Kyle Snyder won a gold medal at the 2025 Senior World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. Fellow Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and Penn State wrestling members Levi Haines and PJ Duke also competed, with Haines taking home a silver medal.

For Snyder, the win solidifies another notch in his already impressive resume, as he took gold for the fourth time in his career and the first time since 2022. Snyder also won two silver medals and two bronze medals at the event.

Haines took home a silver medal in his first-ever appearance on the senior world stage. The Nittany Lion claimed a gold medal at the 2025 U23 Pan American Championships in April, going 4-0, notching two falls and a technical fall in the finals.

Incoming freshman PJ Duke has been on a tear this summer, beating Yianni Diakomihalis at Final X in June to earn a spot on the senior world team. Duke was also a starter for the U20 World Championships back in August, where he claimed gold. Although he didn’t place in the senior division, Duke walks into a Penn State system that could make him a folkstyle champion as early as this upcoming season.

How It Happened

PJ Duke (70 kg)

Fresh off his U20 World Championship gold medal performance, Duke made his senior-level freestyle debut against Shuang Chen of China. The incoming freshman lit up the scoreboard early, forcing three step outs and hitting on a takedown to go up 7-0 in the first period. In the second, Duke converted a go-behind takedown to pick up the 11-0 tech fall.

In his second matchup, Duke faced defending world champion Nurkozha Kaipanov of Kazakhstan. Duke started hot with a pair of takedowns to go up 4-0 in the first. The second period was back-and-forth, with lots of points being scored. The Nittany Lions’ tournament ended early with an 11-7 loss; however, a great showing against the defending champion should not be overlooked. Duke will aim to carve out a starting position in the Penn State wrestling program in 2025.

Levi Haines (79 kg)

In the first of his tournament run, Haines took on Khidir Kurban A Saipudinov of Bahrain. The first period was slow, with the opposition holding a one-point lead from a shot clock point. Haines stepped out of the circle to go down 2-0, but came back with a takedown to take the lead based on criteria 2-2. When Saipudinov’s challenge failed, Haines struck again to advance with a 5-2 win.

In the round of 16, Haines faced Korea’s Bumgue Seo. The match only lasted 40 seconds with a quick takedown and gut wrenches for a 10-0 technical fall in favor of the Nittany Lion, propelling him to the quarterfinals.

In the next round, Haines faced the 2023 world champion and current European champion, Akhmed Usmanov. The first period was slow, with Haines falling behind 1-0 due to a shot clock violation. The second period started the same, and Haines fell behind 2-0 with another shot clock point. With two seconds left, Haines clinched a takedown and the 3-2 win to advance.

In the semifinals, Haines matched with the 2025 Asian bronze medalist, Suldkhuu Olonbayar of Mongolia. After going down 1-0 due to another shot clock violation, Haines bounced back in the second period with two takedowns to win 4-1, lifting himself to the finals.

For the gold medal, Haines faced Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece. The Nittany Lion went down 2-0 early with a shot clock violation and a step out. In the second period, Haines stepped out once again before making a takedown at the buzzer, dropping the 3-2 decision and claiming a silver medal.

Although Haines fell short at the World Championships, it was good to see him fight through senior world team qualifying and end with a medal at the competition. The veteran wrestler will continue to be a staple for the Nittany Lions as he enters his senior year.

Kyle Snyder (97 kg)

Snyder started his tournament in the round of 16 against Cristian Sarco Colmenarez of Venezuela. All it took was the first period as Snyder had three takedowns and two turns for a quick 10-0 technical fall.

In the quarterfinals, Snyder faced 2024 Polish Olympian Zbigniew Baranowski. Snyder forced a step out and shot a clock violation while also tagging Baranowski with an ankle pick to go up 4-0 in the first period. He caused another step out in a controlled second period to advance to the semifinals with a 5-0 victory.

The semifinal matchup was against Asian champion Arash Yoshida of Japan. Snyder scrambled his way to a takedown for a 2-0 first-period lead. In the second, he collected two more takedowns and forced a step out to go up 7-0. Snyder ended up winning the match with a 9-1 victory.

Snyder faced 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Amirali Azarpira from Iran in the gold medal match. Azarpira beat Snyder in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The American held a one-point lead heading into the second period after a shot clock violation by Azarpira. Snyder then gave up a takedown in the early stages of the second. With eight seconds left on the clock, Snyder took the 3-2 lead with a takedown, claiming World Championship gold for the fourth time and his eighth medal at the event in his career.

What’s Next?

Snyder is featured on the main card of Real American Freestyle in October, where he faces Mason Parris in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Duke and Haines will aim to prepare for the 2025-26 NCAA wrestling season. The full extent of the starting lineup and schedule is yet to be announced.