Lake Highland Prep Roars to National Prep Wrestling Title with a Blowout Final Day Performance

The Florida power capped its season-long standoff with New Jersey's Blair Academy by breaking a tie in the team standings and charging to a 60.5-point victory..

Lake Highland Prep saved its best for the final day, snapping a day one tie with Blair Academy (NJ) and cruising to the team championship at the 2026 National Prep Wrestling Tournament. / Mike Palazzo

Friday’s action closed at the Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University with the National Prep Wrestling Tournament team standings showing a draw at the top with No. 2 Lake Highland Prep (FL) and No. 3 Blair Academy (NJ), each holding 192.5 points.

Prosperity for one, adversity for the other

The Highlanders Accelerated on the Tournament's Final Day

Their paths couldn’t have been more divergent on Saturday morning with one blowing the roof off the place and the other taking hit after hit. Both had ten in the semi finals with three had-to-head encounters including two in a row to kick off the day at 106 and 113 pounds.

The results of those two matches, which were wins by the Highlanders, set the pace for the round that saw Lake Highland win nine of their semis, while Blair struggled to a 2-8 record that proved to be lethal as the Bucs tumbled into third behind No. 7 Malvern Prep (PA) and never recovered.

The Highlanders, however, kept prospering, in the finals they posted six champions and put up a whopping 345.5 points to outpace the team everyone had picked as runner-up – Malvern Prep (285), by 60.5 (if you had that and aren’t affiliated with MP, raise your hand). The shellshocked Blair squad was left in third with 271 points. 

“Well, I told them to prove to all that they are the best team in the Nation,” said Lake Highland coach Mike Palazzo. “And in order to do that they would need to win in grand fashion - I believe they did. We felt really positive going in. As the guys and staff did the work just as they always do. I think they wrestled confidently and felt like they had so much more to show. Team mentality makes greater individuals; this could not be more true with this group “

Team Leaders Repeat

Two team leaders the Highlanders will be bidding farewell to, Charlie DeSena (150 pounds) and Zeno Moore (157), secured their second straight Prep titles. 

DeSena is ranked 6th nationally by High School on Si and necessitated overtime to discover the points required to keep No. 16 Michael Turi (Wyoming Seminary, PA) at bay. 4-1. Moore, who is ranked 5th in the nation, decked Mt. St. Joseph’s No. 37 Brooklyn Pickett midway through their title bout. Moore’s hardware made him one of just 11 five-time Prep All-Americans.

“Charlie and Zeno are both perfect examples of what the program is all about,” Palazzo remarked. “For five straight years they embraced the programs regimen from start to finish. They are great students, great wrestlers, and just plain great young men. The future can expect much from them.”

More Milestones Were Achieved

The Highlanders had another two-time champ and five-time National Prep placer in their midst in No. 5 Shamus Regan (132 pounds) and No. 10 Liam Davis (113), respectively. 

Regan’s first championship came as a Wyoming Seminary freshman as part of the record setting 2024 team that won ten titles and scored just shy of 400 points (395.5), so he’s been involved with the type of domination Lake Highland displayed this weekend with their six champions.  This crown came as a junior who edged Blair’s No. 10 Vincenzo Anello, 1-0. Anello is now a two-time runner-up. 

Davis was the defending 113-pound champ and therefore received the number one seed over No. 5 Justin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep), who was second at 106 a year ago. Farnsworth proved the national rankings correct when he squeezed by Davis. Coupled with the team win and his inclusion in the five-timer club, Davis still had plenty to celebrate.

“It was also great to see Justin break through this year after coming so close last season,” said Malvern coach Nathan Lautar. “That kind of perseverance says everything about his character.”

The Round That Changed It All

Davis’ and No. 4 Liam McGettigan’s opening antics in the semis helped change the trajectory of a team race that was dead even and expected to flow back and forth all day. In the end, it flowed one way, towards the Highlanders, beginning with McGettigan’s round opening 11-5 decision of Blair’s No. 19 Jack Anello at 106 pounds.

