RESULTS: National Prep Championships

Marylanders traveled to Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena over the weekend and had some success with 11 boys earning Prep All-American status along with three on the girls’ card.

LADIES FIRST

The National Prep Tournament added a Girls’ Division in 2020, and John Carroll’s Julianne Moccia was the inaugural champion at 105 pounds. Maryland is steeped in Girls’ Wrestling history with the likes of Moccia, Nicole Woody, and the G.O.A.T., Helen Maroulis.

Woody has been quoted as saying she expects Archbishop Spalding’s Taini Fernadez to exceed all previous exploits from Marylanders, boys and girls, when it’s all said and done. In other words, Woody predicts that one day Fernandez will be the G.O.A.T.!

The two-time World Champ added yet another milestone to her growing Cabinet of Curiosities by locking down her third National Prep crown remaining on pace to become the first ever four-time Girls Champion.

“I’m just so, so grateful…,” Fernandez added. “I can’t think about my third Prep Title without thinking about this whole season and everyone who has played a part in ending it off right! It feels so good to accomplish a goal I told myself each day, going into the room I was going to do, and my heart is just so full of everyone who pushed me to get there. My teammates, my coaches, my family, even on days when the goal seemed far out of reach, they were the ones who reminded me I could do it.”

Fernandez, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 145 pounds by High School on SI, met a fellow Marylander in the finals in No. 8 Kesi Tsarni of the Bullis School. They are one and two in the 145-pound state rankings. Fernandez used a low single late in the first period to go up 3-0 on Tsarni.

Fernandez began on top in the second period and didn’t take long to get to work. Fernadez immediately started working on Tsarni’s arms and gained an arm bar, which she ran to pick up the fall 28 seconds into the round, 2:28. Those two met a year ago here in the 132-pound finals with a similar result, a 57 second fall.

“Going into the finals, knowing I had to face Kesi again, I knew I had to refocus my mind on simply wrestling like me, and treat her as if I would treat any other opponent; it just happened that it would be her facing me on that mat,” said Fernandez. “It may not be ideal, as we’re good friends off the mat, but I told myself that on the mat I was going to wrestle her with the same respect I give any other opponent.”

The Girls’ Prep Brackets weren’t deep, with most starting in the quarterfinals. Fernandez threw two quick pins of 80 and 14 seconds on the bracket. Tsarni did the same, but took a bit longer to attain her falls, 1:22 and 2:45.

The other female placer was top-rated in Maryland and No. 5 nationally, Summer Mutschler, who also reached the finals at 107 pounds where she met a girl she knows well, No. 1 Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, PA). In this rankings period, Bouzakis has handled Mutschler at the Ultimate Club Duals and the finals at Beast of the East.

Including this meeting, which ended with a pin by Bouzakis in 1:37, all three have been one-sided for the two-time World Bronze Medalist. Mutschler pinned her way to the finals with 107 being one of the few weights with a round of 16, the sophomore grabbed pins in 50 and 53 seconds before decking No. 32 Olivia Polansky (Choate Rosemary Hall, CT) in the semis, 1:31.

Saint James’ Gia Lotsikas registered pins in her first two matches to reach the 152-pound semis where she ran into No. 3 Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary) and was pinned in 1:54. Lotsikas dropped her consolation semi to the girl that place third, Grace Rogers (St. Anne-Pacelli). The girls only recognized the top four as place winners.

Also needing one more win to place were Bullis’ Riley Bakhsh (114 pounds) and Sophie Amini (120).

PICKETT & TUCKER LAND IN FINALS

Mt. St. Joseph’s top-ranked Brooklyn Pickett (157 pounds) had a rough go of it as a freshman at preps, failing to reach the podium, while watching a guy he downed easily for the state title Severn’s Nicky Melfi, gain All-American status.

The failure to place at preps was a thorn in Pickett’s side during the whole rankings and seeding process. As the sophomore was blowing up nationally with a sixth-place finish at the Beast and some other big wins, he was not able to climb the prep rankings due to what others had done.

We’ll elaborate on this more when we get to Eli Gabrielson, but it is a classic example of seeding for a tournament being different than rankings. Pickett received the 6th seed and found himself in a quarterfinal showdown with Shea Morris, the 3rd seed from New York Military Academy.

A peak at the High School on SI National Rankings will show Pickett in the honorable mention section as the number 37 man at 157 pounds. Morris does not appear in that report. Pickett made good on the rankings, proving the seeds wrong with a 9-7 decision.

