Penn State Wrestling: Jayden James Wins 2 Golds at U17 Pan American Championships

Penn State wrestling's future stars are scoring big on the national and international stage this year. The most recent winner is Jayden James, who won two gold medals at the U17 Pan American Championships.

James, who committed to Penn State's 2026 recruiting class, swept the 71 kg freestyle titles in both the Greco-Roman and freestyle events at the event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. James won his 71 kg Greco-Roman title with an 11- 8 decision, then followed with four 10-0 technical falls to dominate the freestyle discipline. James was part of a U.S. contingent that won three team titles and a total of 15 gold medals in the men's freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions.

Penn State scored a huge flip with James in March, just days after winning itsfourth consecutive NCAA team title. The Delbarton High wrestler previously had committed to Virginia Tech but shifted to the Nittany Lions' 2026 class. He had just won his first New Jersey state title, going 43-0 and being named NJ.com's High School Wrestler of the Year. James scored three pins and two technical falls in winning the 150-pound weight class at the NJSIAA Championships.

James is another Penn State recruit headed to a World Championships this year. He went 6-0 in the 71 kg freestyle class at the U17 U.S. Open, outscoring opponents 64-1 with five technical falls. James will represent the U.S. at the U17 World Championships this summer in Athens. James also has won two U16 freestyle titles at the U.S. Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.

Penn State's World Championships future prospects also include PJ Duke, who has been freestyle wrestling's most compelling story this year. Duke, a 2025 Penn State commit, currently is the youngest wrestler qualified for the U.S. team that will compete at the Senior World Championships in Croatia. Before that, Duke also will compete at the U20 Worlds in August in Bulgaria.

In addition, fellow 2025 recruit Marcus Blaze has made his third consecutive world team. Blaze, a 2023 U17 world champion, will compete at the U20 World Championships at 61 kg. He won a bronze medal at the U20 world last year.

Penn State recently won its 12th NCAA title in 14 years and seeks its fifth straight in 2026. As he said after the latest title, Nittany Lions coach Cael Sanderson never stops looking toward the future.

"I mean, we're just constantly thinking ahead, and just everything's preparation for the next thing," Sanderson said after Penn State won its fourth straight NCAA wrestling title. "So we don't really kind of stop and reflect a whole lot. Obviously we're learning as we go and we'll continue to do that. That's the name of the game."