National High School Wrestling Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Boys and Girls Top 10 (October 2026)

The nation's best high school wrestlers don't need to compete in the same weight class to be measured against one another.

That's the idea behind the High School On SI National Pound-for-Pound Top 10, which recognizes the top boys and girls wrestlers regardless of weight.

Melvin Miller of Bishop McCort (Pennsylvania) and Taina Fernandez of Archbishop Spalding (Maryland) continue to lead their respective rankings in the latest October update.

The biggest change comes on the boys side, where Blair Academy's Salah Tsarni enters at No. 10 following a significant victory over Mario Carini at FloWrestling's Who's No. 1. His arrival pushes Iowa's Hayden Schwab out of the Top 10.

On the girls side, Fernandez remains the standard, while Marlee Solomon, Epenesa Elison and Ella Poalillo occupy the next three positions. A series of head-to-head results at Who's No. 1 continues to influence the order further down the list.

How We Update the Pound-for-Pound Rankings

Going forward, High School On SI will update its boys and girls pound-for-pound rankings approximately once a month, with additional adjustments when significant results warrant them.

Each update will focus primarily on what wrestlers have accomplished since the previous report.

Head-to-head victories, losses to highly ranked opponents, major tournament performances and the overall strength of recent competition will help determine movement.

The rankings also account for differences between folkstyle and freestyle competition, recognizing that results in one discipline don't always carry the same weight as results in the other.

Rather than repeat every wrestler's career accomplishments in each update, we'll concentrate on the performances driving the latest decisions.

For more background on the wrestlers and their original placement, readers can revisit our previous girls pound-for-pound rankings.

High School On SI Boys National Pound-for-Pound Top 10

1. Melvin Miller, Bishop McCort (Pennsylvania), Sr.

Miller retains the top position in the boys rankings.

2. Grey Burnett, Perrysburg (Ohio), Sr.

Burnett remains No. 2.

3. Sammy Sanchez, Esperanza (California), Jr.

Sanchez holds the third position.

4. Landon Sidun, Norwin (Pennsylvania)

Sidun remains fourth in the national rankings.

5. Michael Boyle, Bishop Watterson (Ohio), Sr.

Boyle maintains his position in the top five.

6. Jimmy Mastny, Marian Central Catholic (Illinois), Sr.

Mastny remains sixth.

7. Ariah Mills, Buford (Georgia), So.

Mills holds the seventh position and is the only sophomore in the boys Top 10.

8. Paul Kenny, Christian Brothers Academy (New Jersey), Sr.

Kenny remains in the Top 10 despite a previous freestyle loss by fall to Hayden Schwab of Don Bosco (Iowa) at the U20 World Team Trials.

Schwab had been positioned ahead of Kenny before the PNL Fall Championships, but the latest results changed that evaluation.

Schwab suffered a 5-4 loss to Illinois wrestler Oleksander Havrylkiv of Hersey in the 132-pound semifinals. Havrylkiv was ranked No. 15 in his weight class.

That folkstyle defeat carried particular significance in the pound-for-pound evaluation, especially when compared with Kenny's earlier freestyle loss to Schwab.

The result contributed to Schwab's removal from the Top 10, while Kenny holds the eighth position.

9. Jayden O'Farrill, State College (Pennsylvania), Jr.

O'Farrill retains the ninth position.

10. Salah Tsarni, Blair Academy (New Jersey), Sr.

New to the Top 10

Tsarni is the only newcomer in this month's boys rankings, and his inclusion follows a notable reversal against Mario Carini of Poway, California.

At last year's Super 32, Carini pinned Tsarni while leading 15-2.

The two met again at FloWrestling's Who's No. 1, and this time Tsarni came away with a 10-5 overtime victory.

The result demonstrated how much Tsarni has progressed since their previous meeting.

His other losses over the past calendar year came against two wrestlers currently in the pound-for-pound Top 10 — Jimmy Mastny and Jayden O'Farrill — along with graduated standout Dom Sumpolec of Notre Dame-Green Pond in Pennsylvania.

Tsarni also earned a silver medal at the U17 World Championships this summer.

Taken together, those results provide the strongest case yet for his inclusion among the nation's top 10 wrestlers, regardless of weight.

High School On SI Girls National Pound-for-Pound Top 10

The girls rankings remain led by two accomplished Pennsylvania and Maryland seniors, but the results from FloWrestling's Who's No. 1 have provided several compelling head-to-head comparisons.

