Jackson Township Puts Heart Over Hype as It Stuns the Field at The Queen of The Hill Duals

Down late and pushed to the brink against elite competition, the Lady Jags leaned on grit, depth, and a clutch pin from Victoria Tandari to edge High Point, 36-33, and claim a statement championship in a loaded New Jersey showcase

114: Kylie Gudewitz (Howell) md. Marlow Donato (Jackson Township) 10-0. Shore Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament Championship Finals at Jackson High School on January 19, 2026. / Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In what was hands-down the strongest lineup ever assembled for an in-season tournament in the short history of New Jersey girls wrestling, Jackson Township put on a show.

Jackson Township Claims the Crown

In emerging as the event's champion, Jackson Township edged High Point in a thrilling finals match, 36-33.

In doing so, the Lady Jags had to rally from behind in each of their last three bouts of the day. They leaned on some of their lesser-known wrestlers to pull through when it mattered most.

"I saw a ton of heart and grit from our team," Jackson coach Joe Lemke told NJ Advance Media after wins over squads like Fair Lawn, Passaic Tech, Central Regional, and Gloucester, each of whom, along with Jackson and High Point, rank highly in various state polls. "That's what I loved the most. It's easy when you're dominating, but in tight matches, that's when the real character shows. I loved every second of it. We were down in most of those bouts and had to fight our way back."

Victoria Tandari's Clutch Performance Seals It

No one embodied that fighting spirit more than Victoria Tandari. With Jackson trailing 33-30 heading into the final bout, Tandari stepped up and pinned High Point's Payten Mann in the second period. That win flipped the score and clinched the tournament title for the Jags. Tandari had 20 wins last season but didn't make Jackson's deep postseason roster. This time, she proved she was as dependable as anyone in the lineup when the pressure was on.

"Tandari's been putting in the work all season," Lemke said. "She trains hard, runs hard, works hard every day. We were down 33-30, and she knew exactly what her job was. She wasn't nervous—she just went out and wrestled her best. It was an incredible effort. She sealed the win against High Point, one of the state's top teams, coached by one of the best (John Gardner)."

Lemke also highlighted sophomore Ariana Dugo at 114 pounds. Even though she got pinned by defending state champ Elle Changaris, Dugo battled tough and gave everything she had.

"She fought hard," Lemke said. "There were no easy points in that match. I just loved seeing the fight in her."

How the Finals Unfolded: High Point Jumps Ahead, Jackson Fights Back

The match started at 132 pounds, and High Point built an early lead, winning five of the first seven bouts to go up 27-12. Jackson kicked things off strong with a pin by Briana Dugo over Bella Vogler at 132.

But High Point answered with four straight wins: a tight sudden-victory decision by Alyssa Conway over Lily Clouse at 138, then pins from Gabriella Villafana (145), Kayley Bruner (152), and a forfeit to two-time state champ Ella Poalillo at 165. High Point stretched the lead further with a pin at 235 from Karly Lockburner over Kaylee Feraria, making it 27-18 after Jackson got a pin from Riley Thorne at 185.

Jackson's strength then kicked in, beginning with a forfeit win at 100 by Olivia Bonilla before Madison Rucci pinned at 107 to close it to 27-24. After Changaris' pin of Ariana Dugo, Marlowe Donato kept the momentum with a pin at 120 over Cassie Wyble, pulling Jackson within 33-30.

That set the stage for Tandari's match-winning pin.

Semifinal Comeback Against Gloucester

Jackson reached the finals with another gritty performance, beating Gloucester 42-30 in the semis, overcoming a 30-12 deficit by winning the final five weights by pin.

Gloucester took five of the first seven bouts (starting at 126), with only Thorne (165) and Briana Dugo (132) scoring pins for Jackson. The Lions got falls from Nadia Johnson (126), Alexis Nelson (138), Madeline Boyd (145), Addison Chiodi (152), and Gabriella Maldonado (185).

But Jackson shut the door from there: Kylee Feraria pinned in 51 seconds at 235, followed by first-period pins from Ava Bonilla (100), Madison Rucci (107), Ariana Dugo (114), and Marlowe Donato (120).

Pool Wins and a Tough Test from Central Regional

Earlier in pool play, Jackson knocked off Passaic Tech, Fair Lawn, and Central Regional.

Central gave the Jags their biggest challenge, dominating the middle weights with pins from Sophia VanSplinter (138), Brooke Twohig (145), Lilliana Comstock (152), Liliana Alicea (165), and Samantha Sottilare (185). Jackson built an early edge with pins from Donato (120) and Tandari (126), plus a 12-10 decision by Briana Dugo (132) over JayAnna Hahn.

The Jags then closed strong, pinning the final four weights: Feraria (235), Ava Bonilla (100), Ava Bello (107), and Rucci (114).