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 165 lb champion and who the top contenders are for this season.
2024 Champion: David Carr of Iowa State finished off an amazing college career in dramatic fashion, going 5-0 at the NCAA tournament. Along the way he defeated 2X NCAA Champion Keegan O’Toole, of Missouri and future NCAA Champion Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State. Carr finished his career as a 2X NCAA Champion with a 120-5 record.
This Year’s Contenders: Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State. He is currently 20-0 and looked absolutly dominate winning the Big 10 title last weekend. Barring some freak injury or major upset, 165 is Mitchell’s to lose. He appears to be well ahead of the competition.
Other Contenders: Michael Caliendo of Iowa is 20-2 and ranked 2nd in the nation. Julian Ramirez of Cornell is 20-1, and Terrell Barraclough of Utah Valley is 27-2. Peyton Hall of West Virginia has an impressive 30-1 record. These 4 will make a strong push for the finals.
Dark Horse Contenders: Hunter Garvin of Stanford is 19-6 on the year and has been known to pull off an upset or two. At last years NCAA tournament he defeated Cam Amine and Peyton Hall. Garvin is currently ranked 10th.
2025 NCAA Champion Prediction: Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State.