As the one who does the national rankings and prep seeding, I find it interesting how the two things are truly their own things. Seedings for a tournament, such as preps, typically have being a returning placer as the next criteria after head to heads and other things from this year.

The seeding, based on our criteria, was correct. The result on the mat ended up reflecting the national rankings. No. 32 Jeremy McGrath (Greens Farms Academy, CT) awaited Pickett in the semis as the number two seed. Pickett jumped out on McGrath early and never relented, even as McGrath showed some fight, posting an impressive 14-6 major decision of McGrath.

Unfortunately, Pickett ran into a buzzsaw in the finals in now two-time prep champ, No. 5 Zeno Moore, who was one of Lake Highland Prep’s six champions. Moore was in control when he stuck Pickett midway through the bout, 2:54.

“My semifinal win was expected but definitely had to grit it out and get back to my offense,” Pickett said to Legacy Wrestling’s Lem Satterfield. “I was down 7-2 at one point and I knew I wanted that prep title too bad to let this match slip, so I came out of a challenge break to get on my offense and just think about scoring points. This is definitely a step in the right direction we showed that St. Joe is the best, is as good as anyone, as we had the most prep placers from Maryland schools.”

No. 24 Noah Tucker (175 pounds) would also meet the same final fate, falling to a Lake Highland foe in a one-way manner, 17-3, to Nadav Nafshi. Tucker advanced to the finals on consecutive major decision in the semis, Lucas Parietti (Wyoming Seminary), 11-3, and quarters with Declan Bligh (Roxbury Latin, MA), 14-2. A 1:15 tech fall and 46 second pin were added in the early rounds.

“I’m proud with my overall performance, but not satisfied,” Tucker remarked to Satterfield. “I made a huge jump in my level of wrestling from last year. Although I didn’t get the result I wanted, I see myself improving and growing as a wrestler so I’m happy with how my season ended. This placement is not going to slow me down but only motivates me to go even harder. I want to thank all my Bullis coaches along with Coach Elijah Oliver for helping me get better as a wrestler and a human being.”

TWO CHAMPS CROSS STATE LINES

Two from Maryland that were two-time National Prep placers decided on a change of scenery for their junior years with the Gilman School’s Liam McGettigna heading south to Florida’s Lake Highland Prep and Bullis’ Salah Tsarni heading to the wrestling Mecca of Blair Academy in New Jersey.

The receipts on both say the moves were worth it as they ascended to the top of the prep podium, No. 4 McGettigan at 106 pounds and No. 7 Tsarni at 190. Their teams were expected to be engaged in an epic clash for the team title but that fizzled out during Saturday morning’s semifinal round when the Highlanders were 9-1 and the Bucs’ countered with a 2-8 performance.

McGettigan took out Blair’s No. Jack Anello in his semi, 11-5. The junior decked Bullis’ Damian DuChez in the quarters, 5:09. The Highlander was placed at No. 4 in the national ratings at 106 pounds due to a 17-7 win over Ironman Champion, No. 5 Connor Maddox of Indiana at the PNL Fall Tournament.

McGettigan wrestled inspired on Saturday as it was his late mother’s birthday and had to dig deep in his finals match with No. 17 Lucas Forman of Wyoming Seminary. Forman was up 3-0 after scoring a first period takedown and was on the verge of keeping McGettigan down the entire period when he got a little sloppy riding high and McGettigan reversed him to the back, picking up the fall as time expired.

“Coming into high school I always heard that the National prep tournament was the hardest tournament, making one of my biggest goals to win it,” McGettigan said to Satterfield. “It has been a dream throughout my whole high school career to win it. I was not able to get it done in my first two years and was very close to success. It finally feels great that I was able to achieve this goal on my mother’s birthday, to not only honor her but everything that she has done for me and my family. I am so grateful for this achievement and give all glory to God.”

The only drama Tsarni partook in was Blair’s slide down the standings from a tie with Lake Highland to the third position after the semis, where they would remain as Malvern Prep outpaced them as well.

Tsarni’s march to his first prep crown was dominant with three pins and a tech fall comprising his time on the mat. In the final, Tsarni teched Lake Highland’s No. 39 Jackson Angelo, 18-3. Tsarni planted Lucas Alvan (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA) 3:02 into their semifinal. A 19-3 tech was used in the quarters over Dylan Reel of Tennessee’s Baylor School. Two pins in 54 seconds and 3:10 came ahead of the Reel match.

“Taking second last year freed me up and changed my mindset,” Tsarni elaborated to Satterfield. “It helped me focus on wrestling to wrestle and not just wrestling to win. That made the sport more fun and allowed me to open up and trust what I’ve been working on. Being at Blair has been a big part of that process too. The room, the coaching, and the people around me have all pushed me to grow every day.”

