Penn State Wrestling Keeps Raising the Bar - But Is the Hodge Trophy Slipping Through the Cracks?
When your program consistently churns out national champions and Hodge Trophy contenders, expectations shift. For Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling, the standard is nothing short of dominance.
And Friday night’s 36-5 dismantling of No. 2 Ohio State was another reminder that the Nittany Lions aren’t just winning - they’re redefining what elite looks like on the mat.
But even in the glow of another statement win, Sanderson couldn’t help but hint at a lingering frustration: the Hodge Trophy tally may not fully reflect the excellence coming out of State College.
A Legacy of Hodge-Worthy Talent
Sanderson knows a thing or two about the Hodge. He’s the only wrestler to win it three times (2000, 2001, 2002 - with a shared title in 2001).
Since taking over at Penn State, he’s coached four wrestlers to six Hodge wins: David Taylor (2012, 2014), Zain Retherford (2017, 2018), Bo Nickal (2019), and Aaron Brooks (2024). Throw in Kerry McCoy’s 1997 win for Penn State before Sanderson’s tenure, and the program’s Hodge pedigree is undeniable.
Yet, as Sanderson pointed out post-match, that number might be undercounting what the program has truly earned.
Mesenbrink and Mendez: This Year’s Heavy Hitters
Friday night featured two undefeated wrestlers who are very much in the Hodge conversation: Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165 pounds and Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez at 141. Both are 18-0.
Mesenbrink has 17 bonus-point wins and seven falls - a stat line that screams dominance. Mendez, a two-time NCAA champ, is wrestling at the peak of his career.
Sanderson praised both athletes. “It’s great wrestling, it’s fun to see,” he said. But when the topic turned to the Hodge, his tone shifted ever so slightly.
“We don’t think about or worry about stuff like the Hodge Trophy, right?” he said, before adding with a smirk, “I mean, we didn’t advertise our camps in there again this year, so we probably don’t have a chance of winning.”
That was a not-so-subtle jab at W.I.N. Magazine, the Hodge’s sponsor, and a nod to the politics that can sometimes cloud the award’s selection process.
The Hodge Voting Puzzle
The Hodge Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding NCAA wrestler, based on four key criteria: record, dominance (bonus-point percentage), quality of competition, and sportsmanship. The selection committee includes former winners, retired coaches, media members, and a fan vote that counts for five ballots.
But when you’ve got multiple elite wrestlers from the same team - as Penn State often does - votes can get split. It’s happened before. Last year, Carter Starocci, fresh off his record-breaking fifth NCAA title, finished second to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson, who pulled off a shocking win over former Hodge winner Gable Steveson and captured the hearts of fans (and voters) with his patriotic celebration and handshake with former President Donald Trump.
Mesenbrink finished third in that vote.
It’s not the first time Penn State’s depth has worked against it in Hodge voting. In 2024, Brooks won, but Haines, Starocci, and Greg Kerkvliet were also finalists.
In 2023, Mason Parris edged out Starocci and Brooks. In 2022, Gable Steveson won over Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole, while Penn Staters Nick Lee, Roman Bravo-Young, and Starocci were again in the mix.
The pattern is clear: multiple Penn State finalists often means no single Penn State winner.
Sanderson: “We’re Not Worried About That Stuff… But Still”
Sanderson, never one to chase headlines, insisted the Hodge isn’t a focus for his team. “Those are just a bunch of votes and opinions,” he said. “In the past, we’ve had three guys on the ballot splitting our votes.”
Still, he acknowledged the frustration. “Obviously, you bring that up, and so it kind of strikes a chord with me a little bit, because we should have some guys that have Hodge trophies in the past.”
But true to form, Sanderson brought it back to what matters most to him - the wrestling. “I love great wrestling.
I love kids that are locked in and dedicated and committed, and whatever uniform they wear. We all play the same sport and love the same things.”
The Bigger Picture
This year’s Hodge race is still unfolding, but Mesenbrink is firmly in the conversation. So is Mendez. And with Levi Haines, Josh Barr, and defending champ Lucas Byrd of Illinois also in the mix, the field is stacked.
But if history is any indication, Penn State’s biggest competition might not come from other schools - it might come from within. The Nittany Lions keep producing elite wrestlers at an unmatched clip, and in a system where only one can win the Hodge, that level of excellence can sometimes cancel itself out.
Still, as Sanderson made clear, the trophies are nice - but the commitment to the craft is what truly drives this program.
And if that commitment continues to produce nights like Friday’s rout of Ohio State, the Hodge conversation won’t be going away anytime soon.