Penn State Wrestlers Blaze and Duke Seek Third-Place Finishes at NCAA Championships

Freshmen Marcus Blaze and PJ Duke look to secure highest possible placements after becoming All-Americans

Mar. 21, 2026 at 2:39pm

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Penn State wrestling freshmen Marcus Blaze (133 pounds) and PJ Duke (157) are competing in the medal round semifinals at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. Both Nittany Lions are already All-Americans and are now seeking third-place finishes in their first national tournament. Blaze will face No. 15 Tyler Knox of Stanford, while Duke will wrestle No. 7 Kannon Webster of Illinois. A win would put them in position to wrestle for third or fourth place, while a loss would drop them into the fifth/sixth-place match.

Why it matters

Penn State is in contention to clinch the team race at the NCAA Championships in this medal round session. Blaze and Duke's performances could play a key role in determining the team champion.

The details

Blaze and Duke ended up competing in the consolation bracket semifinals rather than the finals after losing close matches in the semifinals on Friday night. Blaze dropped a tiebreaker decision to Ben Davino of Ohio State, while Duke lost a controversial match to Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State.

  • The medal round session is taking place this morning at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
  • Blaze will be the first Penn State wrestler on the mat, facing No. 15 Tyler Knox of Stanford.

The players

Marcus Blaze

A Penn State wrestling freshman competing at 133 pounds who has already secured All-American status in his first NCAA Championships.

PJ Duke

A Penn State wrestling freshman competing at 157 pounds who has also already secured All-American status in his first NCAA Championships.

Tyler Knox

A Stanford wrestler ranked No. 15 nationally who Blaze will face in the medal round semifinals.

Kannon Webster

An Illinois wrestler ranked No. 7 nationally who Duke will face in the medal round semifinals.

Ben Davino

An Ohio State wrestler who defeated Blaze in the semifinals on Friday night.

Landon Robideau

An Oklahoma State wrestler who defeated Duke in the semifinals on Friday night in a controversial match.

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What’s next

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