GABREIELSON PICKS OFF #1 SEED

Archbishop Spalding’s No. 34 Eli Gabrielson had a previous prep placement from his freshman season at St. Mary’s Ryken, but because it was from two seasons ago, the Cavalier was placed farther down the seeds than his national standing suggested he should be.

This is another shining example of how seeding for a tournament differs from rankings. In the latest High School on SI report released ahead of preps, Gabrielson, at No. 34, was higher than top-seeded Isaac Novod (Belmont Hill, MA), who is number 44 on the list.

Gabrielson needed overtime and the ultimate tiebreaker to do it, but down went the number one, as Gabrielson moved onto the semis with a 3-2 decision of Novod. Next up was a man Novod had beaten the last time those two met, No. 45 Jack Baron (Germantown Academy, PA).

In a classic example of this is why we wrestles the matches, Baron was able to steal an overtime win versus Gabrielson, 5-2. Once in the consolation bracket, the junior was tripped up by New York Military Academy’s third-seeded postgrad, Johnny Green, 9-2. Seminary’s No. 42 Alex Marchetti forfeited the fifth-place match to Gabrielson.

GAVIN SHOCKS NATIONALLY RANKED DIMIGLIO

St. Mary’s Ryken’s two-time state champion, Evan Gavin, was given the 11th seed and there wasn’t any evidence available to suggest a higher placement. After a 1:03 fall, Gavin came face to face with Blair Academy postgrad Connor Bercume, a wrestler from Michigan who was a resident of the national rankings as a junior and senior at Detroit Catholic Central.

Bercume beat Gavin 11-6 to drop him into the consolation rounds where the senior rolled forward with two pins and a blood round encounter with No. 30 Bradley DiMiglio of Malvern Prep. DiMiglio is NO JOKE. The Friar placed sixth at Beast and fourth at PowerAde. Gavin picked up an 8-4 win over DiMiglio to reach All-American status.

His award was another bout with Bercume, who handled him, 13-2, this time. This dropped Gavin into the fifth-place match where he toed the line with a face familiar to Marylanders, Gilman’s Gabe Smith, who is doing a PG year at the Hill School. Smith came out ahead of Gavin, 4-3.

SPALDING PACES & MCDONOGH ADDS ALL-AMERICAN

Top-ranked Archbishop Spalding was the highest finishing local team in 10th place. The Cavaliers had two bring home hardware and four others fall in the bloodround.

Maryland’s top two 113-pounders met in the seventh-place match with Charlie Mutschler, yet again, edging out McDonogh’s Jacob Naylor, 4-2. These two should be fun to watch in the coming years.

We already shined a light on Gabrielson. Coming one match shy of placing were Eli Chesla (120 pounds), Quentin Bailey (138), Will McDonough (144 pounds), and No. 38 Zane Leitzel (157). Leitzel’s bracket was stacked with nationally ranked talent like himself, and you can’t falter in these matches. Leitzel was eliminated by No. 42 Joseph Schinder (Blair Academy), 4-2.

Chelsa took over the No. 2 ranking in Maryland when he blanked St. Joe’s Nathan Matthis, 8-0, in the consolations.

MSJ HAS THE MOST ALL-AMERICANS

The Gaels had three grapplers step on the prep award stand. In addition to Pickett’s silver, Tyler Stephens was 7th at 144 pounds and Connor Allison placed eight at 150. Jake Tamai was looking to become a three-time prep placer but suffered a setback in the bloodround to Landon Herdic (NYMA), 7-1.

VERCELES NOW 2-FOR-2 AT LEHIGH

Two from Loyola-Blakefield broke through to All-American status and Tyler Verceles did so for the second time in two tries with his sixth-place landing at 120 pounds. Charles Cooper tumbled to eighth at 106 pounds after suffering an unexpected defeat to Bullis’ Damian DuChez, 4-2.

DuChez went onto take fifth but given their overall seasons and taking ALL matches into consideration, Cooper will remain in the number one spot of the state rankings. One win can’t negate everything else that has occurred.

SULC MAKES D.C. PROUD

Gonzaga’s Bojan Sulc became a prep All-American by ending in fifth at 190 pounds. Sulc was seeded fourth and succumbed to fifth-seeded Alvan, who Tsarni decked in the semis. In the consolation semis, Sulc was pinned by No. 38 Mason Chamberlain (Malvern Prep).

