Penn State and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club athletes were in action at the World Team Trials this weekend, with Zain Retherford securing a spot at Final X.

Incoming Penn State freshman Jayden James also impressed, placing second in his weight class.

How it Happened

Zain Retherford (70 kg)

No. 1 seed Retherford, representing the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, received a first-round bye before facing Landon Robideau of Cowboy RTC in a tightly contested semifinal matchup. Retherford struck first midway through the final period, converting a double-leg takedown to take a 3-0 lead.

Robideau battled back late, getting back exposure in the closing seconds to cut the deficit 3-2. Retherford held strong to secure the 3-2 victory and advance to the finals.

In the championship bout, Retherford once again found himself in a tight battle, edging Caleb Henson 2-1 to capture the World Team Trials title and earn his spot at Final X.

Joe Sealey (74 kg)

Joe Sealey entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed and began his run with a bye in the first round before matching up with incoming Penn State teammate James in the quarterfinals. James controlled the bout from the opening whistle, earning a 10-0 technical fall victory at the 3:13 mark and sending Sealey to the consolation bracket.

In the consolation quarterfinals, Sealey bounced back with a gritty performance against Cam Amine of Cowboy RTC. In a tightly contested matchup, Sealey battled his way to a 3-2 decision to keep his tournament run alive.

Sealey continued his charge through the backside of the bracket, capping off his tournament with an impressive 10-5 victory over Quincey Monday in the third-place bout.

Jayden James (74 kg)

Incoming Penn State freshman James advanced through the early rounds of the World Team Trials with a pair of strong victories. In the first round, James secured an impressive 8-3 decision over Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo to move into the quarterfinals.

There, James faced fellow Penn State wrestler Sealey of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and delivered a dominant performance with a 10-0 technical fall to punch his ticket to the semifinals.

In the semifinal round against Quincy Monday, the match swung back and forth in the closing stretch. Monday was initially awarded a four-point throw to take what looked like a 6-4 lead, but after review, only two points were confirmed, tying the bout 4-4 with under a minute remaining. On the restart, James immediately capitalized, turning Monday to his back to secure the fall at 5:37.

Facing former world team member David Carr in the championship, James kept the score close through the opening period. Carr used a duck under to build momentum and eventually opened up a 9-3 lead. James answered with a late attack to cut the deficit to 9-7 in the closing minute, though.

The comeback effort ultimately fell short, though James finished the tournament with a silver medal and an impressive runner-up performance.

Cole Mirasola (125 kg)

Cole Mirasola put together a strong performance at the World Team Trials, battling back through the consolation bracket after an early quarterfinal loss. Mirasola opened the tournament with an 8-2 decision over Jonathan Aiello of Ohio RTC to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals.

There, Mirasola faced a tough matchup against this year’s NCAA national champion, Isaac Trumble of Wolfpack RTC. Trumble was able to secure a fall at the 3:57 mark, sending Mirasola into the consolation bracket.

In the consolation matches, Mirasola bounced back with a dominant 7-0 victory over Lucas Stoddard of Army. He continued his run in the quarterfinals, where he took on Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota, controlling action throughout the match and earning a 4-0 decision to advance further in the wrestlebacks.

In the bronze-medal match, Mirasola met Coby Merrill in a back-and-forth matchup that closed out his tournament run. Merrill built his advantage early and maintained control, holding on for a 13-7 decision and leaving Mirasola just short of the podium with a fourth-place finish.

What’s Next?

Retherford joins Luke Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze, Levi Haines, Kyle Dake, and Kyle Snyder as Penn State and NLWC members competing at the Final X event on June 19 to determine who represents the USA at the World Championships in September.