Mendez Wins 2024 National Championship

Saturday, March 23

Kansas City, Missouri

Ohio State

2024 NCAA Championships

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Mendez Wins 2024 National Championship

3/23/2024 10:20:00 PM | Wrestling

Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Ohio State has won five individual NCAA titles at 141 under Tom Ryan

2024 NCAA Brackets | Scoring/Results | Team Scores

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sophomore Jesse Mendez, a native of Crown Point, Indiana, is the 2024 National Champion at 141 pounds. He claimed the crown in the fourth match of the night Saturday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

The No. 1 seed at the 2024 NCAA Championships in his weight class, Mendez downed Penn State's Beau Bartlett to earn Ohio State's first individual champion since Kyle Snyder earned his third-consecutive title at heavyweight in 2018. Mendez is the 24th individual NCAA champion in Ohio State history.

What a final at 141! @PhenoMendez with an incredible takedown in the final seconds to win his first national title. @wrestlingbucks @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/nnsHw19E8M
— Shane Sparks (@ShaneSparksBTN) March 26, 2024

True freshman Rocco Welsh also earned a chance for a national title but fell to Carter Starocci, 2-0, in the title bout.

141- No. 1 Jesse Mendez (PSU) vs. No. 2 Beau Bartlett (PSU)
There were no points scored in the opening period. Mendez got on the board first with an escape to open the second for the 1-0 lead. Despite a late scramble at the end of the second, the bout went to the third with the Buckeyes up one. Bartlett then evened the bout with an escape early in the third. Mendez, in danger after a Bartlett late shot, scrambled out of it and got the takedown for the 4-1 win and the national title at 141.

He fears no man.

Jesse Mendez is your 141 National Champion ??@phenomendez | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/nYzbeTbd3J
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 24, 2024

HE IS PHENOMENDEZ ???? https://t.co/In7jm0D6J2
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 24, 2024

Mendez won the 2024 Big Ten Championship against Bartlett, 4-1. Bartlett won (SV, 4-3) in the regular-season meeting in a dual at Penn State.

174 - No. 6 seed Rocco Welsh (OSU) vs. No. 9 Carter Starocci (PSU)
Starocci scored first when Welsh was called for stalling. Starocci added a point with an escape for a 2-0 lead early in the second. Neither wrestler scored in the third to secure the title for Starocci, his fourth consecutive NCAA Championships, with a 2-0 win by decision.

True Freshman put the 174 weight class on notice. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/v0FvALaYZZ
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 24, 2024

Welsh fell to Starocci in the regular-season meeting during a dual in State College. Starocci took that one by decision, 4-2.

Heavyweight Nick Feldman secured a fifth-place finish in the morning session Saturday with an 11-4 win by major decision over Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State. Feldman entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed. Schultz was the No. 4.

https://t.co/vo0QeerSgk pic.twitter.com/Q0EsXATiCl
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 23, 2024

Tom Ryan, head coach of the Buckeyes, has led four heavyweights to six All-America honors during his 18-year tenure at Ohio State. J.D. Bergman was the first in 2008 with a second-place finish. Kyle Snyder was the NCAA Champion in 2016-17-18 and Tate Orndorff took eighth in 2021.

The Buckeyes have been particularly successful at 141 with an NCAA qualifier in 17-of-18 seasons with 13 All-America honors and five champions (J Jaggers-2, Logan Stieber-2, Jesse Mendez-1) under Ryan's tutelage.

At 174, Ohio State has had a qualifier in the last 16 years with eight All-America awards and one title (Myles Martin in 2016).

In all, Ryan has coached 73 All-Americans at Ohio State.

3?? Buckeye All Americans ????

(285) Nick Feldman | (174) Rocco Welsh | (141) Jesse Mendez |#YoungBucks | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wYtkOPqyEc
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 23, 2024

Ohio State has had at least one All-American in each of Ryan's 18 years at Ohio State and in the last 19 years overall. At least two Buckeyes have earned All-America honors in each of the last 13 seasons.

The last time Ohio State has had two wrestlers in the finals was in 2019 when Joey McKenna (141), Micah Jordan (149) and Kollin Moore (197) all finished second.

Ohio State finished in eighth place with 62.0 points.

