Penn State Commit PJ Duke Wins 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial
Penn State Commit PJ Duke Wins 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial
High school senior and Penn State commit PJ Duke won the 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial.
PJ Duke, a high school senior and Penn State commit, had an impressive performance at the 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial. He won gold on Saturday at deep 70 kg field that included several All-Americans. Check out the below article for a full recap of Duke's tournament with videos of his matches.
Quarterfinals - 11-0 over Miquel Auccapina (PER)
Duke made quick work off his first-round opponent and recorded the tech fall in just 1:35 seconds. In the above match, Duke showed off his horsepower early and scored a highlight reel takedown in the first 20 seconds of the match. Then, Duke used a go-behind, followed by a big four and a few gut wrenches to close out the match.
Semifinals - Pin (10-2) over Bryce Andonian (USA)
Duke's match against 3-time All-American and U20 world bronze medalist Bryce Andonian was one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the tournament. Andonian took a 2-0 lead early with a takedown in just 15 seconds but after that it was all Duke. He consistently won upper body positions against Andonian and secured a big four via an inside trip. Duke ended the match with a pin by coming out on top in a scramble.
Finals - 10-4 over Will Lewan (USA)
Duke's final match was against two-time All-American and U17 world champ Will Lewan. Duke took the lead early after catching Lewan's shot with a chest wrap and taking Lewan over for exposure three separate times. Coincidentally, Lewan responded with a chest wrap of his own to close Duke's lead to 6-2. Duke extended his lead with a powerful double from space and held an 8-2 lead at the end of the first period.
The second period had far less action as Duke wrestled smart, primarily hand fighting and holding position. Duke built his lead to 10-2 after a go-behind off of Lewan's shot with just over a minute left in the match. Despite trailing big, Lewan stayed in the match and converted on a single with 45 seconds left to close the score to 10-4. Duke wasn't threatened the rest of the way and won his Farrell title in convincing fashion.