Nine berths on 2025 U.S. Senior Men’s Freestyle World Team set during exciting Final X action in Newark

Duke shocks Diakomihalis, Senior medalists Lee, Snyder, Valencia among men’s freestyle Final X champions

NEWARK, N.J. – Nine berths on the 2025 U.S. Senior World Team were determined in men’s freestyle at an exciting Final X at the Prudential Center on Saturday.

The biggest story came at 70 kg, where high school sensation PJ Duke defeated 2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis, two matches to one, to make his first Senior World Team.

Not only was his victory considered an unexpected upset, but it was done in dramatic fashion in the third and deciding match. Trailing 2-0, Duke took Diakomihalis down to his back and was able to lock him up and secure the pin at 4:07.

Diakomihalis was dominant in the first match, scoring four takedowns and a turn to secure a 10-0 technical fall. However, Duke fought back in the second match for a huge 17-10 win. Diakomihalis led 9-2 in the second match, but Duke hit a pair of four-point moves, followed by turns in par terre, to take a wide-open match and force the third bout.

Duke has signed with Penn State University. Diakomihalis was a four-time NCAA champion for Cornell before turning his full focus on international freestyle. Diakomihalis moved up to 70 kg this season after a number of years at 65 kg. Both wrestlers are natives of upstate New York.

Winners at Final X will compete for the United States at the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, September 13-21.

Three past World or Olympic medalists were able to sweep their finals series to advance to the World Championships, Spencer Lee at 57 kg, Kyle Snyder at 97 kg and Zahid Valencia at 86 kg.

Lee, a 2024 Olympic silver medalist, qualified for his first Senior World Championships team with a two-match sweep over Penn State freshman Luke Lilledahl at 57 kg. Lee won the second match 6-0, scoring all of his points in the first period with a takedown, a leg lace and an exposure from the feet. Lee won the first match 7-2, with a key takedown and two gut wrenches in the first period.

Valencia, a 2023 World bronze medalist, won both of his matches against over four-time World champion and two-time Olympic medalist Kyle Dake. In the deciding second match, Valencia scored a takedown and leg lace turn for a 4-0 lead in the first period, and went on to 4-1 decision. In the first match, Valencia scored a takedown in both the first and second period to secure a 5-3 victory.

Snyder, a 2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion, had little trouble in his two-match sweep over 2022 World Team member Hayden Zillmer. In the deciding second match, Snyder broke a 2-2 tie with two takedowns and a turn in the second period for an 8-2 win. In the opening match, Snyder shut down Zillmer on the way to an 8-0 win. Snyder has made every U.S. Senior World or Olympic team since 2015, a streak now of 11 straight teams. He has won nine World or Olympic medals in his career.

Along with Duke, there are six U.S. men’s freestyle athletes who will be competing on their first Senior-level U.S.  team, although many have had great international success at the age-group level.  

David Carr defeated Mitchell Mesenbrink in two straight matches at 74 kg. In the second match, trailing 4-2 in the second period, Carr scored a clutch takedown to tie the match at 4-4 to win by criteria. Carr won the first match 4-3, coming from behind with two second-period takedowns. Carr, a past U20 World Champion for the USA, won a pair of NCAA titles for Iowa State.

Levi Haines also swept his 79 kg series in two straight over Evan Wick. In the second match, Haines scored a 6-1 win, with a key takedown and an exposure in the second period for the margin of victory. In the first match, Haines scored an impressive 10-0 first-period technical fall. Haines is an NCAA champion for Penn State.

Wyatt Hendrickson won his 125 kg series in two straight matches over Trent Hillger. The second match was a wide-open match ultimately won by Hendrickson, 20-14. Hillger hit a pair of four-point takedowns to lead 12-10 in the second period, but Hendrickson answered with a counter takedown and three gut wrenches to retake the lead and go on to victory. The first match was totally different, with a dominant 10-0 technical fall victory for Hendrickson in the first period. Hendrickson made big news in March when he won an NCAA title for Oklahoma State, beating 2020 Olympic champion Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the finals. Hendrickson is a past U23 World champion for the USA.

Trent Hidlay needed just two bouts at 92 kg to defeat Joshua Barr. Both were tough, gritty matches with scoring hard to achieve. In the second match, all of the points were step outs, with Hidlay winning 3-2. In the first match, Hidlay scored a pair of second period takedowns to win, 6-1. Hidlay, a star at NC State, has won age-group World medals for Team USA, while Barr is currently a star for Penn State.

Real Woods won the 65 kg series in two straight matches over Joey McKenna. Both matches had a key four-point move by Woods that made the difference. In the second match, Woods opened the match with a four-pointer, which held up when the match ended 4-4, giving Woods criteria. McKenna challenged, seeking a point on a singlet pull, which was denied, making in 5-4. Woods scored a big four-point move late in the match to emerge with a 7-3 win. Both wrestlers started their NCAA careers at Stanford, with McKenna finishing up at Ohio State and Woods ending his career at Iowa.

There is one spot left to be determined on the U.S. men’s freestyle team. The 61 kg men’s freestyle Final X series has been delayed, as 2023 World champion and 2024 World bronze medalist Vito Arujau has received a delay of the series due to injury. Only a 2024 Olympic or World medalist has the right to seek a delay. His best-of-three series against 2024 U.S. Open champion Jax Forrest will be held Monday, July 14 at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., alongside the U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals.

A wrap story on the women’s freestyle matches at Final X will be posted separately on TheMat.com

FINAL X

At Newark, N.J., June 14

Men’s Freestyle Best-of-Three Championship Series

74 kg –. David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Carr dec. Mesenbrink, 4-3

Bout Two – Carr dec. Mesenbrink, 4-4

(Carr wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

79 kg – Levi Haines (Arendtsville, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Evan Wick (San Gabriel, Calif./Askren Wrestling Academy/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Haines tech fall Wick, 10-0, 2:31

Bout Two – Haines dec. Wick, 6-1

(Haines wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/U.S. Air Force WCAP) vs. Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Gopher WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Hendrickson tech fall Hillger, 10-0, 1:38

Bout Two – Hendrickson dec. Hillger, 20-14

(Hendrickson wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Joshua Barr (Davison, Mich./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Hidlay dec. Barr, 6-1

Bout Two – Hidlay dec. Barr, 3-2

(Hidlay wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Hayden Zillmer (Deerwood, Minn./Gopher WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Snyder dec. Zillmer, 8-0

Bout Two – Snyder dec. Zillmer, 8-2

(Snyder wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

65 kg – Real Woods (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Joseph McKenna (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Woods dec. McKenna, 7-3

Bout Two – Woods dec. McKenna, 5-4

(Woods wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

70 kg –PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Diakomihalis tech fall Duke, 10-0, 3:26

Bout Two – Duke dec. Diakomihalis, 17-10

Bout Three – Duke pin Diakomihalis, 4:07

(Duke wins series, 2 matches to one, to make the World Team)

57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Luke Lilledahl (Saint Charles, Mo./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Lee dec. Lilledahl, 7-2

Bout Two – Lee dec. Lilledahl, 6-0

(Lee wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kyle Dake (Port Matilda, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bout One – Valencia dec. Dake, 5-3

Bout Two – Valencia dec. Dake, 4-1

(Valencia wins series, 2 matches to none, to make the World Team)