both wrestlers kicked off the championship bout strongly, with Stanford’s Valencia drawing first blood. Throughout the faceoff, there were several “blood time” stoppages, which interrupted the flow. By the end of three periods, both wrestlers were tied 5-5, sending the match into overtime.
Right before the extra period was about to begin, Van Ness had to stop again for treatment, prompting booing from spectators. He was ultimately taken down by Valencia, who secured an 8-5 victory.
Van Ness was then late to the award ceremony, and Penn State Wrestling clarified in a statement that he had been held back for a drug test.
“Important Van Ness note, Shayne was late to the award stand because he was being drug tested. Thank you,” Penn State Wrestling wrote.
Shayne Van Ness ended his season with a 25-1 record.
Shayne Van Ness Wins the 149lbs Bout To Lead Penn State Wrestling to 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Before the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Penn State wrestler Shayne Van Ness competed at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, leading the team to first place. He defeated Michigan’s Lachlan McNeil by decision to earn a spot in the final.
He took down Ohio State’s Ethan Stiles by fall in 3:29, leading the program to the top spot. Along with Van Ness, Luke Lilledahl, PJ Duke, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, Rocco Welsh, and Josh Barr also dominated their respective categories. Penn State dominated the Championships with 184.0 points, followed by Ohio State and Nebraska with 148.5 and 116.5 points, respectively.
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Big Ten Wrestling Championships 2026: Day 1 Recap, Sunday’s Finals matchups, And How To Watch
Cael Sanderson’s Criticism Reshapes Big Ten Wrestling Seeds in Nittany Lions Favor
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