Davis followed him with another gut punch to Blair as they were hoping No. 28 Eric Bocanegra could steal one. Instead, Davis dealt him an 8-3 blow. By the time the 175-pound bell rang, Lake Highland was cruising unblemished with seven wins and would not lose until their final entrant at 215.

“(The) Semis we felt would be big,” Palazzo said. “It was second day right off the scale and that I feel is always to our guys’ advantage. It’s a matter of conditioning; the hard stuff; they do it well.”

New Arrivals Have Big Impact

Top-seeded Nadav Nafshi added to the Bucs’ misery when he stuck Ryan Meier in the second period, 3:11. Nafshi was second last year in the same bracket as No. 24 Noah Tucker (Bullis School, MD), who was fourth. They did not meet in 2025, but they clashed here, and it was all Nafshi as he rolled unchallenged to a 17-3 major decision.

McGettigan, who was wrestling with a heavy heart on the birthday of his late mother, added his first crown after previously placing twice for Maryland’s Gilman School. Nafshi (Germantown Academy) and 190-pound finalist, Jackson Angelo (Frazier), also new this year, came from Pennsylvania. 

McGettigan was in trouble early in his final bout with No. 17 Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary) who avenged a qualifier loss to No. 16 Evan Cies (Malvern Prep) in the semis. Forman secured the first takedown and was on the cusp of containing the junior for the entirety of the middle frame when McGettigan caught him riding high very late for a reversal to the back where he was able to drop a buzzer beating fall on Forman. 

“Coming into high school I always heard that the National prep tournament was the hardest tournament, making one of my biggest goals to win it,” McGettigan said to Legacy Wrestling’s Lem Satterfield. “It has been a dream throughout my whole high school career to win it. I was not able to get it done my first two years and was very close to success. It finally feels great that I was able to achieve this goal on my mother’s birthday, to not only honor her, but everything that she has done for me and my family. I am so grateful for this achievement and give all glory to God.”

Another new arrival to the south this year, No. 3 Tyler Dekraker (144 pounds) was third at Lehigh as a Blair freshman. This is DeKraker’s first trip back and he made the most of it, especially on Saturday. 

“Winning a National Prep Title has been a dream of mine since I was in elementary school,” offered DeKraker. “Preps are called a mini-NCAA title for a reason. Once you get into the Quarters or Semis the kids are all good. I’ve been told it’s tougher than any state tournament and I believe it. Super excited that both my brother and I are Prep Champs (Billy won a crown at Blair a few years ago)”.

DeKraker had the offense cranked at preps winning by tech or pin in every match ahead of the finals including at 1:27 flattening of Wyoming Seminary’s Matt Dailey in the semis. The senior has had two close encounters with No. 10 Matt O’Neill (Malvern Prep) this year. There would be no drama at Lehigh as DeKraker put a 6-1 score on the final line.

“My mindset for the tournament was the same as all my teammates which was we needed to be unselfish,” DeKraker said. “We needed to score bonus points to help LHP win back-to-back National Titles. Matt O’Neill is going to win the next two National Prep titles and I’m lucky to have had him to push me this entire year.

“I’ve now been a starter on two teams that were considered by many to be the No. 1 team in the country: 2023 National Prep Champs with Blair and 2026 National Prep Champs with LHP. Both teams were talented, but this year’s LHP squad was just built different.”

The magical semifinal run was boosted by No. 7 Yandel Morales, another outside import from Andover, Massachusetts, picking off No. 6 Tyler Conroy (Malvern Prep), 2-0, and Angelo’s 13-10 win over another Malvern guy, No. 38 Mason Chamberlian. Morales and Angelo both lost to their foes at the in-season dual meet. 

Placing third for the Highlanders were defending champ No. 18 Lucas Boe (165 pounds) and No. 31 Colton Bell (215). Heavyweight Grant Silverfield advanced to the blood round at 215 pounds before bowing out. 

