Penn State’s PJ Duke Will Wrestle Against a Childhood Hero at Final.
As a young wrestler, PJ Duke watched Yianni Diakomihalis compete in major events, occasionally asking Diakomihalis to autograph his gear. In June, Duke will wrestle against one of his childhood heroes, and fellow New Yorker, for a trip to the 2025 World Wrestling Championships.
“I remember when I was little, I would run up to him and get my stuff signed by him,” Duke said in an interview at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials. “And now I’m competing against him, which I’m so grateful to do
Duke is just beginning his senior freestyle career but won the U20 U.S. Open title and claimed bronze at the 2024 U20 worlds. He also is just beginning his college career. Duke will be a freshman at Penn State this season and could compete for a starting spot at either 149 or 157 pounds, where the Nittany Lions return a pair of two-time NCAA bronze medalists in Shayne Van Ness and Tyler Kasak.
Meanwhile, Diakomihalis was a four-time NCAA champion at Cornell, where he was a Hodge Trophy finalist his senior year. Duke called the opportunityto wrestle Diakomihalis “incredible,” especially considering both wrestlers are from New York. Duke was a four-time high school state champion at Minisink Valley High, and Diakomihalis was a five-time state champ at Hilton High near Rochester
Duke, the 18-year-old phenom who will join the Penn State wrestling team this fall, was among the scene-stealers at the recent World Team Trials in Louisville, Kentucky. Duke swept the 70 kg men’s freestyle weight class, defeating two NCAA champions in the process, to earn a spot a Final X, the last qualifying stage for the world championships.
At Final X, scheduled for June 14 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Duke will meet Diakomihalis in a best-of-three series to determine who represents the U.S. at 70 kg at worlds.
The 26-year-old Diakomihalis is the favorite, having won the 2025 U.S. Open title to earn an automatic bid to Final X. He also has significant senior freestyle experience, including a silver medal at the 2025 World Championships
“Yianni’s one of those people I looked up to my whole youth and middle school career,” Duke told reporters at the World Team Trials. “… Yianni’s one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever seen, so to be able to compete against him, I’m so honored.”
Duke starred at the Team Trials, for which he was named USA Wrestling’s Athlete of the Week. He defeated two national champions from Nebraska (Antrell Taylor and Ridge Lovett) before scoring a 4-1 decision over Bryce Andonian, a three-time NCAA All-American at Virginia Tech, in the final.
Duke is among five current or future Penn State wrestlers who will be in the men’s freestyle field at Final X. He will join future teammates Luke Lilledahl (57 kg), Mitchell Mesenbrink (74 kg), Levi Haines (79 kg) and Josh Barr (92 kg) in competing for trips to worlds. Half the men’s freestyle weight classes at Final X will feature a wrestler on the′
