Jackson Girls Wrestling Caps Perfect 19-0 Season with Its First New Jersey State Team Title

Jackson Memorial High School claimed the Garden State’s inaugural girls wrestling state crown with a resounding victory over Morris Hills.

132: Briana Dugo (JT) p. Isabella Grippo  :48. Jackson defeats Morris Hills 47-15 in NJSIAA Girls Wrestling Team Championship match in Piscataway on February 22, 2026. / Peter Ackerman/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

History has a way of rewarding athletic programs that build deliberately, demand accountability and refuse to lower their standards. Last weekend at Jersey Mike’s Arena on the campus of Rutgers University, Jackson Memorial High School earned a girls wrestling dual meet state title that was eight years in the making.

In the first-ever New Jersey girls wrestling team championship, Jackson overwhelmed Morris Hills, 47-15, to complete a flawless 19-0 season. The Jaguars captured nine of 12 bouts, scored bonus points in eight matches and recorded six falls in a performance that left little doubt about who sits atop the state’s growing girls wrestling landscape. For head coach Joe Lemke, the victory was both a breakthrough moment and the natural next step for a program forged on uncompromising expectations.

“I’ve been the girls head coach here at Jackson since its inception of 2018-19, so this is my eighth season,” Lemke said. “When it comes to New Jersey wrestling, obviously boys wrestling has been around forever. In girls wrestling, New Jersey is definitely up there too. Just look at Ella Poalillo who’s ranked No. 1 in the nation.”

Lemke is referring to the fact that Poalillo, a junior at High Point Regional, is ranked No. 1 in the latest High School on SI’s 2025-26 Girls High School Wrestling National Rankings.

By referencing Poalillo, Lemke made clear that New Jersey is no longer catching up in girls wrestling. It is actually setting the pace and Jackson has positioned itself squarely within that elite tier.

Seizing Control Early

In the championship match vs. Morris Hills, Jackson seized control from the outset and never loosened its grip. Madison Rucci (114) and Marlowe Donato (120) opened the dual with commanding major decisions, immediately establishing a tone of physicality and confidence.

The avalanche continued through the middle weights when Briana Dugo (132), Victoria Tandari (138) and ElleCe McGinley (145) delivered three consecutive falls, stretching the lead to 26-3 and igniting a surge of energy that carried into the upper weights. By the time Riley Thorne (165) pinned Chelsea Pinto in 2:26 to push the advantage to 35-3, the championship atmosphere had shifted from tense to celebratory.

Ava Bonilla (107) and Olivia Bonilla (100) added back-to-back falls late, slamming the door on a dominant team performance that reflected the Jaguars’ season-long identity. Jackson averaged 47 points per dual this winter, captured the prestigious Queen of the Hills Duals in December and powered through the South Jersey bracket with decisive victories over Old Bridge, North Brunswick and Gloucester.

That consistency is no accident.

“My coaching staff is second to none,” Lemke said. “They are the best coaches I could ever ask for and we hold the girls to a high standard. And it’s the standard and that’s it. You have to meet that standard and that buy-in and I find that our success is built upon that.”

Assistant coaches Diana Strizki, Tyisha Ramirez and Romeo Parreott have been integral in reinforcing those expectations daily. Together, the staff has created an environment where effort is non-negotiable and preparation is constant.

The Standard Includes Buy-In, Year-Round Commitment and Family

Jackson’s rise is rooted in more than talent alone. Lemke credits a strong middle school feeder system, but he emphasizes that culture ultimately determines outcomes.

“Having an excellent feeder system coming up from the middle school level is important and definitely a part of it,” Lemke said. “But I also think it’s the buy-in. I demand a lot as a coach.”

That demand stretches beyond the winter calendar as Jackson’s wrestlers compete with club teams, train throughout the offseason, in addition to taking part in the Jaguars’ summer program.

“I just think it’s really important that they have this buy-in and support for one another,” Lemke added. “Both the girls and boys programs train year-round. They’re not just a three months out of the year wrestler.”

