PJ Duke earns USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week honors, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare

PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center/Titan Mercury WC) has been named the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, on June 19, 2025.

Duke, a high school sensation from Slate Hill, New York, made his first Senior World Team at 70 kg at Final X in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday. He defeated 2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis in a best-of-three series, two matches to one.

Match one went to Diakomihalis, 10-0. In match two, Duke fought back for a huge 17-10 win after trailing 9-2. 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.

His victory was not only an unexpected upset but also came in dramatic fashion during the third and deciding match. Trailing 2-0, Duke took Diakomihalis to his back, locked him up, and secured the pin at 4:07.

In May, Duke secured his spot at Final X by winning the 2025 Senior World Team Trials Challenge tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week honors for his performance in Louisville on May 21.

Duke has signed with Penn State University. He has also qualified for the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, in August, by winning the 2025 U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio.

To nominate a wrestler for this honor please email the athlete's name, wrestling program, weekly accomplishments, and career accolades to communications@usawrestling.org.