WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Joey Blaze of Purdue Wrestling has the chance to make school history on Saturday at Final X when he competes in a freestyle match against Jarrett Jacques. A win would make him the first Boilermaker to ever earn a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team.
The 74 kg true-third place match in Newark, New Jersey, will go down at Prudential Center, home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
A total of 12 true-third matches (five in men's freestyle, seven in women's freestyle) will open the event at 12:30 p.m. ET. Blaze-Jacques is currently scheduled as the fourth men's freestyle match to take place on Mat 1.
Fans can watch all the action live with a paid subscription to FloWrestling. Updates will be provided by @PurdueWrestling on X/Twitter.
In May, Blaze (seeded No. 7) placed third in his weight at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials to solidify his opportunity at Final X. Since he didn't match up with Jacques (second place) or David Carr (first place) at any point in the bracket, Blaze earned the chance to wrestle Jacques to determine an official third place and the final 74 kg spot on Team USA.
Blaze, who just turned 20 years old last Thursday, posted a dominant performance his last time out by beating four seasoned wrestlers with nine combined All-America honors. He was the youngest in his division by a significant margin and knocked off accomplished veterans who are multiple years removed from college.
He continues to build his momentum in the wake of an incredible NCAA Championships run in March, when he shocked the wrestling world as a No. 8 seed and became Purdue's youngest national finalist since at least 1950.
Jacques, a five-time NCAA qualifier who exhausted his college eligibility in 2023, remains at his alma mater, the University of Missouri, as a wrestling recruiting coordinator. Blaze will have his work cut out for him against the defending 2024 U.S. Senior National Team member, but the young Boilermaker has thrived as an underdog ever since he arrived at Purdue as a true freshman.
If Blaze wins and secures his role on Team USA, it will open the door for him to receive support that includes funding, training and competition opportunities under a national spotlight.
The USA Wrestling National Team program began in 1989 and has held competitions every year since then to determine the annual members. Blaze can become the first Boilermaker to join the prestigious U.S. Senior National Team in its 36 years of existence.
Joe Corso, who wrestled at Purdue from 1974-75, went on to have a decorated freestyle career as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team, but his era preceded the creation of the annual national team. Three-time All-American Chris Fleeger (2002-06) was also a two-time university freestyle national champion but never made the senior level squad.
The 74 kg true-third place match in Newark, New Jersey, will go down at Prudential Center, home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
A total of 12 true-third matches (five in men's freestyle, seven in women's freestyle) will open the event at 12:30 p.m. ET. Blaze-Jacques is currently scheduled as the fourth men's freestyle match to take place on Mat 1.
Fans can watch all the action live with a paid subscription to FloWrestling. Updates will be provided by @PurdueWrestling on X/Twitter.
In May, Blaze (seeded No. 7) placed third in his weight at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials to solidify his opportunity at Final X. Since he didn't match up with Jacques (second place) or David Carr (first place) at any point in the bracket, Blaze earned the chance to wrestle Jacques to determine an official third place and the final 74 kg spot on Team USA.
Blaze, who just turned 20 years old last Thursday, posted a dominant performance his last time out by beating four seasoned wrestlers with nine combined All-America honors. He was the youngest in his division by a significant margin and knocked off accomplished veterans who are multiple years removed from college.
He continues to build his momentum in the wake of an incredible NCAA Championships run in March, when he shocked the wrestling world as a No. 8 seed and became Purdue's youngest national finalist since at least 1950.
Jacques, a five-time NCAA qualifier who exhausted his college eligibility in 2023, remains at his alma mater, the University of Missouri, as a wrestling recruiting coordinator. Blaze will have his work cut out for him against the defending 2024 U.S. Senior National Team member, but the young Boilermaker has thrived as an underdog ever since he arrived at Purdue as a true freshman.
If Blaze wins and secures his role on Team USA, it will open the door for him to receive support that includes funding, training and competition opportunities under a national spotlight.
The USA Wrestling National Team program began in 1989 and has held competitions every year since then to determine the annual members. Blaze can become the first Boilermaker to join the prestigious U.S. Senior National Team in its 36 years of existence.
Joe Corso, who wrestled at Purdue from 1974-75, went on to have a decorated freestyle career as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team, but his era preceded the creation of the annual national team. Three-time All-American Chris Fleeger (2002-06) was also a two-time university freestyle national champion but never made the senior level squad.