So, Team USA is really reigning it in at the U20 World Championships, with the most number of medals and wins overall. And, as of today, to add to the country’s international domination, there are a few more gold medals, including one that went to none other than Penn State’s Marcus Blaze, who has, throughout the tournament, been setting the mat…yes, ablaze.

Marcus Blaze, the number 1 prospect in the class of 2025, wrestled in the 61 kg category at the World Championships and took on Iran’s Ahora Khateri, whom he ended up beating in the second period. Blaze took the lead in the first period with 5 points, then bagged another in the second, thereby scoring his second world title. Yes, the second, which is a big deal, marking him as one amongst a few other wrestling legends who have managed to win both a Cadet and Junior gold at the World Championships!

In fact, as per the Wrestling Nomad X page, Blaze now joins 4 other college-level wrestlers, who at their times, managed to pull this off. Luke Lilledahl, Gable Steveson, Mark Hall, and Spencer Lee also managed to win a cadet gold, for the 15-17 age category, at the world championships before the junior gold, for the 18-20 age category.

Marcus Blaze, being the most recent wrestler to claim this achievement, is now going to be one to look out for as he begins his journey with Penn State.

Penn State wrestlers are dominating the World Championships, PJ Duke and Marcus Blaze amongst others

It isn’t just Marcus Blaze who’s making a name for his school. Penn State has had a heavy presence at this year’s U20 World Championships, with PJ Duke winning the 70 kg gold as well. His, plus Blaze’s gold, may hopefully make up for William Henckel’s controversial silver after multiple injury timeouts, but it’s doubtful that Cael Sanderson is too worried about that considering the Lions had more medals on top of that.

The Mirasola brothers, Connor and Cole, both of whom are Wisconsin high school graduates and are freshmen at Penn State, managed to bag bronze medals, adding up, all in all, to a total of 5 medals to Team USA from Penn State wrestlers. So, it’s looking like the college may just have yet another year on top of the NCAA rankings, something Cael Sanderson will obviously be happy about considering the threat David Taylor was trying to pose with the Cowboys. In fact, Penn State may even have a new trick up their sleeves shortly.

In a recent Instagram story, Pennsylvania native Bo Bassett shared a video of him walking alongside current Lion Mitchell Mesenbrink as they head towards the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay. Considering Bassett pulled out of his commitment with Iowa earlier in June, the fact that he’s making his friendship with Mesenbrink public so soon before the new NCAA season begins in November feels like a bit of a hint.

And, judging by the way Penn State has been performing at the World Championships, it definitely seems like it would be a good school to choose for a wrestler looking to make their name known!