After speaking with Penn State wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink, one thing becomes clear: you never know where the conversation will go.
It can contain a lot of psychological jargon. Perhaps it will take a philosophical turn. It may even have to do with wrestling.
Rarely, though, is it uninteresting.
Given that college wrestling used to be dominated by the Iowa mystique, Mesenbrink, who finished second in the NCAA last year at 165 pounds as a redshirt freshman and is undefeated this season with 11 technical falls and two forfeits, was asked what it was like to be a part of today’s dynastic Penn State team.
The Hawkeyes won three crowns in 2008–10 and dominated college wrestling from 1975–86 and 1991–2000. Although they did triumph in 2021, Penn State won four consecutive games in 2011–14 and 2016–19, and the Nittany Lions are predicted to repeat the feat this season.
He was around six years old when the Hawks last attempted to dominate the NCAA wrestling scene before Penn State took over, and he wasn’t around during their early rule.
I can remember wrestling with those guys, and it’s always been kind of Penn State,” Mesenbrink said. I suppose I don’t give that much thought. I’m not preoccupied with what other people think. You know, you are the only one who needs to enjoy being in your position. things’s how I kind of think about things.
This week, he also had a lot of additional ideas, including as
HIS FRIDAY NIGHT FOE: Penn State hosts Iowa at the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday at 7 p.m.; Mesenbrink is ranked first, while Iowa’s Michael Caliendo is ranked second. The game will be a 1 vs. 2 contest. Last season, Mesenbrink defeated Caliendo three times: 12–6, 17–9, and tech fall. Someone
When he asked me which match I was most excited or looking forward to, I simply said, “The next one.”
I believe I’ve wrestled that man four times, including the bout at Rutgers the other night. I think it’s cool that you wrestle guys so much. That, in my opinion, compels you to keep improving. The fact that Penn State is now my home and my Wisconsin home is only a vacation is what I adore most about it. I simply keep becoming better and concentrating on those things while I’m here, which is all year round, since here is where I love to live and be. I want to be the best wrestler I can be and win both world and Olympic titles. And it definitely goes against that if I’m preoccupied with someone else.
BONUS POINT WINS: With an average of 18 points per game this season, Mesenbrink has scored 202 points. In other words, he clarified, “you’re just trying to score the next point, and if you get taken down, then you’re trying to score the next one.” It is the one you will receive, not the one you did not receive. So you simply continue. You never stop moving forward. It’s simply the next point, the next point.
HIS MAJOR AND GOALS He has a long-term interest in psychology and is majoring in it with a minor in philosophy. I chose that because I believe it really aids in many aspects of life. “I think just understanding how people work and how much that can help in relationships and stuff like that, even if I’m done wrestling,” he said. However, I’m not entirely sure after wrestling. I am certain that I will retire here. I’m not sure if that will be in three or ten years.