Penn State University’s wrestling program had a remarkable showing at the U20 World Championship Team Trials held in Geneva, Ohio, as five of its affiliates secured spots on the United States national team ahead of the upcoming U20 World Championships in August.
Nine Penn State wrestlers competed in the trials, with Marcus Blaze, PJ Duke, William Henckel, Connor Mirasola, and Cole Mirasola emerging victorious and earning their places in the national lineup.
Nate Desmond, an incoming freshman, started his journey in the 57 kg bracket with a first-round bye. He faced Davis Motyka from the Pennsylvania RTC in his second match, winning decisively with an 11-0 tech fall. Desmond continued his strong start, defeating Christian Castillo of the Cyclone RTC with a commanding 10-0 tech fall but came up short against Ignacio Villaseñor of the Cowboy Wrestling Club in a tight 7-7 match that was decided by criteria. In the consolation bracket, he faced Motyka again but lost in a 14-10 decision, finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record.
In the 61 kg division, Marcus Blaze demonstrated superior skill and determination, completing the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record. Blaze secured a first-round bye and quickly overwhelmed Jackson Blum of the Indiana RTC with a 10-0 tech fall. Blaze continued his impressive run against Dale Corbin of Wyoming Seminary, achieving another tech fall, before winning a closely contested semifinal against Aaron Seidel of Steller Trained Wrestling with a 5-1 decision. In the finals against Zan Fugitt from the Wisconsin RTC, Blaze again dominated his opponent, achieving a swift 10-0 tech fall in just 1:23.
After his impressive performance, Blaze prevailed in a best-of-three final against Kyler Larkin from Valiant Wrestling Club, winning the first match with another tech fall (10-0) and sealing his U20 national team position with a 4-1 decision in the second match.
Class of 2026 commit Sam Herring also competed in the 61 kg bracket, posting a 3-2 record. After a bye in the first round, he faced Tyler Ferrara of the Spartan Combat RTC, winning a close 9-8 decision. However, Herring fell to Ben Davino of the Ohio RTC in a 9-3 decision and was moved to the consolation bracket. There, he bounced back with a strong 10-0 tech fall against Slater Hicks from Central Coast Region and edged Isaiah Cortez of Gilroy High School with a narrow 6-5 victory. Unfortunately, Herring lost to Aaron Seidel in the consolation semifinals by a 14-2 tech fall, ending his bid just shy of a medal.
PJ Duke, another incoming freshman, had a different route to securing his U20 national team spot. After qualifying for the Final X in the senior division, he only needed to compete in the best-of-three finals, where he faced Landon Robideau from the Cowboy RTC. Duke claimed victory in both matches, winning by a score of 7-0 in the first match and 9-4 in the second.
Meanwhile, class of 2026 commit Jayden James put up an impressive fight in the 74 kg bracket. He began with wins over Laird Root (7-0 decision) and Ben Weader (10-0 tech fall), and followed those with a tech fall victory against Penn State redshirt freshman Joe Sealey. James then faced William Denny of Victory Elite Wrestling, claiming a hard-fought 10-8 decision to reach the finals. Unfortunately, he was unable to secure his national team spot, getting swept in back-to-back matches against Ladarion Lockett of the Cowboy RTC.
Joe Sealey rebounded from his semifinal loss and went on to secure third place in the 74 kg division. After advancing past his first opponent with a 10-0 tech fall against Isaias Jimenez and losing to Jayden James, Sealey entered the consolation bracket. He battled his way to third place with a decisive 12-2 tech fall against Daniel Heiser, followed by an 8-1 decision victory over Alessio Perentin from the Spartan Combat RTC.
William Henckel, competing in the 79 kg bracket, needed to perform well in the finals to earn his national team spot based on prior achievements. He successfully achieved that by defeating Brock Mantanona of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in two matches—first by a dominant 10-0 tech fall followed by another tech fall victory—securing his place on the U20 national team.
Redshirt freshman Connor Mirasola triumphed in the 92 kg division with an impressive performance. Due to his past accomplishments, Mirasola was only required to compete in the finals against Dillon Bechtold from the Buffalo Valley RTC. He delivered a standout performance, defeating Bechtold with a 10-0 tech fall in the first match and following it up with a 4-1 decision victory, firmly securing his spot on the national team.
Finally, redshirt freshman Cole Mirasola competed in the 125 kg category, making his mark on the tournament by winning the finals as well. Like his brother Connor, Cole’s previous performance allowed him to enter only the finals. He defeated Dreshaun Ross of the Sebolt Wrestling Academy with a 4-1 decision in the first match and again in the second match with a close 5-2 decision to solidify his position on the U20 national team.
As these talented wrestlers gear up for their international competitions, they will represent not only themselves but also the pride and legacy of Penn State Wrestling.
The U20 World Championships are scheduled to take place in Bulgaria from August 18-24, where these wrestlers will have the opportunity to showcase their skills on the global stage.
image source from：https://onwardstate.com/2025/06/02/five-penn-state-wrestling-affiliates-to-represent-united-states-in-u20-world-championships/