2024 Ohio State NCAA Final Results

125
Brendan McCrone (20-13) Finish: 1-2
Champ. Round 1 - Matt Ramos (Purdue) 27-7 won by decision over Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) 20-13 (Dec 4-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) 20-13 won by major decision over Noah Surtin (Missouri) 15-7 (MD 14-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Nico Provo (Stanford) 20-8 won by decision over Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) 20-13 (Dec 12-6)

133
Nic Bouzakis (25-11) Finish: 2-2
Champ. Round 1 - Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) 25-11 won by decision over Braxton Brown (Maryland) 22-12 (Dec 8-5)
Champ. Round 2 - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 21-0 won by decision over Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) 25-11 (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) 25-11 won by decision over Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) 23-12 (Dec 14-8)
Cons. Round 3 - Aaron Nagao (Penn State) 17-7 won by decision over Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) 25-11 (Dec 3-0)

141
Jesse Mendez (30-2) Finish: 5-0/National Champion – All American
Champ. Round 1 - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 29-2 won by tech fall over Todd Carter (G.-Webb) 26-13 (TF-1.5 5:31 (19-4))
Champ. Round 2 - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 29-2 won by fall over Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga) 25-4 (Fall 4:37)
Quarterfinal - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 29-2 won by decision over Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 23-9 (Dec 6-2)
Semifinal - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 29-2 won by decision over Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) 23-5 (Dec 6-4)
1st Place Match - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 30-2 won by decision over Beau Bartlett (Penn State) 23-2 (Dec 4-1)

The baddest man alive ??

Jesse Mendez is the first Ohio State Champion since Kyle Snyder in 2018 ?? pic.twitter.com/AjtdTZIdzJ
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 24, 2024

149
Dylan D`Emilio (27-13) Finish: 3-2
Champ. Round 1 - Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 won by decision over Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) 21-11 (Dec 7-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Jackson Arrington (NC State) 20-5 won by decision over Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 won by decision over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-7 (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 won by decision over Gabe Willochell (Wyoming) 22-12 (Dec 9-7)
Cons. Round 4 - Casey Swiderski (Iowa State) 23-4 won in tie breaker - 1 over Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 (TB-1 2-1)

157
Isaac Wilcox (22-12) Finish: 2-2
Prelim - Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) 22-12 won by decision over Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) 22-19 (Dec 8-2)
Champ. Round 1 - Levi Haines (Penn State) 22-0 won by tech fall over Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) 22-12 (TF-1.5 7:00 (17-2))
Cons. Round 1 - Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) 22-12 won by decision over Brock Mauller (Missouri) 16-7 (Dec 13-10)
Cons. Round 2 - Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) 22-10 won by decision over Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) 22-12 (Dec 8-5)

174
Rocco Welsh (26-5) Finish: 4-1/2nd All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 26-4 won by decision over Danny Wask (Navy) 25-13 (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 26-4 won in sudden victory - 1 over Austin Murphy (Campbell) 23-8 (SV-1 4-1)
Quarterfinal - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 26-4 won in sudden victory - 1 over Edmond Ruth (Illinois) 25-3 (SV-1 4-1)
Semifinal - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 26-4 won in sudden victory - 1 over Lennox Wolak (Columbia) 18-6 (SV-1 4-1)
1st Place Match - Carter Starocci (Penn State) 17-2 won by decision over Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 26-5 (Dec 2-0)

184
Ryder Rogotzke (19-10) Finish: 1-2
Champ. Round 1 - Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) 19-10 won by fall over Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) 21-8 (Fall 2:28)
Champ. Round 2 - Isaiah Salazar (MINN) 24-1 won in sudden victory - 1 over Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) 19-10 (SV-1 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Nate Dugan (Princeton) 25-9 won by decision over Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) 19-10 (Dec 8-5)

197
Luke Geog (15-10) Finish: 0-2
Champ. Round 1 - Silas Allred (Nebraska) 26-9 won by decision over Luke Geog (Ohio State) 15-10 (Dec 10-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-4 won by major decision over Luke Geog (Ohio State) 15-10 (MD 16-6)

285
Nick Feldman (29-7) Finish: 5-2/5th All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 27-6 won by fall over Keaton Kluever (Hofstra) 15-7 (Fall 2:27)
Champ. Round 2 - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 27-6 won by major decision over Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-9 (MD 11-2)
Quarterfinal - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) 18-0 won by decision over Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 27-6 (Dec 1-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 27-6 won in sudden victory - 1 over Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 25-8 (SV-1 8-5)
Cons. Round 5 - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 28-6 won by decision over Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) 36-5 (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Semi - Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) 27-2 won by major decision over Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 29-7 (MD 14-5)
5th Place Match - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 29-7 won by decision over Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) 12-4 (Dec 11-4)

Nick Feldman earns fifth place in his first of many NCAA Championships appearances! The best is yet to come for Feldmonster?? #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Fv5bhSx5rL
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 23, 2024

#GoBucks