North Carolina finished with 9 Senior All-Americans in 2025, leading the entire nation and marking a major jump from 3 the previous year. This first-place finish represents a watershed moment for North Carolina wrestling, firmly establishing the state as more than just a regional power. Several wrestlers turned in standout performances with big wins over seeded and nationally ranked opponents, and NC wrestlers reached 3rd place in three separate weight classes, outpacing traditional powerhouse states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California.
Team Standings North Carolina led the nation in Senior All-Americans, finishing #1 overall among all states with nine total placers. This dominant showing edged out perennial powers like Pennsylvania (8), Virginia (7), and Utah (7), and solidified North Carolina as the top-performing state in the senior division for 2025. With All-Americans ranging from 113 to 285 lbs, this team-wide success reflects the state’s exceptional depth and coaching across the board.
All-American Honors
3rd Place Finisher Cooper Foster (113 lbs) – Avery County / Dogtown
Cooper Foster (Avery County/Dogtown) led the charge at 113 lbs with a 5-1 record to place 3rd. A returning Junior All-American from 2024, Foster entered as the #5 seed and defeated three other seeded opponents: #3, #4, and #8. His only loss came in a thrilling 10-9 match against #1 seed and nationally ranked Oumar Tounkara (FloWrestling #18). He’ll continue his career at Appalachian State.
3rd Place Finisher Colt Campbell (170 lbs) – Hickory Ridge / Combat
At 170 lbs, Colt Campbell (Hickory Ridge/Combat) also placed 3rd with a 6-1 record. Campbell was the #7 seed and recorded victories over the #2, #4, and #17 seeds before dropping a close bout to #3 seed Elliott Humphries (FloWrestling #19), who would finish 2nd. Campbell, too, is headed to Appalachian State.
3rd Place Finisher Everest Ouellette (285 lbs) – First Flight / OBX Wrestling Factory
Heavyweight Everest Ouellette (First Flight/OBX Wrestling Factory) delivered one of the tournament’s most electric performances. Unseeded at 285 lbs, he went 7-1 to take 3rd place, racking up wins over the #2, #5, #6, and #7 seeds — the most seeded wins of any NC senior. His only loss came to eventual finalist and #1 seed. Everest will wrestle next year at Gardner-Webb.
4th Place Finisher Liam Hickey (126 lbs) – Cardinal Gibbons / Raleigh Area Wrestling
Liam Hickey (Cardinal Gibbons/Raleigh Area Wrestling) finished 4th at 126 lbs, improving on his 8th-place finish as a junior. Hickey went 6-2, with wins over the #6 and #7 seeds before narrowly falling 1-0 to #17-ranked Colin Martin (FloWrestling) in the 3rd-place match. Hickey, who is also ranked #26 nationally by Sports Illustrated, is committed to the University of North Carolina.
4th Place Finisher Hayden Haynes (220 lbs) – McDowell / Combat
Hayden Haynes (McDowell/Combat) also finished 4th at 220 lbs, compiling a 6-2 record. Haynes was controversially disqualified in the round of 16 due to what many in the NC community considered an extremely questionable call. He rebounded in dominant fashion, earning a string of wins — including over the #8 seed — to wrestle back for 4th. He will join Foster and Campbell at Appalachian State.
5th Place Finisher Nathan McCartney (160 lbs) – North Guilford
At 160 lbs, Nathan McCartney (North Guilford) placed 5th after a 5-2 run. As the #16 seed, McCartney outperformed expectations and notched wins over the #7 and #9 seeds. His run marked one of the best seed-to-finish improvements by any NC senior in the tournament. Nathan is uncommitted and still finalizing plans for next year.
6th Place Finisher Jose Flores (220 lbs) – Hough / Darkhorse
Two other North Carolina heavyweights also earned spots on the podium at 220 and 285. Jose Flores (Hough/Darkhorse) went 4-3 to take 6th at 220 lbs. Unseeded, Flores stunned the bracket by upsetting #5 seed Myron Mendez in the round of 16 and advancing to the semifinals.
6th Place Finisher Damien Couture (285 lbs) – Hickory Ridge / Darkhorse
At 285 lbs, Damien Couture (Hickory Ridge/Darkhorse), seeded #6, reached the semifinals with a 3-1 record before medically forfeiting his final two matches. Couture, who will continue wrestling at Ohio University, dropped a tight semifinal bout before withdrawing, including what would have been a much-anticipated match against fellow NC native Everest Ouellette.
8th Place Finisher Michael Vazquez (285 lbs) – Seventy-First
Michael Vazquez (Seventy-First) capped off the senior All-American list with an 8th-place finish at 285 lbs, going 6-2 on the weekend. Unseeded, Vazquez upset the #4 seed Sebastian Rivera (also from NC) in a highlight win before falling in the consolation semifinals.
Notable Senior Performances
Beyond the All-Americans, several other seniors had standout performances. Kyle Simpson (Parkwood/C2X) went 3-2 at 126 lbs with wins over the #8 and #13 seeds — an impressive unseeded run. He’ll continue his wrestling career at Belmont Abbey. Jackson Rowling (Hough/Darkhorse) matched that effort at 145 lbs with wins over the #9 and #13 seeds and is committed to Roanoke College. At 182 lbs, Brock Sullivan (Union Pines/The Wrestling Factory), a returning Junior All-American, defeated #7 seed Nate Wade before finishing 3-2 in the bracket. Sullivan is also Roanoke-bound.
Kyle Simpson (126 lbs) – Parkwood / C2X
- Belmont Abbey commit
- 3-2 record
- Defeated #8 and #13 seeds
Jackson Rowling (145 lbs) – Hough / Darkhorse
- Roanoke College commit
- 3-2 record
- Defeated #9 and #13 seeds
Brock Sullivan (182 lbs) – Union Pines / The Wrestling Factory
- Roanoke College commit
- 3-2 record
- Seeded #8
- Defeated #7 Nate Wade
- NHSCA Junior 7th in 2024
College Pipeline Development
The 2025 senior class demonstrates North Carolina’s growing college pipeline, with several D1 commits among the All-Americans:
- Three Appalachian State commits (Cooper Foster, Colt Campbell, Hayden Haynes)
- One UNC commit (Liam Hickey)
- One Gardner-Webb commit (Everest Ouellette)
- One Ohio University commit (Damien Couture)
The in-state programs are clearly benefiting from North Carolina’s talent development, with four of the nine All-Americans committed to in-state Division I programs.
A Historic Year for NC Seniors
This class of nine All-Americans ranks second among NC senior groups since 2005, trailing only the 2023 class (10 AA). However, in terms of high placers, the 2025 class holds the edge: three 3rd-place finishers compared to just one in 2023, and deeper seeded wins across more weight classes.
Most impressively, North Carolina led the entire nation with 9 senior All-Americans, outpacing Virginia and Utah (7 each), Kansas (6), and New York (6). This first-place national finish in the senior division represents a watershed moment for North Carolina wrestling, firmly establishing the state as more than just a regional power.
The performance of this senior class, marked by resilience, upsets, and elite-level execution, reflects the growing strength and depth of North Carolina wrestling. With several athletes continuing at the D1 level and others poised to make noise in college wrestling rooms across the country, the Class of 2025 has left a legacy.
When combined with the state’s outstanding performances in the freshman, sophomore, and junior divisions, the 2025 NHSCA Nationals represents a watershed moment for North Carolina wrestling, with a total of 24 All-Americans across all age divisions—the highest combined total in state history.
