24 All-Americans. A historic milestone for North Carolina wrestling. North Carolina high school boys have made history.
At the 2025 NHSCA Nationals, the state delivered its strongest performance to date, producing a record-setting 24 All-Americans across four divisions. This achievement placed North Carolina 5th overall among all states, behind only wrestling powerhouses Pennsylvania (42 All-Americans), New York (29), and New Jersey (26), and ahead of Ohio (23), Florida (21), and Georgia (20). Seniors led the way nationally, while Freshmen and Sophomores tied or approached previous records. Juniors added a national finalist. From unseeded upsets to dominant wins, North Carolina demonstrated its depth and resilience.
Senior Division Nation’s Best: NC Class of ’25 Led the Nation with 8 All-Americans
The NC Class of 2025 led the nation with eight Senior All-Americans — more than any other state. Cooper Foster (Avery County), who placed 3rd as a Junior in 2024, battled to 3rd again, defeating seeded and nationally ranked opponents. Hayden Haynes (McDowell), 8th as a Junior in 2024, returned from a DQ to finish 4th at 220. Liam Hickey (Cardinal Gibbons), also 8th as a Junior, earned 4th at 126.
Full breakdown on NC’s dominant Senior class performance || Read More
Junior Division: The Juniors shined with a national finalist and two All-Americans, showing NC’s future is bright.
- Lorenzo Alston (Asheboro / K-Vegas, Raleigh Area Wrestling) – 2nd at 145, 7-1 with pins over #7 seed Jackson Butler (#14 nationally) and #3 seed Gus Cardinal (#20 nationally). Lost 6-4 in the finals. Now a 3x All-American (4th as a Sophomore in 2024, additional AA as a Freshman).
- Bentley Sly (Stuart Cramer / Darkhorse) – 3rd at 138, uncommitted, 7-1 with an 8-2 upset over #1 seed Joseph Toscano (#3 nationally) and a 1:40 pin for 3rd. A two-time All-American after placing 6th as a Sophomore in 2024.
- Gabe Rogers (Chapel Hill) – Uncommitted, 4-2 with a tech fall, fell just short of placing with two close losses.
Full breakdown on NC’s dominant junior class performance || Read More
Sophomore Division: Six All-Americans made this the second-best sophomore class in NC history, trailing only 2013.
The group ranked 3rd nationally, matching wrestling hotbeds like Ohio and New Jersey.
- Jack Harty (Northern Guilford) – 7th at 182, a two-time All-American after placing 3rd as a freshman in 2024
- Tobin McNair – 6th at 152, reached the semifinals before an injury
- Gavin Lopez (Green Hope) – Podium finish at 195, improving on his 8th-place Freshman finish in 2024
- Aidan Plemons – Also reached the podium at 195, showcasing NC’s depth
- Keyshon Morrison (Lake Norman) – 7th at 220 with three bonus-point consolation wins, building on his 3rd-place Freshman finish in 2024
- Antonio Escobar – 8th at 285, a strong heavyweight showing
Full breakdown on NC’s dominant sophomore class performance || Read More
Freshman Division: The Class of 2028 tied the state’s freshman record with 7 All-Americans, matching the iconic 2012 squad.
Freshman class finished 5th nationally, with 73% of wins by bonus points.
- Aaron Ellison – 4th at 138, unseeded, beat #5 and #7 seeds
- Aaron Ruiz-Angel – 5th at 220, two majors over a ranked heavyweight
- Ryan Thompson – 6th at 170, two pins, top 4 seed finish
- Connor Reece & Mitchell Rowland – Double podium at 132, showcasing NC depth
Full breakdown on NC’s dominant freshman class performance || Read More
The Road Ahead
24 All-Americans isn’t a finish line — it’s a starting block,” one coach said after the mats cleared. Finishing 5th overall among all states, North Carolina has solidified its place among the nation’s elite wrestling programs, with only Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey ahead. Seniors led the nation, Sophomores and Freshmen set benchmarks, and Juniors delivered a finalist — all signs of a state on the rise. With talents like Lorenzo Alston, Bentley Sly, and Gabe Rogers gearing up for senior seasons, North Carolina wrestling isn’t slowing down. The work’s not done, but the foundation’s stronger than ever.
North Carolina’s NHSCA Complete Performance Analysis || Read More
