VITO ARUJAU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO DEFEND HIS BELT!!!

Hyped as a battle of the "Present" vs. "The Future", nothing came easily and points certainly were at a premium; but in the end, the Long Islander would sweep his best-of-3 championship series (had the automatic sitting advantage) as a returning medalist), two bouts to zero against 17-year-old phenom, Marcus Blaze....

The two head-to-heads on Sunday being almost carbon copies of one another, the former 4x NYSPHSAA DI State Champion for Syosset/4x NCAA All-American (Back-to-Back Natty win for Cornell in '23 and '24) was the more aggressive of the two combatants....But yet, it was a constant struggle to penetrate the elite defensive base of the 3x Defending Ohio State Champion/2x UWW Age-Group World medalist (2023 U17 gold)...

An exchange of action clock violations in the 1st and 2nd period actually putting Arujau in danger of dropping round #1; the New Yorker found his answer when it was needed, as he'd get in on a single-leg and use the position to drive Blaze out of the mat (into the scorer's table) for the 1pt stepout with :46 remaining in the bout for what would be the winning score in a 2-1 decision...

During the rematch, Blaze would able have great success in limiting the offensive-minded Empire Stater....But Arujau's commitment to staying on the hunt proved to pay dividends, as he'd register a pair of shot clock violations (one in each period), coupled with an induced stepout approximately half a minute into the 2nd stanza to build a 3-0 lead....Blaze got on the board when he got in deep, but was forced to settle for a 1pt force out in the last :08 of regulation!!

While the glass slipper did not quite for this weekend for Blaze (#5 seed); he has every reason to hold his head high to the sky; as it required running a gauntlet---7-5 over Seth Gross ( (3x Collegiate All-American/2x National finalist/2018 NCAA Champion; 2022 UWW Senior World 5th)) in the quarters...5-0 in the semis against  (4x NCAA All-American/2016 National Champion for Cornell; 2018 Senior WTT member/injured did not compete; 2023 Final X runner-up)....3-2 comeback versus Daton Fix (5x NCAA DI All-American/4x National runner-up; 2021 UWW Senior World Silver Medalist)---just to reach Sunday's money matches!!

His ticket to Tirana now punched; Arujau will set his sights on joining his father, Vougar Oroudjov, as a multiple-time Senior World titlist next month!! 

Sometimes you just have to tip you cap to an opponent who is simply on another level....

Such was the case for Michaela Beck, who most certainly gave it everything she had; but just found herself overmatched in the 59kg Best-of-3 saga against Jacarra Winchester...

Dropping both ends of the championship double-header by identical 11-0 scores, the Fusion Academy alumnus was plagued by WCAP rep's [Wincester] ability to pile up point in bunches, as the 2021 Olympian (5th)/ 2x Senior World finalist (2019 Champion) was like an "SVU rolling down hill"; once she got in the groove; she became impossible to stop...

Trailing only 1-0 entering the last 1:00 of the opening period, things would get away from Beck in that last 60 ticks of Match #1, as Winchester was able to convert a takedown and add a trifecta of gut-wrenches to build a 9-0 lead with :19 remaining....Right before the buzzer, Beck dove on a shot, but got tipped over for a 2pt counter exposure!

During round #2, Winchester again grew stronger the deep into the match she went,  as she turned a 3-0 edge (shot clock violation + a 2pt pancake) at the end of 3:00 into 4:25 technical fall when her defense became her best offense, as she'd stuff shot two shot attempts on for counter takedowns, tacking a 2pt gut-wrench after each TD to lock up her fifth career World Team berth (also had placements of 5th in 2018 and 2020 to go along with her medals)!!

Her losses by superiority was something of reversal of fortune for Beck, who tore through her two matches the day prior, our-scoring her opponents---Yele Aycock & Zoe Nowicki, by a combined margin of 23-0!!!