The internal dynamic reflects that shared commitment and creates an atmosphere where veterans mentor newcomers and success is collective rather than individual.

“I can truly say that it is a family and we really mean it,” Lemke said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what year or level of years of wrestling you have, if you work hard, the team is welcoming to you.”

A Senior Class That Built the Foundation

Lemke does not hesitate when discussing this year’s senior class.

“Well, you can’t possibly have a better class than the senior class that we have this year,” he said. “They’re just incredible.”

The group includes Ava Bonilla (two-time state placer), Marlowe Donato (two-time state placer), Briana Dugo (three-time state placer), Madison Rucci (two-time state placer) and Riley Thorne, who won more than 20 matches as both a junior and senior. These athletes did not simply join a thriving program; they helped build it from the ground up.

“These are girls that have been wrestling since sixth grade, basically,” Lemke explained. “Eight years ago we started and the next year these girls stepped onto the mat for the first time ever. And fast forward seven years and here they are as seniors.”

Their growth paralleled the evolution of the program itself. Rucci’s national experience, including a deep run at Fargo, underscored Jackson’s expanding reach.

“She got all the way to the second round of 16 last year which is pretty impressive,” Lemke said. “Basically, that’s the blood round — that’s the last round before placing.”

Yet Lemke is equally encouraged by the layers beneath them.

“Yes, sure, these seniors are incredible,” he said. “But a lot of them have inspired the freshman, sophomore and junior class. In my opinion, why we were so successful this year is in large part because of the seniors. But it was also because of the girls who were just behind them and who really stepped up.”

The future, he insists, remains bright.

“We’re losing some really great seniors but don’t count out these juniors and sophomores and freshmen next year because they’re hungry,” Lemke said. “And it’s only getting started.”

Synergy Between Jackson’s and Girls Programs

Although Jackson’s boys and girls teams now train in separate rooms, the bond between the programs is unmistakable. In the early years, practices were shared, which helped establish a mutual respect that endures today.

“When we first started, a lot of those in the boys program and the girls program, we wrestled together,” Lemke said. “Two years later we kind of separated more or less and then it became entirely our own separate room, with our own mat for training, which was actually pretty good for me because I had some styles that I wanted to teach.”

The separation allowed the girls program to carve out its own identity, but it did not fracture unity.

“It’s awesome to look into the stands and see a lot of members of the boys wrestling team supporting our girls,” Lemke said. “A lot of them came to our state championship match at Rutgers. We actually had a fan bus full of boys wrestlers come up to Rutgers to support the girls. And that’s incredible. That’s the dream.”

The support is reciprocated whenever schedules allow, reinforcing a shared pride that extends beyond gender lines.

“I’m so thankful for the boys team. They’re so supportive,” Lemke said. “I think it’s a true testament to who we are as Jackson Township.”

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Jackson wrestling excellence long predates the girls program. Lemke experienced it firsthand while competing at nearby Wall High School, when Jackson was a perennial powerhouse under the leadership of Scott Goodale, the highly-successful, long-time head coach at Rutgers University that competes in the Big 10 Conference.

“When Coach Goodale was the head coach here at Jackson, I used to wrestle at Wall and we’d come here for scrimmages and matches and every time you came you knew you were in for a tough fight,” Lemke recalled. “They were ranked No. 1 in the state. I think they were ranked like fourth in the country at one point.”

That tradition shaped his expectations when he accepted the opportunity to lead the girls program.

“I grew up looking at Jackson as a powerhouse,” Lemke said. “And when I got this opportunity to coach here, I really wanted to make sure that we kept that tradition going. This is his alma mater. I hope he’s proud of where we’ve taken these programs at his school.”

With a perfect season, a historic state championship and a culture rooted in relentless standards, Jackson has not merely upheld that legacy. It has expanded it, ensuring that the Jaguars’ wrestling reputation, built over decades, now belongs equally to the girls who have carried it into a new era.