Jayden James, a rising senior and Penn State 2026 commit, captured the gold medal in men's freestyle 71 kg at the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships, delivering a dominant and technically brilliant performance on the world stage over the weekend.
In five consecutive bouts, he dismantled the world's best young wrestlers from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Iran to reach the top of the podium and help Team USA secure the freestyle team championship.
James's path through the tournament was nothing short of spectacular:
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Qualification Round: Defeated Koba Goguadze (Georgia) by technical fall, 12-2
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Round of 16: Defeated Rashad Veysalov (Azerbaijan), technical fall, 13-2
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Quarterfinals: Defeated Farrukhbek Jumanazarov (Uzbekistan), 6-0
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Semifinals: Pinned Yeghishe Mosesyan (Armenia) in 3:38, breaking a tie with very little time remaining.
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Final: Put on a master class against Arsham Vahabian Kandbon (Iran), 9-2, with control of the match from opening whistle to final.
Each bout showcased his ability to score early, control the tempo, and stay composed under pressure. His semifinal victory — a dramatic pin while the match was tied 3-3 — was one of the tournament's most electrifying moments.
James's gold was crucial in an incredible team comeback for the United States. Entering the final session, the Americans trailed Iran in team points. But with four finalists — including James — Team USA needed to win every gold medal match and hope Iran came up short. That's exactly what happened. The U.S. won all four finals, edging out Iran 154-150 to claim the team championship in freestyle.
"As most people know, wrestling is truly an international sport, practiced in all corners of the world," says head wrestling coach Bryan Stoll. "To get the opportunity to compete against the best in your age group on the planet is amazing. To win, words can not describe how proud we are of Jayden on this tremendous accomplishment. He's done it all with a very unique blend of confidence, humility and faith; three characteristics at the core of Delbarton's mission. I couldn't think of a better representative of our school on a global stage."
