Penn State freshman Jayden James came within one second of a U20 World Championship on Sunday before settling for a silver medal in the 74-kilogram (163.1 pound) division at the U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia.
James dropped a heartbreaking 13-12 decision to Japan’s Ariya Yoshida in one of the tournament’s most entertaining finals.
The American built an early advantage with two takedowns, using a single leg and later ducking under an underhook to take a 4-0 lead. After a wild scramble that featured multiple exposure points for both wrestlers, James carried a 6-4 advantage into the break.
The second period was filled with momentum swings. Following a controversial sequence that resulted in a failed U.S. challenge, the match was tied 7-7. James responded with another spectacular scramble, countering Yoshida’s attack with a crotch lift before earning two more points after Japan unsuccessfully challenged the scoring. That sequence gave James a 12-9 lead with 1:35 remaining.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Yoshida refused to go away, scoring a takedown with 28 seconds left to make it 12-11 before completing another takedown as time expired. The final score was 13-12, denying James gold by the slimmest of margins.
Despite the loss, James finished with a U20 World silver medal after an outstanding tournament and added another major international accomplishment to his resume before ever wrestling a collegiate match.
James now joins an elite list of current and future Penn State wrestlers who have earned U20 World medals, including Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Marcus Blaze, PJ Duke, Masanosuke Ono, William Henckel, Josh Barr, Connor Mirasola and Cole Mirasola, further showcasing the international pedigree of Cael Sanderson’s program.
