Penn State finished third in the 2024-25 fall Learfield Directors’ Cup rankings, led by a national championship from the women’s volleyball team.
The Nittany Lions furthered their success in the spring semester with their second national championship of the year, as well as a pair of semifinal appearances.
Those deep playoff runs, along with some other moments, make up the top-five moments from the 2025 spring semester.
No. 5 – Men’s gymnastics NCAA championship finish
Josh Karnes took the floor for the 2024 Olympic qualifiers last June but fell short by 15 places.
While his Olympic dreams were postponed, he returned to Penn State to help the Nittany Lions to their best finish since 2016, earning fifth place at the NCAA championship.
All-around gymnast Josh Karnes performs his routine on the pommel horse, scoring a 12.600, in a Penn State men’s gymnastics duel meet against Michigan at Rec Hall on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Wolverines 319.000 to 313.900.
Noah Aberegg
Along the way, Karnes picked up two All-American honors where he finished sixth in All-Around.
No. 4 – Men’s volleyball’s EIVA championship
Penn State lifted the EIVA championship trophy for the third consecutive year and once again made the NCAA Tournament.
The duo of Matthew Luoma and Will Kuhns led the way for the blue and white, helping the team navigate its less-than-ideal 15-16 record.
In the postseason, however, the Nittany Lions came alive, sweeping their way through each of their three games in the EIVA Tournament.
In the championship against Princeton, Penn State took the first and third sets easily with 25-20 and 25-19 victories, but struggled through the second set, playing to a 27-point win.
The Penn State men’s volleyball team huddles after the game against Princeton in Rec Hall on Friday, April 18, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Tigers defeated the Nittany Lions 3-1.
Geraldine Cruz
No. 3 – Men’s lacrosse in NCAA semifinals
In Matt Traynor’s first full season with the blue and white, he led the team to the NCAA semifinals against Duke, where it lost 16-15 in overtime.
Two years later, the Nittany Lions were back in the same game, this time against Cornell.
After coming back from a one-point deficit against Colgate and a four-point deficit against Notre Dame, Penn State pushed ahead for a 4-2 lead over the Big Red before ultimately falling 11-9.
Midfielder Matt Traynor (22) shoots the ball during the Penn State men’s lacrosse match against Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Panzer Stadium on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Raiders 13-11 to move onto the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Noah Aberegg
No. 2 – Wrestling’s fourth straight national championship
On May 1, 2024, four-time national champion Carter Starocci announced his return to Penn State in his quest to become the first five-time NCAA champion.
Less than a year later, Starocci fulfilled his dreams as he took down Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen 4-3 victory.
In addition to the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championship Outstanding Wrestler’s historic season, sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink earned Penn State’s second individual championship, and coach Cael Sanderson won his 12th team title for the Nittany Lions.
The Penn State wrestling team celebrates after winning its 13th national title at the NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships in the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pa. The Nittany Lions won the team competition with a score of 177.
Kate Hildebrand
As a team, Penn State finished with 177.0 points, 60 points ahead of No. 2 Nebraska.
No. 1 – Penn State’s 1st Frozen Four
In his 14th season, coach Guy Gadowsky led the blue and white to the Frozen Four for the first time in the program’s history.
After a 4-7 start to the season, the Nittany Lions got hot, earning their fourth-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
With wins over Maine and UConn, Penn State found itself in St. Louis for the team’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance.
The Nittany Lions ultimately fell 3-1 against Boston University, but has used its historic season to recruit several top names in the hockey world this offseason.
MORE SPORTS CONTENT
Despite failing to medal in the collegiate postseason, freshman Hannah Riolo has found her s…
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.