Jayden James, junior standout wrestler and Penn State commit, dominated the 71kg field at the 2025 U.S. Open this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. His impressive run earned him a place on Team USA for the 2025 U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece.

The U17 division of the U.S. Open doubles as the World Team Trials, and James left no doubt about who belonged atop the podium. He won all six of his matches in dominant fashion, just as he did during his high school season where he went undefeated, outscoring opponents by a combined 64-1 and recording five technical falls along the way.

James opened the tournament in the round of 32 with a 10-0 technical fall over Aidan Godley in just 46 seconds. He followed with another 10-0 victory in 55 seconds against Preston Scott. In the round of 16, James shut out Lucas Boe 10-0 in 2:12, then advanced to the semifinals with an 11-0 tech fall over Maximus Fortier in 1:08.

In the best-of-three finals series, James faced Justus Heeg and continued his commanding performance. Match 1 was over quickly, with James winning by technical fall, 10-0, in just 1:18. He sealed the title in Match 2 with a hard-fought 3-1 decision, clinching his spot on the U17 World Team.

James will now represent the United States at the U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece, from July 28 to August 3.

Already a well-known name in high school wrestling circles, James' showing at the U.S. Open solidifies his reputation as one of the top young wrestlers in the country.