Fernandez reinforced her position at the top with a decisive victory over Poalillo. Solomon survived a challenge from Elison in a meeting of world champions. Bouzakis delivered another dominant performance, while Silva's victory over Tucker added another important result to an already competitive group.

The most interesting development is the growing network of head-to-head results involving Silva, Tucker and Batres. Those matches show why pound-for-pound rankings require more than simply comparing records.

1. Taina Fernandez, Archbishop Spalding (Maryland), Sr.

Fernandez remains No. 1 following another convincing performance against elite competition.

The three-time U17 world champion defeated Ella Poalillo 10-0 by technical fall at Who's No. 1, ending the match in 4:29.

The victory reinforced Fernandez's standing at the top of the rankings and provided another significant result against an opponent who also ranks among the nation's best pound-for-pound wrestlers.

2. Marlee Solomon, Canon-McMillan (Pennsylvania), Sr.

Solomon retained her position after one of the most competitive matches at Who's No. 1.

Facing Epenesa Elison at 125 pounds, Solomon trailed during the match before rallying to a 6-6 tie and winning on criteria.

The result was especially significant because both wrestlers have world championship credentials.

Solomon's ability to recover and win the head-to-head meeting keeps her ahead of Elison in the pound-for-pound rankings.

3. Epenesa Elison, Los Altos (California), Jr.

Elison came close to defeating Solomon at Who's No. 1 but ultimately lost on criteria after the match ended 6-6.

The narrow result against the No. 2 pound-for-pound wrestler supports Elison's continued placement among the nation's elite.

4. Ella Poalillo, Valiant Prep (Arizona), Sr.

Poalillo remains fourth despite her 10-0 technical-fall loss to Fernandez at Who's No. 1.

The result was a setback against the nation's top pound-for-pound wrestler, but it does not erase the accomplishments that established Poalillo among the country's best.

5. Kaili Manuel, Romeo (Michigan), Sr.

Manuel holds the fifth position. No new result was provided for this update that would warrant a change in her placement.

6. Jaclyn Bouzakis, Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), Sr.

Bouzakis reinforced her standing with one of the most decisive performances at Who's No. 1.

Competing at 105 pounds, she defeated Emma Faczak of Bennett, Colorado, 11-0 by technical fall in 2:10.

The victory strengthened Bouzakis' position among the nation's top wrestlers and demonstrated her dominance against another highly regarded competitor in her weight class.

7. Isla Silva, Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania), So.

Silva's recent results have made her one of the most interesting wrestlers to follow in the pound-for-pound rankings.

After losing twice to Sarissa Tucker at the 2025 Super 32, Silva reversed the result at Who's No. 1, earning a 4-2 victory.

The win moved Silva ahead of Tucker in the latest rankings and reinforced her position as one of the country's leading young wrestlers.

As a sophomore, Silva has more high school eligibility remaining than most of the wrestlers on this list.

8. Sarissa Tucker, Midland (Virginia), Sr.

Tucker remains among the Top 10 despite her loss to Silva.

Her earlier victories over Silva at Super 32, along with previous wins against Christina Estrada of Buchanan, California, continue to support her placement.

The evolving head-to-head results between Tucker and Silva will remain an important consideration in future updates.

9. Kayla Batres, Greens Farms Academy (Connecticut), Sr.

Batres' position reflects her previous success against wrestlers who have recently competed at the highest level.

She defeated Silva 4-3 in the 2025 Women of Ironman final and also owns a 6-3 victory over Tucker from the 2024 Super 32.

Those results give Batres meaningful head-to-head credentials against two other members of the Top 10.

10. Christina Estrada, Buchanan (California), Sr.

Estrada completes the girls Top 10. No new competition result was provided for this update that would change her position.

What Comes Next for the National Pound-for-Pound Rankings?

The upcoming tournament schedule will provide more opportunities for the nation's top wrestlers to strengthen their positions or challenge those ranked ahead of them.

Super 32 is particularly important because it brings together elite wrestlers from across the country and offers the kind of head-to-head competition that can reshape pound-for-pound evaluations.

For the boys, Tsarni's arrival illustrates how quickly a major victory can change a wrestler's standing.

For the girls, the recent matches involving Fernandez, Solomon, Elison, