The Maryland & D.C. Folkstyle Rankings are Complete

All folkstyle rankings are now final – what a year!

Legacy Wrestling’s folkstyle year has wrapped up, and what a year it was! From packed gymnasiums to nail‑biting finals, we witnessed some of the most competitive bouts in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Our final rankings are out, and they reflect the dedication, grit and sportsmanship that defined the 2025–26 season. Below are a few highlights from the rankings along with analytics on class‑year trends and team performances.

Maryland Boys

Maryland’s rankings crown 14 individual champions across weights from 106 to 285 pounds. Only one freshman seized a No. 1 spot, highlighting how difficult it is for underclassmen to reach the summit in Maryland. Loyola‑Blakefield freshman Charles Cooper captured the 106‑pound crown and launched his high‑school career in style. Sophomores Charlie Mutschler (113 lbs, Archbishop Spalding), Tyler Verceles (120 lbs, Loyola Blakefield) and Brooklyn Pickett (157 lbs, Mount St. Joseph) each topped their classes, showing that the talent pipeline remains strong.

The middle and upper‑weights were dominated by veterans. Seniors Elijah Collick (132 lbs, Stephen Decatur), JoJo Gigliotti (138 lbs, South Carroll), Seth Crawford (150 lbs, Brunswick), Victor Marks‑Jenkins (190 lbs, Perry Hall), Evan Gavin (215 lbs, St. Mary’s Ryken) and Andy Boshnick (285 lbs, Walt Whitman) won their final high‑school titles and will move on to college or other pursuits. Juniors Eli Gabrielson (126 lbs, Archbishop Spalding), Landen Vercoe (144 lbs, Huntingtown), Logan Brown (165 lbs, Northwest) and Noah Tucker (175 lbs, Bullis) also claimed top spots and will return next season as favorites.

District of Columbia Boys

In DC, a freshman seized only one weight class – Billy McMurtrie (113 lbs, Gonzaga College) Sophomores Zane Messiter (106 lbs, St. John’s College), Braxton Bohinc (132 lbs, St. John’s College) and Lucian James (157 lbs, Gonzaga College) also claimed top spots and will be back next season.

Seniors dominated the upper weights. Maurice Owens (120 lbs, Ron Brown), Matthew Morin (126 lbs, St. John’s College), Morgan Lloyd (138 lbs, St. Anselm’s Abbey School), Ethan Glessner (144 lbs, St. John’s College) and Preston Olander (150 lbs, Washington Latin) each captured their weight classes. In the upper weights, seniors Alex Ouzts (165 lbs, Jackson‑Reed), Jet Ward (175 lbs, Gonzaga College), Bojan Sulc (190 lbs, Gonzaga College), Randall Ayaba (215 lbs, HD Woodson) and Ahmar Davis (285 lbs, HD Woodson) finished their high‑school careers on top, giving the capital city’s programs a strong send‑off into college wrestling.

Maryland Girls’ Highlights

Two freshmen topped their divisions: Elana Pelaez (105 lbs, Clarksburg) and Natalia Jimenez (130 lbs, North County). Sophomore Summer Mutschler (110 lbs, Archbishop Spalding) and sophomore Katherine Virgilio (120 lbs, Brunswick) also captured No. 1 rankings.

Senior leadership was evident here as well. Saniya Wheeler (100 lbs, North Point), Chloe Chwang (135 lbs, Manchester Valley), Iyanna Graves (155 lbs, Wicomico), Daegan Bishop (190 lbs, Randallstown) and Shayla Watson (235 lbs, Queen Anne’s) capped their high‑school careers with top rankings. Juniors Madison Birth (115 lbs, Bel Air), Irie Carmack (125 lbs, Stephen Decatur), Amari Purnell (140 lbs, Stephen Decatur), Taina Fernandez (145 lbs, Archbishop Spalding) and Jariah Washington (170 lbs, Lackey) rounded out the list of champions and will return next season.

Analytics: Freshmen vs. Seniors

One of the storylines of this season is the imbalance between youth and experience. Across all Legacy Wrestling rankings (Maryland boys, Maryland girls and DC boys), approximately four freshmen captured No. 1 spots – Charles Cooper, Billy McMurtrie, Elana Pelaez and Natalia Jimenez. In contrast, more than twenty seniors claimed top rankings, illustrating how experience still matters at the highest level. Looking beyond the top position, the full Maryland boys’ rankings included roughly 30 freshmen but more than 170 seniors, revealing that the senior class dominated the leaderboards. Similar patterns held for the girls and DC rankings. These numbers suggest that while freshmen phenoms occasionally break through, the bulk of high‑ranking wrestlers are seasoned veterans. As the senior class graduates, expect a wave of new faces to rise in 2026–27.

Maryland Teams

Maryland’s final team rankings highlight the programs that consistently delivered across duals and tournaments. Archbishop Spalding grabbed the top spot, edging perennial power Mount St. Joseph. McDonogh placed third, followed by South Carroll and Walt Whitman. The top ten also included Middletown, Chesapeake‑AA, Loyola, Gilman and Archbishop Curley.

District of Columbia Teams

The DC team rankings tell a story of parity at the top. St. Johns College earned the No. 1 team ranking, just ahead of Gonzaga. Washington Latin, powered by senior Preston Olander, took third. Rounding out the top five were HD Woodson, home of 215‑lb champion Randall Ayaba, and Jackson‑Reed. St. Anselm’s Abbey School, Ron Brown and Sidwell Friends completed the top eight.

The 2025–26 folkstyle season delivered some of the highest‑level wrestling Maryland and DC fans have ever seen. From freshmen phenoms to veteran champions, the sport’s depth was on full display. As we close the books on this year’s rankings, we salute the athletes, coaches and supporters who made the season possible. With dozens of top-ranked seniors moving on and a crop of talented underclassmen waiting in the wings, the future of high‑school wrestling in our region has never looked brighter.