Every March the best college wrestlers in the country, get together for the NCAA Wrestling Championships! This tournament is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work for these young men, and only one (in each weight class) can be crowned champion.

This year’s tournament takes place March 20-22nd, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Wells Fargo Center.

In this article we will discuss last year’s 141 lb champion and who the top contenders are for this season.

2024 Champion: Jesse Mendez had a dominate NCAA tournament in 2024 going 5-0, with a pin and a tech, in the opening two rounds before defeating three all-Americans and claiming his first championship with a 4-1 victory over Beau Bartlett, to cap a 30-2 season.

This Year’s Contenders: Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, Beau Bartlett of Penn State, and Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado. Mendez and Alirez have both already claimed NCAA titles, and Bartlett is right in the mix with either of them.

Jesse Mendez: Jesse was a 4X Indiana State champion going 157-1, he also was a U20 World Silver Medalist. At Ohio State he is already a 2x All-American, finishing 6th as a freshman and winning his first NCAA titles as a Sophomore. He is currently 25-3 on the year and ranked 3rd in the country.

Beau Bartlett: Beau had a 177-8 high school record, where he was a 4x national prep champion. At Penn State he is a 4x NCAA qualifier and 2x All-American finishing 2nd and 3rd. He is currently 21-1 and ranked first in the country.

Andrew Alirez: A 4 X Colorado  State Champion, Alirez was the number 1 overall recruit in the class of 2019. Andrew is the returning 2023 NCAA Champion after redshirting last season. In 2023 he was an undefeated 28-0 NCAA Champion. At the NCAA tournament he defeated Beau Bartlett and Real Woods back to back. He is currently 15-1 and ranked #7 in the country.

Other Contenders: Brock Hardy of Nebraska 23-3, Cael Happel of Northern Iowa 24-3, and Vance Vombar of Minnesota 23-4, are all serious contenders. While I don’t see them winning an NCAA title I could see any of them upsetting one of the top 3.

Dark Horse Contenders: I have said this all season Sergio Lemley of Michigan is capable of beating anyone in the bracket. Currently 19-9 on the year and ranked 13th in the country. This kid has the potential to pull off serious upsets, as he has proven against All-Americans Real Woods and Brock Hardy.

2025 NCAA Champion Prediction: Jesse Mendez of Ohio State