“My teammates this year are going to nine different DI powerhouse programs but more important is we all genuinely care for each other,” DeKraker said in closing. “Our bond is so tight. We look out for each other and love wrestling for Coach Palazzo. We dominated for sure, but it was more exciting for me to be with my guys every day working to get better.”

After never winning the National Prep Tournament, the Highlanders have now done it for a second consecutive season and handled their title defense in impressive fashion.

“It’s been a 19 seasons of building to this; it’s never once been easy as the commitment ask here at LHP for the wrestlers, staff and families is second to none,” Palazzo elaborated. “We won 11 state titles the last of which we did in pretty grand fashion and found several top ten national ranked finishes with the goal never being anything less than to be the best in the nation. 

“We moved to preps to enhance our post season opportunity, and it has proved to be a tough place to be. So yes, we are on top now, but the work can’t stop and our goal like always will be to improve and look forward to continued success. It was a great season, and this group should be very proud of their hard work and commitment to the program - a testament to their capabilities moving forward.”

Malvern Prep’s Surprise Second Seat And Historic Finish

Malvern’s surprise landing ahead of Blair got a big-time push from No. 43 Lukas Littleton Mascaro who came back from a qualifier loss to Wyoming Seminary’s Alex Marchetti that earned him the sixth seed to being crowned a prep champion for the second time in his career. 

Ahead of the Pennsylvania States, Littleton Mascaro was the number one guy, so when we identified him as a bracket buster it wasn’t the boldest prediction, but it was one that the senior made come true with his 4-1 win over No. 45 Jack Baron (Germantown Academy). Marchetti fell to Baron in the quarters. Littleton Mascaro was first as a freshman. 

“Little Mascaro along with our other champions, had an incredible run,” said Lautar. “As a six seed at 126, we knew he had a tough draw. He had a strange finish at states with the rideout, but he came back this week focused and determined. We kept a countdown going before each match — “four more, three more, two more, one more.” 

“His semifinal against Heslin really showcased his strength on his feet. Then in the finals against Baron — a local opponent he’s wrestled for years — it was special. His family has meant so much to this program and helped build Malvern into what it is today. To see him finish his senior year on top of the podium meant a lot.”

The Friars’ third champion was heavyweight No. 12 Lukas Zalota who downed Northfield Mount Hermon’s postgrad, James Bechter, 2-1. 

“Zalota’s performance was extremely impressive,” Lautar continued. “After missing last year with an injury and still learning the heavyweight position, he battled through some losses earlier this season and kept improving. To cap it off by riding out in the finals at heavyweight shows his ability to score from any position and control a match. He didn’t really have a full offseason — and I truly believe you’ll see an even bigger, stronger, better version of him next year.”

In all, 11 Friars achieved All-American status. After O’Neill’s silver at 144 pounds. Contributing to the cause as bronze medalists were No. 16 Evan Cies (16), Conroy, No. 29 Declan O’Byrne (150), and Chamberlain. No. 32 Chase Hetrick was sixth at 175 pounds. Placing seventh for Malvern were Rocco Lombardo (120) and Raymond Fitzgerald (157). 

“What a great tournament for our program,” remarked Lautar. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team and the way they responded. In my 21 years of coaching, I believe this was the first time we’ve beaten Blair — and we knew it was going to take a total team effort to get it done.

“The guys stepped up when it mattered most. I think we won nearly every match in the medal rounds except for one or two. Down the stretch, we performed. We scored bonus points when we needed them. We wrestled with confidence. I was beyond proud of how they competed.”

Tsarni Was the Buc’s Bright Spot

No. 7 Salah Tsarni transferred to Blair Academy from the Bullis School in Maryland where he was a two-time prep All-American and runner-up a season ago. Tsarni had little trouble locking down his first prep crown with an 18-3 tech fall of Lake Highland’s Angelo at 190 pounds. 

