The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, along with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and the Penn State Regional Training Center, announced on April 23 that sixteen of their athletes will participate in the senior freestyle division at the 2026 U.S. Open in Las Vegas this weekend. Three additional wrestlers from the program will compete in the under-20 (U20) bracket. The freestyle events are scheduled from Friday through Sunday, April 24 to April 26.
The participation of a large group of wrestlers highlights Penn State’s ongoing presence at major national competitions and provides an opportunity for athletes to advance toward world team selection.
Among those competing in senior freestyle, Luke Lilledahl is seeded second at 57 kilograms while Marcus Blaze holds the third seed at 61 kilograms. Other seeded participants include Nate Desmond (12th seed, 65 kg), Tyler Kasak (3rd seed, 70 kg), Joe Sealey (13th seed, 74 kg), Will Henkcel (8th seed, 79 kg), Kyle Dake (top seed, 86 kg), Rocco Welsh (3rd seed, 86 kg), Josh Barr (top seed, 92 kg), and Connor Mirasola (6th seed, 97 kg). Several others are unseeded across various weight classes.
In the U20 bracket, Brock Weiss will compete at 70 kilograms; Asher Cunningham at 79 kilograms; and Mason Ellis at 92 kilograms. The senior freestyle competition begins Friday and concludes Saturday while U20 matches run Saturday through Sunday.
Winners of each division will move on to Final X on June 19 to determine spots on the United States Senior World Freestyle Teams for this year. Two Penn State Regional Training Center athletes—Levi Haines and Kyle Snyder—have already secured automatic bids to Final X.
Fans can follow updates about Penn State wrestling through official social media channels including X/twitter (@pennstateWREST), Facebook (facebook.com/pennstatewrestling) and Instagram (@pennstatewrest). The Family Clothesline is named as presenting sponsor for the upcoming season.