Already leading 6-0 after converting a single-leg and adding  two guts during the first :15 of her quarterfinal match with Aycock (-2x NCWWC National Runner-up for North Central College; 2024 Women's Nationals U23 Runner-up), Beck switched off to her double game; using the move to get a 2pt exposure before then tacking on her third TD of the bout to close out a 10-0 TF in a time of 1:15!!

On the right side of a comfortable 4-0 cushion in the semis with Nowicki (2020 NCWA National Champion; 3x NCWWC All-American/2022 National Champion; 2023 U.S. Open 5th; 2022 Women's Nationals U23 runner-up), the Gotham City product blew open the match in the final 1:00 of the opening stanza, striking for eight quick points (1pt stepout off of a double; single-leg TD), highlighted by a 4pt standing gut-wrench (after threatening with the single-leg) in the last :05 prior to the break (to make the score 11-0)...

With nothing else to lose, Nowicki corner unsuccessfully attempted a challenge to account for the extra point!

2024 marks the second year in a row that the 2x UWW Age-Group World Teamer was on the verge of making her first Senior squad before having her dreams dashed...

in 2023, she was defeated by the eventual World Bronze medalist, Jennifer Page, in straight sets!!

Wrestling incredibly tough; but not able to manifest his second career Senior World team qualification (23rd in Oslo back in '21) would be the former 2x NYSPHSAA DI State medalist for the Shenendehowa Plainsmen [Porter]....

Upended in two straight by scores of 5-1 and 3-1 in the best-of-three 82kg GR series by ageless wonder (44),  (2x Olympian in 2004/2012; 2009 Senior World Bronze medalist while competing on behalf of Belarus), Porter very much made a good showing of himself as both clashes were closer than the final outcomes may have suggested...

The 26-year-old NYer holding 1-1 advantages in the 2nd period of each end of the double-dip after typical exchanges of caution + 1 passivities, to the credit of the man 18 years his senior, the former Empire State turned Californian [Kikinou] was able to scramble off bottom of par tarre and hit a 4pt head-pinch for the big blow of round #1; and then while on top (for the second time of the contest) in round #2, managed to induce a defensive leg foul call for a caution +2 in the last 1:06 of duration to account for his two hard fought triumphs...

The back-to-back losses on day #2 to the former Belarusian not the way he planned to conclude his weekend; Porter was absolutely stellar in reaching the title match...

Going 3-0 on Saturday, but only challenged once in his three trips to the mats, the Section II standout kicked off his road to the 'ship by dismantling Jordan Lara and Riley Briggs in one-sided affairs of 10-1 and 11-0!!!

After almost scoring with a wicked arm-spin :30 into the opening period (white paddled) against Lara (2023 U.S. Open 7th); Porter eventually took control of the match; as following a caution +1 for passivity, he'd capitalize tremendously in par terre, hitting throws for 4 and 2 points respective to vault himself to a 7-0 lead at the break....Hit for his own passivity point (but not breaking on bottom), he'd later add a stepout and then a 2pt toss to get off the mat in a time of 4:53!

Detonating for six quick points in a span of 23 seconds (1:40 to 1:17 to go in the 1st period) during the quarterfinal battle with Briggs (2023 Senior Nationals 8th), Porter was able to defend an arm-spin attempt and then circle behind for a TD before adding a 2pt gut-wrench and an additional 2-pointer off of a proper throw attempt....With 90 ticks to go in the 2nd period; he'd earn the passivity + 1 (7-0) and again demonstrate his lethal top repertoire, lifting and hurling Briggs for the 4-pointer to cap off his second straight TF in a time of 4:48!

His semifinal serving as a rematch of a 6-5 bout he won at the 2024 Olympic Trials on his way to finishing top-3, Porter displayed his authority versus Tyler Eischens (2x UWW-Age Group World Team/7th at the 2023 U23 World Championships; 4x NCAA National Qualifier for Stanford/University of North Carolina; 7th at 2023 Senior Nationals), it would be Porter's ability to lift and hit a 2pt proper throw (after being awarded the caution +1 to even the match 1-1 with 2:00 to go in regulation) with approximately 1:50 remaining in the contest that proved to be the deciding factor!!!

