Two Penn State/Penn State RTC Wrestlers Earn Spots on U.S. World Team at Final X

UNIVERSITY PARK – Seven members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team/Penn State Olympic Regional Training Center competed at 2025 Final X, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Two wrestlers earned spots on the 2025 U.S. World Team by winning a best-of-three series at their respective weights while all seven clinched spots on the U.S. National Team.

Levi Haines met Evan Wick in the 79 kg final series. Haines made quick work of Wick in the series’ first match, rolling up a 10-0 TF victory. Haines rolled in the second bout, posting a 6-1 win over Wick to clinch his spot on the 2025 U.S. World Team.

Kyle Snyder met Hayden Zillmer in the 97 kg final series. Snyder took down Zillmer 8-0 in the first match of the series. He followed that up with an 8-2 win and earned another spot on the U.S. World Team with his Final X title.

Mitchell Mesenbrink took on David Carr in the 74 kg final series. Mesenbrink dropped a tough match in the first of the three bout set, losing 4-3. Mesenbrink then dropped a hard-fought 4-4 bout to Carr in the second match. Mesenbrink earns a spot on the U.S. National Team with his second place finish.

Josh Barr battled Trent Hidlay in the 92 kg final series. Barr dropped the first match in the set 6-1. The Nittany Lion battled Hidlay to a close 3-2 loss in the second bout of the series. Barr earns a spot on the U.S. National Team with his Final X runner-up finish.

Luke Lilledahl faced off against Spencer Lee in the 57 kg final series. Lilledahl dropped the first bout in the match-up 7-2. Lilledahl dropped the second bout 6-0 to Lee. He earns a spot on the U.S. National Team with his Final X second place showing.

Kyle Dake met Zahid Valencia in the 86 kg final series. Dake fell in the opening match of the series 5-3. He then lost the second match 4-1 to end as Final X Runner-Up. Dake earns a spot on the U.S. National Team at his new weight.

Additionally, prior to the WTT finals, Nittany Lion great Carter Starocci took part in a ‘true-third’ bout at 86 kg, battling Parker Keckeisen for a spot on the U.S. National Team. Starocci defeated Keckeisen once again, this time posting a 4-3 win to earn a spot on Team USA.

Final X determined the 2025 U.S. World Team in two international disciplines—men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class wrestled a best-of-three series at Final X to determine the U.S. representative at the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via X/twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.