STATE COLLEGE — The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (15-0, 8-0 Big Ten) will have nine wrestlers in the 2026 Big Ten Championship semifinals tonight after a superb first session at the event in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State, hosting this year’s tournament, leads the team race as well.

Coach Cael Sanderson has already qualified all nine of those semifinalists for the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland in two weeks, with one more still alive for a tenth bid as well.

Penn State entered the tournament with eight top two seeds, all of whom earned byes in the first round (seven first, one second). Penn State’s current list of NCAA qualifiers for the NCAA Championships on March 19-21 are: Luke Lilledahl at 125, Marcus Blaze at 133, Shayne Van Ness at 149, PJ Duke at 157, Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165, Levi Haines at 174, Rocco Welsh at 184, Josh Barr at 197 and Cole Mirasola at 285. Braeden Davis went 1-1 at 141 and is still alive as well.

No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, top seed at 125, had a first round bye and took on No. 7 Dean Peterson of Iowa in the quarterfinals. The duo battled evenly in the middle of the mat through the first two minutes. Lilledahl got off a flurry of quick shots in the final minute but Peterson was able to back away from the action and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Peterson chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lilledahl locked Peterson at the waist and appeared to finish off a takedown at 1:30 but none was awarded.

Penn State challenged the call and won, and Lilledahl led 3-2 after the second. Lilledahl chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. He worked his way into a scramble with a low shot and eventually finished off the takedown to lead 7-2 at :57. He built his riding time up over 1:00 before Peterson escaped and, with the point, posted the 8-3 win to advance to the quarterfinals and clinch a spot at the NCAA tournament.

No. 2 Marcus Blaze, top seed at 133, had a first round bye and met No. 24 Dylan Shawver of Rutgers in the quarterfinals. Blaze muscled his way through a takedown at the :17 mark to take a 3-0 lead late in the first period and caried that lead into the second. Blaze chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He took Shawver down at 1:19 and cut him loose.

Blaze picked up a quick stall point to lead 8-1 and then finished off the second period with a late takedown to lead 11-1 after two periods. Shawver chose down to start the third period and Blaze cut him loose. Blaze quickly took him down again and led 14-2 after a Shawver escape. Blaze added another stall point and riding time to roll into the semifinals with a 16-3 major decision. The win also earned Blaze a trip to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.