Final X was another stepping stone in two Nittany Lions' careers. Penn State will be represented at the 2025 Senior World Wrestling Championships in the 79 kg and 70 kg men's freestyle weight classes with one current and future Nittany Lion, respectively.
The surreal match of the evening came from Penn State commit PJ Duke, an 18-year-old from Minisink Valley High School. Up against 2022 world silver medalist and four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis, Duke won 2-1 in the 70 kg weight class' best-of-three.
The first round did not go in his favor. Diakomihalis won by a 10-0 technical fall and gave Duke no breathing room to find his bearings. The second round was a different story as the young wrestler won 17-10 by decision. On his high from round two, Duke pinned Diakomihalis on his back. He secured his round three, by fall victory, and celebrated with a backflip immediately after.
He will have a chance to become the youngest male freestyle wrestler to compete at the Senior World Wrestling Championships since 18-year-old Billy Rosado in 1974, according to NBC Sports. The only other wrestler to step in the way of that is Jax Forest, who turns 19 roughly three months after Duke.
“I’m sure people will be saying, ‘He’s only 18. He’s too young for senior level,’” Duke said after the match. “That’s what they said here. It didn’t go too well for them.”
Duke will join future teammate Levi Haines on Team USA at the Senior World Wrestling Championship. This will also be his first time heading to the senior level.
Haines swept Evan Wick in the 79 kg weight class, 2-0. By a 10-0 technical fall, he took the first round easily with an early 8-0 lead. Following that performance, Haines didn't pump the brakes. By a 6-1 decision, Haines booked his trip to Croatia.
Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Josh Barr did not survive their best-of-three in the men's freestyle, each losing within the first two rounds. In the 57 kg weight class, Lilledahl fell to Spencer Lee in two rounds, Dec 7-2 and Dec 6-0. Mesenbrink in the 74 kg weight class was defeated by David Carr, Dec 4-3 and Dec 4-4. Trent Hidlay got the best of Barr with a Dec 6-1 and Dec 3-2.
In the men's freestyle true-thirds matches, Carter Starocci and Marcus Blaze also won their respective weight classes. Starocci, who was a graduate student this past season with the Nittany Lions, won by a 4-3 decision over Parker Keckeisen.
In the 65 kg weight class, the incoming freshman had a decisive win himself. Against 2025 NCAA runner-up Brock Hardy, Blaze took an 8-2 win to secure his spot at the Senior National team.
Including Lilledahl, Mesenbrink, and Barr, the five past, present, and future Nittany Lions earned their spot on the U.S. National Team. The senior championship will be held in September.