World Championship season is here, and as usual, Penn State wrestling is well-represented.
Unless it’s an Olympic year, this is the biggest event on the freestyle wrestling calendar.
This isn’t an Olympic year, so, yeah, the next eight days in Croatia will be a pretty big deal.
Penn State wrestling and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club have three American representatives, making up 30% of Team USA’s starting lineup. Of the three, one is only a few months removed from high school, another is about to wrap up a decorated college career, and still another could very well be in the twilight of what’s been a spectacular run at both the folkstyle and freestyle level.
Another Penn State wrestling great is competing for Team Mexico.
PJ DUKE
Photo by SJanicki Photo: PJ Duke
Duke is the guy Penn State wrestling fans will probably be most interested in seeing because, frankly, this has been a dream freestyle season for the teenager.
From beating multiple national champions at the World Team Trials to beating a four-time champ twice at Final X, to winning a U20 World Championship, Duke is simply on a heater.
What’s crazy is, he might not even start for Penn State this season.
Tyler Kasak entered the National Championships last season as the No. 1 seed at 157, which is Duke’s projected weight. If Duke can win a World Championship, it will be even more difficult to keep him out of the lineup.
LEVI HAINES
Photo by Penn State Wrestling: Levi Haines
Haines is surely going to be Penn State wrestling’s starter at 174 pounds, and this will be his last season of eligibility.
He’s already done it all at the college level, winning a national title and making another title match appearance at 157.
This March, competing two weight classes up, Haines finished third at 174. Now, we’ll see if he makes his mark on the freestyle stage.
KYLE SNYDER
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – APRIL 20: Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) and Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC) wrestle in the men’s freestyle 97kg division of the Olympic Wrestling Team Trials on April, 20, 2024 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)
At 29, Snyder, who didn’t wrestle at Penn State but is a member of Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, is the elder statesman not just of NLWC’s representatives but of Team USA as a whole.
A three-time world champ and 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist, Snyder has a shot to add to what’s already a tremendous legacy. 29 isn’t young for wrestling, so we’ll see how much Snyder still has left in the tank.
RBY
Photo by NCAA: Roman Bravo-Young
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Roman Bravo-Young is competing for Team Mexico, going at 57 KG. RBY now competes out of Oklahoma State’s RTC, but is still a PSU great, having won two national titles for coach Cael Sanderson and company.
THE FULL LINEUP, SCHEDULE
Here’s the full lineup for Team USA, as well as the schedule.
57 KG: Spencer Lee
61 KG: Jax Forrest
65 KG: Real Woods
70 KG: PJ Duke
74 KG: David Carr
79 KG: Levi Haines
86 KG: Zahid Valencia
92 KG: Trent Hidley
97 KG: Kyle Snyder
125 KG: Wyatt Hendrickson
Here’s the full schedule for the championships per FloWrestling.
Saturday, September 13
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 12:00 p.m. ET: Qualification rounds – MFS 61, 70, 86, 125 kg
- 1:00 p.m. ET – 3:00 p.m. ET: Semifinals – MFS 61, 70, 86, 125 kg
Sunday, September 14
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 10:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – MFS 57, 74, 79, 92 kg; Repechage – MFS 61, 70, 86, 125 kg
- 10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET: Semifinals – MFS 57, 74, 79, 92 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 1:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – MFS 61, 70, 86, 125 kg
Monday, September 15
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – MFS 65, 97 kg; WFS 55, 59 kg; Repechage – MFS 57, 74, 79, 92 kg
- 10:00 a.m. ET – 11:00 a.m. ET: Semifinals – MFS 65, 97 kg; WFS 55, 59 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – MFS 57, 74, 79, 92 kg
Tuesday, September 16
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – WFS 50, 57, 65, 76 kg; Repechage – MFS 65, 97 kg; WFS 55, 59 kg
- 10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET: Semifinals – WFS 50, 57, 65, 76 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – MFS 65, 97 kg; WFS 55, 59 kg
Wednesday, September 17
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – WFS 53, 62, 68, 72 kg; Repechage – WFS 50, 57, 65, 76 kg
- 10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET: Semifinals – WFS 53, 62, 68, 72 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – WFS 50, 57, 65, 76 kg
Thursday, September 18
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – GR 55, 77, 82, 130 kg; Repechage – WFS 53, 62, 68, 72 kg
- 10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET: Semifinals – GR 55, 77, 82, 130 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – WFS 53, 62, 68, 72 kg
Friday, September 19
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – GR 60, 72, 97 kg; Repechage – GR 55, 77, 82, 130 kg
- 10:45 a.m. ET – 11:45 a.m. ET: Semifinals – GR 60, 72, 97 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – GR 55, 77, 82, 130 kg
Saturday, September 20
- 4:30 a.m. ET – 9:00 a.m. ET: Qualification rounds – GR 63, 67, 87 kg; Repechage – GR 60, 72, 97 kg
- 10:45 a.m. ET – 11:45 a.m. ET: Semifinals – GR 63, 67, 87 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – GR 60, 72, 97 kg
Sunday, September 21
- 10:30 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET: Repechage – GR 63, 67, 87 kg
- 12:00 p.m. ET – 2:00 p.m. ET: Medal Matches – GR 63, 67, 87 kg
