Bishop McCort’s Jax Forrest beats former World Champion Vito Arujau twice to make the United States Senior World Team

On Monday, July 14, 2025, Jax Forrest beat Vito Arujau in a best-of-three series in two straight matches at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in the Fargodome in North Dakota. He claimed the last spot of the Senior World Team at 61 kilograms with this victory.

This match between Forrest and Arujau was supposed to take place exactly one month earlier at Final X, which is the event that determines the entire United States Senior World Team at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

However, Arujau requested and was granted a delay due to injury. Because Arujau is a reigning world medalist, he had the right to postpone the best-of-three series against Forrest for the 61 kilograms spot on the World Team.

After a month of waiting, the entire wrestling community was ready to watch two-time NCAA champion and former world champion Arujau go up against the U.S. Open champion and Pan Am champion Forrest for the spot at 61 kilograms.

The first match started with Arujau taking the early lead on Forrest with a two-point takedown in the first period. Arujau continued his quick offense, getting into another shot on Forrest, but his defense was too strong for Arujau and Forrest was able to get a takedown of his own and take the lead by criteria going into the break.

​​The second period was a lot slower than the first with not as many points being scored. Arujau was close to getting his second takedown of the match, but Forrest was able to get out of the position and only allow Arujau to get a one-point step-out.

No more points were scored in the entire match until the last five seconds where Forrest got the go-behind on Arujau to secure the two-point takedown, giving Forrest a 4-3 lead. He took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

The second match started with Forrest going on the offense quickly, getting a quick takedown straight into a leg lace for a two-point exposure to take a 4-0 lead just 12 seconds into the match.

Later in the match, Forrest was able to force Arujau to step out of bounds after putting a lot of pressure on him, giving Forrest a 5-0 lead with just under two minutes to go in the match.

Arujau got his first points of the match with 19 seconds to go with a two-point takedown, but Forrest was able to scramble to get a two-point exposure, making the score 7-2 with four seconds to go.

Forrest went on the win the match and the best-of-three series in two matches to make the U.S. Senior World Team as a high schooler.

Forrest becomes the second high schooler to make the Senior World Team, joining incoming Penn State freshman PJ Duke, who beat four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis in a best-of-three series at Final X.

Forrest and the rest of the Senior World Team will wrestle Sept. 13-21 in Zagreb, Croatia, for a chance to win a World Championship. Forrest will wrestle against so many greats from all over the world before he even steps foot on the mat for his last season at Bishop McCort.

Massimo Buonagurio is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email mkb6750@psu.edu.

Photo: Tony Rotundo