Penn State wrestling: Aaron Brooks, Luke Lilledahl and PJ Duke named major award winners
Future and past Penn State wrestlers are still being honored by the media for their tremendous 2023-2024 seasons. Aaron Brooks added another accolade to his already stacked resume, while Class of 2024 signee Luke Lilledahl and Class of 2025 commit PJ Duke each earned prestigious honors at the high school level.
Brooks, the Dan Hodge Trophy award winner and the most outstanding and dominant wrestler of the NCAA Tournament, is now also The Open Mat’s NCAA Division I Wrestler of the Year. The former Nittany Lion and four-time NCAA champ (three at 184 pounds and one at 197) closed out his time in State College memorably. He finished 22-0 as a senior. His record includes six pins, 11 technical falls, and three major decisions. At nationals, Brooks won twice by fall and took his other three matches by a combined score of 43-6. He is just the seventh four-time champ in collegiate wrestling history.
One thing I talked about with Coach Cael before this tournament, so different conversation, but, like, a target,” Brooks told reporters in March. “God always molds you for those things. My whole life I’ve had a target, whether being in Maryland and got known a little bit on the national stage, it prepares you for that. I just look at it that way. I’ve always had a target, not just me going for a fourth title but I’ve always had a target on my back regardless.
“We kind of had that conversation. I think that’s the truth. It’s nothing different when you’ve had a target on your back your whole life.”
The Open Mat previously named Penn State 165-pound All-American Mitchell Mesenbrink its NCAA Division I freshman of the year.
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Penn State recruits Luke Lilledahl, PJ Duke pick up national honors
Penn State will welcome a number of standouts into its room over the next two recruiting classes. All of them come with stacked trophy cases. Two of them are making room for another honor, however.
Wyoming Seminary Class of 2024 signee Luke Lilledahl is the Junior Hodge Trophy winner. It is awarded annually by WIN Magazine to the nation’s top high school wrestler. A star on the prep and freestyle stages, Lilledahl was 22-0 as a senior and took state and national prep titles, which led to this honor. He is currently thriving on the freestyle scene. After winning U20 Nationals last month, he now sits until the 57-kilogram (125-pound) best-of-three finals at this weekend’s U20 World Team Trials. A victory in that series would put him on the U.S. Junior National Team that will compete at the World Championships.
As for Duke, the Class of 2025 signee won WIN’s Junior Schalles Award as the nation’s top high school pinner. TrackWrestling tracked at least 28 falls for the Minisink Valley, N.Y., star this season. Duke is competing at the U20 World Team Trials, as well. He is the 70-kilogram (154.3 pounds) division.
