Kasson-Mantorville Grad Earns All-America Honors at NCAA Wrestling Championships

Patrick Kennedy finishes third at 174 pounds, while other area wrestlers also compete at national tournament

Mar. 23, 2026 at 12:04am

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Patrick Kennedy, a former star wrestler at Kasson-Mantorville High School, earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Kennedy, now a fifth-year senior at the University of Iowa, finished in third place at 174 pounds after falling in the semifinals. Two other area wrestlers, Bennett Berge of South Dakota State and Maxwell Petersen of North Dakota State, also competed at the national tournament.

Why it matters

Kennedy's accomplishment continues the wrestling success of Kasson-Mantorville High School, which has produced multiple state champions and team titles. The performance of these local wrestlers at the highest level of college wrestling highlights the strength of the sport in southern Minnesota.

The details

After losing in the semifinals on Friday, Kennedy won two matches on Saturday to finish third at 174 pounds. He beat Navy's Danny Wask 11-1 in a consolation match, then defeated Ohio State's Carson Karchla 9-6 in the third-place bout. Kennedy, the No. 5 seed, had previously beaten Karchla in the quarterfinals. Kennedy, a four-time NCAA qualifier, finished the season 23-5 and caps his career with an 82-26 record and two All-America honors.

  • Kennedy lost in the semifinals on Friday, March 22.
  • Kennedy won two matches on Saturday, March 23 to finish third.

The players

Patrick Kennedy

A former star wrestler at Kasson-Mantorville High School who is now a fifth-year senior at the University of Iowa. He earned All-America honors by finishing third at 174 pounds at the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Bennett Berge

A 2022 graduate of Kasson-Mantorville High School who is now a redshirt junior wrestler at South Dakota State University. He competed at the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at 197 pounds.

Maxwell Petersen

A wrestler from Byron, Minnesota who is a junior at North Dakota State University. He competed at 149 pounds in his first NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

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What they’re saying

“Two-time All-American is good. There is a lot left out there. But going back to putting your work boots on, it's like someday it is going to be over and you have to go to work. You go to work every day.”

— Patrick Kennedy

The takeaway

Kennedy's third-place finish at the NCAA Championships caps an impressive college wrestling career that included multiple state titles in high school and continued success at the University of Iowa. The performances of Kennedy, Berge, and Petersen demonstrate the strength of wrestling in southern Minnesota and the ability of local athletes to compete at the highest levels of the sport.