THREE MONTHS...THREE CITIES...TWO WORLD MEDALS!!!

On Sunday afternoon, PJ Duke's "Amazing Race" reached its exciting conclusion when the former 4x NYSPHSAA DI State Champion and/or #1 overall prospect on the NY-USAW 2025 Big Board closed out a 4-1 record in Novi Sad, Serbia en route to earning the 70kg MFS U23 Bronze Medal!!!!

In finishing on the podium yesterday; the S9 phenom became the first Empire Stater since Youssif Hemida (2018 MFS 120kg Silver) to earn a medal at this particular age-group championship event!!

This past weekend marking his third UWW World Championship appearance of the 2025 Summer/Fall months; the Minisink Valley HS alumnus/Current Penn State University true freshman boasted a comprehensive 10-2 resume from the start of his "global jet-setting" in Samokov, Bulgaria to its conclusion in Serbia; as the Duke's bronze complemented the U20 Gold he won back in August!!!!

In-between, there would be a stop in Zagreb, Croatia where he split two matches to take an impressive 11th in his Senior Worlds debut!

As a collective unit these past few days; the Red, White, and Blue would claim five medals to vault the country to the U23 MFS team hardware for the second time in their past three attempts [previously won in 2023], as they out-gunned runner-up, Iran, 137-127 [they entered Monday tied at 102]  ...

Winning gold on behalf of the Stars + Stripes would Bishop McCort HS Senior/future Oklahoma State Cowboy, Jax Forrest (61kg), as well as Duke's Nittany Lion teammates---Luke Lilledahl (57kg), Mitchell Mesenbrink (74kg), and Levi Haines (79kg)!!

THE ROAD TO BRONZE:

All system were go for the 19-year-old in his qualification bout!!

Squaring off against Begijon Kuldashev (17th at the 2025 Senior Worlds; 2025 Asian U23 Bronze Medalist), of Uzbekistan; Duke would carry a 3-0 lead into the break after earning an activity clock violation (a little less than 2:00 in to the 1st period) and then converting a TD (low-single into a double) in the final half minute...

In the 2nd period, he tacked on insurance TDs in the first and last 60 seconds of the stanza; as he had a go-behind to go up 5-0; and then cemented the dub when he cashed-in on a re-shot single-leg (7-1)!!

Kuldashev's lone point came courtesy of a stepout with just under 90 ticks remaining in regulation!

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Putting on a clinic from his feet; the American needed less than 2:00 to rack up FIVE takedown on his way to a punishing 10-0 superiority triumph over 2024 European U20 Bronze Medalist/20th at 2024 U20 Worlds, Rostislav Leicht (Germany)!

The first of his five TDs coming just :15 into the 1st period when he got in deep on a low-level attack and then drove through with a double; Duke added two additional single-leg finishes, as well as a pair of go-behinds to get on and off the mat in the R16 in a time of 1:56!
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Receiving his first true test of the day in Novi Sad when he battled against Kaito Morita (Japan; 12th at the '23 U23 Worlds), in the quarterfinals...

"The Duke of NY" passed literally with "flying" colors!!!!

Leading just 3-2 at the break; the New Yorker blew the match open when :50 in the 2nd period; he'd circle behind, lift, and launch his Japanese nemesis for a 4-pointer to go up 7-2!

After allowing a stepout (1:13 remaining) to see the deficit trimmed to 7-3; PJ closed strong when he registered his second TD of the contest (low-single; backdoor finish) in the last :25 to round out the scoring and account for the aforementioned verdict!
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Suffering his lone defeat of the tournament; Duke dropped his semifinal contest to the eventual champion and/now 4x UWW Age-Group World Medalist (2x titlist), Kanan Heybatov (Azerbaijan]....

Drawing first blood when he converted a takedown in the final minute of the opening period to carry the 2-0 advantage into the break...

The Empire Teen sensation would unfortunately get victimized by a TD and three turns via trapped-arm gut during an 80-second span at the beginning of the 2nd period to fall into an 8-3 hole (AZE corner unsuccessfully challenged for more exposure points to be allowed...

An induced stepout with 1:37 remaining in regulation cut the deficit to 8-4; but Heybatov would close strong; as he added a 2pt counter TD (1:18 on the clock) and then ended it with a 4-pointer with approximately :44 to go in the 2nd!
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Briefly trailing 2-0 to Armenian, Davit Margaryan (Previous 2x age-group World Teamer; 2018 U15 European Bronze) after surrendering the opening takedown approximately 1:18 into the contest; Duke refused to be denied top-3 status as he stormed back to score the next six unanswered points!! 

The bout all deadlocked at 2-2; it would be an emphatic culmination to a lucrative voyage as Duke utilized an over/under to dump his nemesis straight to his back for a 4-pointer in the last 20 ticks of the stanza as a prelude to the  buzzer-beating mat slap!!

BEST OF PJ (Highlight Reel):