KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WCMH) — In what looked like an exact replay of the Big Ten championship, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez defeated Penn State’s Beau Bartlett for the second time in less than a month, this time claiming the NCAA title in the 141-pound final.

The match was tied 1-1 late in the third period when Mendez secured a takedown in the final seconds. After a Penn State challenge, officials confirmed the 4-1 victory, handing Ohio State its first national champion in wrestling since Kyle Snyder in 2018.

Mendez, the No. 1 seed in this year’s 141-pound bracket, and Bartlett had split the season series prior to tonight with Bartlett winning in the regular season before Mendez got revenge in the Big Ten final. He advanced to the NCAA final after defeating Anthony Echemendia of Iowa State in the semifinals on Friday.

Mendez was one of two Ohio State finalists competing for NCAA championships on Saturday in Kansas City. His teammate, Rocco Welsh, lost in the 174-pound weight class against Penn State’s Carter Starocci.