Sulc, plus St. John’s College’s Zane Messiter (106 pounds) and Ethan Glessner (140), who made it to the bloodround, are top ranked in D.C.

MORE BLOODY LOSSES

A number of Marylander came up one match shy of placing (I don’t think we missed anyone?) – Gilman’s Miles Molina (113 pounds), Heights School’s Liam Kilner (165), Bullis’ Soshiant Ahanj-Elias (165), McDonogh’s JJ DiMonte (190), and DeMatha’s Cameron Black (285). DiMonte pinned St. Paul’s Hayden Myers to have the final say in their rankings order.

106 lbs

1st Liam Mcgettigan (Lake Highland Prep) F Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary), 4:00

3rd Evan Cies (Malvern) DEC Jack Anello (Blair Academy), 8-3

5th Damian Duchez (Bullis) DEC Dylan Deck (Germantown Academy), 6-4

7th Carter Lirgg (Cardinal Newman School) DEC Charles Cooper (Loyola Blakefield), 5-3

113 lbs

1st Justin Farnsworth (Malvern) DEC Liam Davis (Lake Highland Prep), 1-0

3rd Eric Bocanegra (Blair Academy) DEC Brock Humphrey (Linsly School), 4-0

5th Royce Wetzler (Benedictine College Prep) DEC Riley Alcantar (Baylor School), 1-0

7th Charlie Mutschler (Archbishop Spalding) DEC Jacob Naylor (McDonogh), 4-2

120 lbs

1st Wyatt Spencer (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Gabe Swann (Baylor School), 7-3

3rd Michael Batista (Blair Academy) DEC Cooper Merli (New York Military Academy), 4-0

5th Max Berman (Germantown Academy) DEC Tyler Verceles (Loyola Blakefield), 4-1

7th Rocco Lombardo (Malvern) MD Chase Kastner (Greens Farms Academy), 13-1

126 lbs

1st Lukas Littleton mascaro (Malvern) DEC Jack Baron (Germantown Academy), 4-1

3rd Jackson Heslin (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Johnny Green (New York Military Academy), 7-3

5th Eli Gabrielson (Archbishop Spalding) FOR Alex Marchetti (Wyoming Seminary), 0-0

7th Isaac Novod (Belmont Hill School) DEC Peter Rincan (Nmh), 4-1

132 lbs

1st Shamus Regan (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Vincenzo Anello (Blair Academy), 1-0

3rd Shai Sabag (Germantown Academy) DEC Marcus Heck (Wyoming Seminary), 1-0

5th Jaxsen Bailey (Greens Farms Academy) FOR Jaxon Lane (McCallie School), 0-0

7th Landon Herdic (New York Military Academy) DEC Drew Roggie (St. Christopher's School), 4-0

138 lbs

1st Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Yandel Morales (Lake Highland Prep), 5-3

3rd Tyler Conroy (Malvern) DEC Malachi Puckett (Baylor School), 5-0

5th Jack Dragoumanos (Belmont Hill School) TF Matteo Defillippo (Norfolk Academy), 17-1 2:18

7th Landon Lill (Peddie School) M FOR Ryan Rios (Blair Academy), 0-0 0:00

144 lbs

1st Tyler Dekraker (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Matt Oneill (Malvern), 6-1

3rd Weston Borgers (Blair Academy) DEC Matthew Dailey (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2

5th Billy Hamilton (McCallie School) DEC George Emendorfer (Baylor School), 4-1 TB2

7th Tyler Stephens (Mount Saint Joseph) DEC Joe Mahoney (Greens Farms Academy), 2-1 UTB

150 lbs

1st Charlie Desena (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Michael Turi (Wyoming Seminary), 4-1 SV

3rd Declan Obyrne (Malvern) DEC Colby Houle (Nmh), 8-2

5th Andrew Mccarthy (New York Military Academy) DEC Niko Colavecchio (Paul VI Catholic High School), 11-5

7th Benji Koch (Blair Academy) DEC Connor Allison (Mount Saint Joseph), 5-2

157 lbs

1st Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) F Brooklyn Pickett (Mount Saint Joseph), 2:54

3rd Shea Morris (New York Military Academy) DEC Brian Chamberlain (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2

5th Jeremy Mcgrath (Greens Farms Academy) F Cole Albert (The Hill School), 0:47

7th Raymond Fitzgerald (Malvern) M FOR Joseph Schinder (Blair Academy), 0-0 0:00

165 lbs

1st Titus Norman (Baylor School) DEC Nate Consigli (Nmh), 7-2

3rd Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Arment Waltenbaugh (The Hill School), 5-2