In addition, his stout/fortress defense when on bottom was also invaluable as he twice (including the last half minute of regulation) prevented his original Cardinal transformed Tar Heel opposition from either turning or tossing him!!

The momentum continues to build for the three-time NYSPHSAA Di State Champion out of Minisink Valley!!

Just a week removed from taking home the bronze medal at the 2024 UWW U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, the nation's #1 overall 2025 prospect, PJ Duke, thrived in his Senior level debut this weekend in Omaha Nebraska!!

Surpassing the #4 seed in which he entered the 70kg festivities, the the Penn State verbal commit rattled off a 4-1 record en route to finishing 3rd in the bracket!!

His lone blemish (7-0 decision) suffered at the hands of seasoned veteran, Alec Pantaleo (2x UWW Senior Pan-American Gold medalist; Former 2x UWW Age-Group World Teamer; 3x NCAA All-American for the University of Michigan; 2022 U.S. Open titlist), in the semifinals, Duke would otherwise be outstanding...

His path to the podium taking him through the likes of Vince Bouzakis and Jarrett Jacques at the early stages of Day #1, the Empire Stater came away with respective 7-0 and 8-3 decisions to reach the championship round of 4...

A renewal of an ongoing rivalry with Bouzakis (met in the 2020 Eastern States Classic finals; the 2022 Fargo 16U finals, the 2022 Super 32 finale etc), Duke utilized a pair of 1st period go-behinds, as well as an activity clock violation and a snap + spin behind in the 2nd period to inflict his damage in this clash of top-10 big boarders over his fellow high school senior (#8 overall 2025 Big Boarder per MatScouts; 2024 Prep National Champion; 2023 PIAA State Champion; 2023 UWW Double U17 Pan-American Gold Medalist; 4x Fargo FS All-American/2x finalist/2023 Junior champ)...

Trailing 1-1 on criteria in the quarterfinals after an exchange of activity clock violations with the 5x NCAA National Qualifier for the University of Missouri/2024 Olympic Trials 4th [Jacques); Duke exploded for seven unanswered pts, as he hit a foot sweep for a 2pt exposure with approximately 90 seconds to go in the bout (while the former Tiger was back on the shot clock), stuffed a shot and got a 2pt counter exposure with 1:08 remaining; and struck again with a throw-by in the last 45 ticks to build an 8-1 advantage...He surrendered a meaningly single-leg TD during the final half minute to account for the outcome!

Shaking off the "learning experience" issued to him by the aforementioned Pantaleo the night prior, Duke rebounded to the tune of 5-2 and 5-1 victories on Sunday over Will Lewan and Yahya Thomas....

.Carrying a 3-0 lead into the intermission following a pair of stepout points and an activity clock violation in his collision with Lewan [3x Collegiate All-American for the University of Michigan; 2017 UWW U17 World Gold medalist), Duke's defensive prowess and alertness was especially on display when he successfully stuffed a lat drop attempt in the final 1:46 of the 2nd period for a 2pt counter exposure to boost his cushion to 5-0...Lewan prevented the shutout by finishing a takedown in the last 1:00 of the contest!

His encore outing against the 2021 NCAA DI Bronze medalist/former 2x UWW Age-Group World Teamer (5th at the 2022 U23 tourney), Thomas, arguably his most impressive, Duke found himself trailing 1-1 on criteria with just under 2:00 to go in the 2nd after trading out activity clock violations; but alas,  the New Yorker found that next gear down the home stretch, as he'd answer back with a pair of takedowns to seize the decision victory!!!

***A top-3 showing at the WTT normally a guaranteed National Team clinching criteria; because of the uniqueness of this being an Olympic year, there remains some question as to whether or not Duke will be formally recognized as a member of the Senior squad!***

2024 USA SENIOR WORLD TEAM