Penn State Nittany Lions News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Perrysburg High’s Marcus Blaze celebrates his title at the 2025 OHSAA State Wrestling Championships. Blaze will be a freshman for the Penn State wrestling team next season. ANDREW DOLPH/TIMES-REPORTER / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PJ Duke, Marcus Blaze Highlight Penn State Wrestling's Future at U20 Team Trials

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 1:42 PM ET

Cael Sanderson appears unwilling to let Penn State relinquish its grip on college wrestling. Five current or future Nittany Lions will compose half the men's freestyle team representing the U.S. at the 2025 U20 World Wrestling Championships. Penn State had a phenomenal weekend at the U.S. Team Trials in Ohio, which the Penn State wrestling coach likely watched with anticipation.

PJ Duke and Marcus Blaze, who will join a compelling Penn State wrestling team next season, earned their second trips to U20 worlds with dominant performances at the trials. Duke can complete a unique double world-team season in two weeks when he competes at Final X for a chance to qualify for the Senior World Championships.

In addition, current Nittany Lions Cole and Connor Mirasola qualified for U20 worlds. Connor Mirasola is a second-time world qualifier afer placing fifth last year. Cole Mirasola made his first international team. Will Henckel, another member of the Nittany Lions' 2025 recruiting class, won his weight class to qualify for worlds.

All five wrestlers will represent the U.S. at the U20 World Championships in August in Bulgaria. Here's the Penn State breakdown from the U20 team trials.

PJ Duke continues a superb freestyle season

Duke already is one of the nation's most interesting wrestlers before even competing in college. The 2025 Junior Hodge Trophy winner from New York won the Senior World Team Trials at 70 kg and will take on Yianni Diakomihalis at Final X on June 14 in Newark.

Duke was dominant again at the U20 trials, sweeping Oklahoma State recruit Landon Robideau 7-0 and 9-4 in the best-of-three championship series. Duke, a 2024 U20 world bronze medalist, added the trials freestyle title to his wins at the Bill Farrell Memorial International and the Senior team trials.

PJ Duke defeated Landon Robideau in impressive fashion two matches to zero to make his second straight U20 World Team at 70 kg! pic.twitter.com/JzNyNMPefs
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) May 31, 2025

Marcus Blaze makes third straight world team

Blaze is building quite the freestyle resume, qualifying for his third straight U.S. world team. Blaze won a U17 world championship in 2023 and a U20 bronze medalist lsat year. Blaze returns to worlds at 61 kg after defeating Arizona State's Kyler Larkin 10-0 and 4-1.

Blaze won two of his three matches at the team trials by 10-0 scores and allowed just one point. He also will compete at Final X, wrestling against NCAA finalist Brock Hardy of Nebraska at 65 kg for third place. The winner earns a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team.

The Mirasola brothers qualify for worlds

The twins from Wisconsin will compete together at the world championships for the first time. Cole Mirasola scored 4-1 and 5-2 decisions over Oklahoma State commit Dreshaun Ross at 125 kg. Connor Mirasola, fifth at 92 kg last year, defeated Bucknell's Dillon Bechtold 10-0 and 4-1 at 92 kg for a return trip. Both Mirasolas earned byes to the trials' championship series by winning U.S. Open titles in April.

The Mirasola brothers redshirted for Penn State last season, with Cole in line to take the heavyweight spot in Penn State's 2025-26 lineup. Connor went 8-0 in open competition for the Nittany Lions last season, while Cole compiled a 6-2 record.

Will Henckel adds trials title to resume

Henckel, a two-time prep national champion at Blair Academy, has had an exceptional freestyle season as well. In April he won the 79 kg title at the U20 U.S. Open, defeating Michigan freshman Brock Mantanona 12-8.

Henckel extended his control of Mantanona at the trials, winning the best-of-three series by a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

A big win for a future Nittany Lion

Elsewhere at the U20 trials, two future teammates met in the semifinals at 74 kg. Jayden James, a 2026 Penn State commit, took on current Nittany Lion Joe Sealey. James, who has qualified for the U.S. U17 world team, scored a 10-0 technical fall over Sealey in under 2 minutes. James placed second at the weight class, while Sealey was third.

Jayden James, Penn State Commit - 74 kg Runner-Up
At U20 World Team Trials, Today
Jayden can Pick up the U17 World Title later this Year
Jr from Delbarton, NJ was Competing under KD Training Center
by @SJanickiPhoto @pennstateWREST @NittanyLionWC @jaydenxjames_ @CoachKD98 pic.twitter.com/L41MwAwBiD
— Penn State/NLWC Fan (@NlwcFan) June 1, 2025