“Taking second last year freed me up and changed my mindset,” Tsarni said to Satterfield. “It helped me focus on wrestling to wrestle and not just wrestling to win. That made the sport more fun and allowed me to open up and trust what I’ve been working on. Being at Blair has been a big part of that process too. The room, the coaching, and the people around me have all pushed me to grow every day.”

Seminary’s Rebuild Comes with Two Champs

Wyoming Seminary’s Wyatt Spencer (120 pounds) was a big contributor to Blair’s semifinal woes as he not only beat No. 5 Michael Batista but stuck him at the 2:57 mark. The unranked Spencer didn’t drop a dud in his follow-up, like many do after a big upset, instead he added another to his list with a 7-3 decision of No. 27 Gabe Swann (Baylor School, TN).

Seminary’s No. 4 Dale Corbin (138 pounds) improved upon his second-place finish from 2025 with a 5-3 win over Lake Highland’s Morales. 

Best of the Rest

The Baylor School’s No. 16 Titus Norman has been a national force over the last few seasons, but it hasn’t transferred itself to his prep expeditions as Norman has never placed here until doing so now as a champion at 165 pounds after handling Nate Consigli (NMH), 7-2.

Greens Farms Academy’s Max Konopka won the 215-pound title on a commanding 7-0 blanking of No. 10 Cash Colbert (Paul VI, VA). Colbert was also second last season.  

Team Scores (Top 10)

1-Lake Highland Prep (FL) 345.5

2-Malvern Prep (PA) 285

3-Blair Academy (NJ) 271

4-Wyoming Seminary (PA) 248.5

5-Greens Farms Academy (CT) 203.5

6-Baylor School (TN) 159

7-Northfiled Mount Hermon (MA) 150.5

8-New York Military Academy (NY) 148.5

9-McCallie School (TN) 97.5

10-Archbishop Spalding (MD) 96

Individual Results

 106-Pounds

1st Liam Mcgettigan (Lake Highland Prep) F Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary), 4:00

3rd Evan Cies (Malvern) DEC Jack Anello (Blair Academy), 8-3

5th Damian Duchez (Bullis) DEC Dylan Deck (Germantown Academy), 6-4

7th Carter Lirgg (Cardinal Newman School) DEC Charles Cooper (Loyola Blakefield), 5-3

113-Pounds

1st Justin Farnsworth (Malvern) DEC Liam Davis (Lake Highland Prep), 1-0

3rd Eric Bocanegra (Blair Academy) DEC Brock Humphrey (Linsly School), 4-0

5th Royce Wetzler (Benedictine College Prep) DEC Riley Alcantar (Baylor School), 1-0

7th Charlie Mutschler (Archbishop Spalding) DEC Jacob Naylor (McDonogh), 4-2

120-Pounds

1st Wyatt Spencer (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Gabe Swann (Baylor School), 7-3

3rd Michael Batista (Blair Academy) DEC Cooper Merli (New York Military Academy), 4-0

5th Max Berman (Germantown Academy) DEC Tyler Verceles (Loyola Blakefield), 4-1

7th Rocco Lombardo (Malvern) MD Chase Kastner (Greens Farms Academy), 13-1

126-Pounds

1st Lukas Littleton mascaro (Malvern) DEC Jack Baron (Germantown Academy), 4-1

3rd Jackson Heslin (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Johnny Green (New York Military Academy), 7-3

5th Eli Gabrielson (Archbishop Spalding) FOR Alex Marchetti (Wyoming Seminary), 0-0

7th Isaac Novod (Belmont Hill School) DEC Peter Rincan (Nmh), 4-1

132-Pounds

1st Shamus Regan (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Vincenzo Anello (Blair Academy), 1-0

3rd Shai Sabag (Germantown Academy) DEC Marcus Heck (Wyoming Seminary), 1-0

5th Jaxsen Bailey (Greens Farms Academy) FOR Jaxon Lane (McCallie School), 0-0

7th Landon Herdic (New York Military Academy) DEC Drew Roggie (St. Christopher's School), 4-0

