UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink was named the winner of the 2026 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy this week.

Mesenbrink, the 165-pound standout for the Nittany Lions, will receive the award, given to the best collegiate wrestler in the nation each season, on Sunday, April 12, at a banquet for the program in State College.

He is one of 41 individual national champions who have won a total of 65 NCAA titles for the Nittany Lions. He becomes the sixth different Nittany Lion to win the Hodge honor, considered the Heisman Trophy of wrestling.

Mesenbrink got 60 out of 65 first-place votes with Oklahoma State freshman Jax Forrest earning four and fellow Nittany Lion Josh Barr one.

Criteria for the Hodge award includes a wrestler’s record (27-0), dominance-bonus point percentage, quality of competition and sportsmanship. In his 27 wins, he had eight pins, 11 technical falls, six majors and one forfeit. Nine of his wins came against seven All-American wrestlers.

NHL gets 2 Lions

UNIVERSITY PARK — Sophomore goalie Kevin Reidler and junior forward Matt DiMarsico became the 13 and 14th Nittany Lions in program history to put pen to paper on an NHL contract on Monday.

DiMarsico signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Colorado Avalanche while Reidler signed a two-year deal with the Ottawa Senators.

DiMarsico will report to American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, on an AHL contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign with his ELC set to begin with the 2026-27 season. Reidler will report to American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators, on an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

After Reidler transferred from Nebraska-Omaha, the 2022 fifth-round pick of the Senators started 18 games for the Nittany Lions this season posting an 11-7-0 record with a .901 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average.

DiMarsico, who was named a 2026 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, became just the 10th Nittany Lion all-time to reach 100 career points and just the 11th Nittany Lion all-time to hit the 40-point mark in a season in 2025-26.

Honors for PSU Altoona

Penn State Altoona junior Jackson Newell was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Player of the Week in men’s tennis.

Newell won both of his singles and doubles matches when the Penn State Altoona men’s tennis team swept AMCC opponent Pitt-Greensburg in a doubleheader.

This is his first career AMCC Player of the Week award. This season, the junior holds an 8-3 overall record in singles play, including a 5-0 mark against conference opponents. In doubles, he is 6-4 overall and 4-0 in the AMCC.

For the third time this season, Penn State Altoona softball junior pitcher Josselyn Nau was selected the AMCC Pitcher of the Week.

In her two starts last week against non-conference opponent McDaniel and AMCC foe Hilbert, Nau went 1-1 with two complete games.

On the week, Nau totaled 12 innings, struck out three batters and compiled a 2.55 earned run average. In the conference, she currently ranks third in earned run average (3.19), first in wins (five), and second in strikeouts (31).

Spikers at Wrigley

UNIVERSITY PARK — The Penn State women’s volleyball team will play a match at the iconic Wrigley Field when it takes on Kentucky this fall on Sept. 6.

The Wrigley Field event, which is a doubleheader that also includes Nebraska vs. Missouri, is part of the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Challenge.

Both outdoor matches will be broadcast live on FOX, with the first contest scheduled for 7 p.m. followed by a 9 p.m. start time for the second match.