5th Blake Jacobson (Greens Farms Academy) FOR Barry Norman (Blair Academy), 0-0

7th Cole Wilson (Paul VI Catholic High School) MD Jack Degl (Brunswick School), 13-5

175 lbs

1st Nadav Nafshi (Lake Highland Prep) MD Noah Tucker (Bullis), 17-3

3rd Declan Bligh (The Roxbury Latin School) DEC Lucas Parietti (Wyoming Seminary), 13-10

5th Ryan Meier (Blair Academy) DEC Chase Hetrick (Malvern), 5-3

7th Brodie Bedford (All saints episcopal school) M FOR Jack Harty (Greens Farms Academy), 0-0 0:00

190 lbs

1st Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy) TF Jackson Angelo (Lake Highland Prep), 18-3 3:48

3rd Mason Chamberlain (Malvern) DEC Braeden Simoneaux (New York Military Academy), 6-5

5th Bojan Sulc (Gonzaga College High School) DEC Lucas Alvan (Nmh), 9-5

7th Kaleb Jackson (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Dylan Reel (Baylor School), 7-6

215 lbs

1st Maximus Konopka (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Cash Colbert (Paul VI Catholic High School), 7-0

3rd Colton Bell (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Conner Bercume (Blair Academy), 1-0

5th Gabriel Smith (The Hill School) DEC Evan Gavin (St. Marys Ryken), 4-3

7th Rock Shurette (Baylor School) DEC Cooper Gentle (McCallie School), 7-2

285 lbs

1st Luks Zalota (Malvern) DEC James Bechter (Nmh), 2-1

3rd Cael Mielnik (Blair Academy) MD Alex Bajoras (Wyoming Seminary), 10-2

5th Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy) DEC Ryan Schneider (Greens Farms Academy), 6-3

7th Sean Boyd (Benedictine College Prep) DEC Ryker Mccarthy (Greenwich Country Day School), 7-2

Girls

100 lbs

1st Madison Healey (Wyoming Seminary) MD Serra Akyali (Phillips Academy), 15-5

3rd Olivia Mancha (Choate Rosemary Hall) F Sophia Chen (Phillips Exeter Academy), 0:15

107 lbs

1st Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) F Summer Mutschler (Archbishop Spalding), 1:37

3rd Janie Gerarde (All saints episcopal school) F Olivia Polansky (Choate Rosemary Hall), 2:06

114 lbs

1st Kayla Batres (Greens Farms Academy) MD Lily Runez (Choate Rosemary Hall), 10-0

3rd Riley Karwowski (Wyoming Seminary) F Kirra Mitchell (Mount de Sales Academy), 0:47

120 lbs

1st Tatianna Irizarry (Choate Rosemary Hall) F Caitlin O'reilly (St. Paul's School), 0:55

3rd Alexis Foscone (Wyoming Seminary) F Esperanza Greer (Bishop Lynch High School), 2:17

126 lbs

1st Sara Mclaughlin (Choate Rosemary Hall) F Sela Rozov (Blair Academy), 1:33

3rd Autumn Smith (Norfolk Christian) DEC Kate Hayes (Providence Day School), 4-1

132 lbs

1st Anastasia Rodnikova (Wyoming Seminary) F Corynne Mcnulty (Blair Academy), 4:47

3rd Tasha Bohorad (Phillips Academy) F Izzy Steinbcock (William Penn Charter), 2:52

138 lbs

1st Anberlin Hardy (Mount de Sales Academy) DEC Cindy Zhou (Phillips Academy), 9-6

3rd Sarah Spencer (St. Paul's School) F Leanne La (Choate Rosemary Hall), 2:40

145 lbs

1st Taina Fernandez (Archbishop Spalding) F Kesi Tsarni (Bullis), 2:28

3rd Chloe Ross (Choate Rosemary Hall) TF Anna Ivanova (Hopkins School), 16-0 2:04

152 lbs

1st Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary) MD Amillyiona Green (Abington Friends School), 15-2

3rd Grace Rogers (St. Anne-Pacelli) F Melissa Soep (The Governor's Academy), 2:03

165 lbs

1st Alexis Penley (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Sarah Henckel (Blair Academy), 9-4

3rd Bella Shmuylovich (Phillips Academy) F Niayla Curley (Nmh), 3:18

185 lbs

1st Remington Laflamme (Wyoming Seminary) F Toni Elliott (Phillips Academy), 2:59

3rd Blake Baker (All saints episcopal school) F Mya Starks (Choate Rosemary Hall), 0:35