138-Pounds

1st Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Yandel Morales (Lake Highland Prep), 5-3

3rd Tyler Conroy (Malvern) DEC Malachi Puckett (Baylor School), 5-0

5th Jack Dragoumanos (Belmont Hill School) TF Matteo Defillippo (Norfolk Academy), 17-1 2:18

7th Landon Lill (Peddie School) M FOR Ryan Rios (Blair Academy), 0-0 0:00

144-Pounds

1st Tyler Dekraker (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Matt Oneill (Malvern), 6-1

3rd Weston Borgers (Blair Academy) DEC Matthew Dailey (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2

5th Billy Hamilton (McCallie School) DEC George Emendorfer (Baylor School), 4-1 TB2

7th Tyler Stephens (Mount Saint Joseph) DEC Joe Mahoney (Greens Farms Academy), 2-1 UTB

150-Pounds

1st Charlie Desena (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Michael Turi (Wyoming Seminary), 4-1 SV

3rd Declan Obyrne (Malvern) DEC Colby Houle (Nmh), 8-2

5th Andrew Mccarthy (New York Military Academy) DEC Niko Colavecchio (Paul VI Catholic High School), 11-5

7th Benji Koch (Blair Academy) DEC Connor Allison (Mount Saint Joseph), 5-2

157-Pounds

1st Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) F Brooklyn Pickett (Mount Saint Joseph), 2:54

3rd Shea Morris (New York Military Academy) DEC Brian Chamberlain (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2

5th Jeremy Mcgrath (Greens Farms Academy) F Cole Albert (The Hill School), 0:47

7th Raymond Fitzgerald (Malvern) M FOR Joseph Schinder (Blair Academy), 0-0 0:00

165-Pounds

1st Titus Norman (Baylor School) DEC Nate Consigli (Nmh), 7-2

3rd Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Arment Waltenbaugh (The Hill School), 5-2

5th Blake Jacobson (Greens Farms Academy) FOR Barry Norman (Blair Academy), 0-0

7th Cole Wilson (Paul VI Catholic High School) MD Jack Degl (Brunswick School), 13-5

175-Pounds

1st Nadav Nafshi (Lake Highland Prep) MD Noah Tucker (Bullis), 17-3

3rd Declan Bligh (The Roxbury Latin School) DEC Lucas Parietti (Wyoming Seminary), 13-10

5th Ryan Meier (Blair Academy) DEC Chase Hetrick (Malvern), 5-3

7th Brodie Bedford (All saints episcopal school) M FOR Jack Harty (Greens Farms Academy), 0-0 0:00

190-Pounds

1st Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy) TF Jackson Angelo (Lake Highland Prep), 18-3 3:48

3rd Mason Chamberlain (Malvern) DEC Braeden Simoneaux (New York Military Academy), 6-5

5th Bojan Sulc (Gonzaga College High School) DEC Lucas Alvan (Nmh), 9-5

7th Kaleb Jackson (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Dylan Reel (Baylor School), 7-6

215-Pounds

1st Maximus Konopka (Greens Farms Academy) DEC Cash Colbert (Paul VI Catholic High School), 7-0

3rd Colton Bell (Lake Highland Prep) DEC Conner Bercume (Blair Academy), 1-0

5th Gabriel Smith (The Hill School) DEC Evan Gavin (St. Marys Ryken), 4-3

7th Rock Shurette (Baylor School) DEC Cooper Gentle (McCallie School), 7-2

285-Pounds

1st Luks Zalota (Malvern) DEC James Bechter (Nmh), 2-1

3rd Cael Mielnik (Blair Academy) MD Alex Bajoras (Wyoming Seminary), 10-2

5th Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy) DEC Ryan Schneider (Greens Farms Academy), 6-3

7th Sean Boyd (Benedictine College Prep) DEC Ryker Mccarthy (Greenwich Country Day School), 7-2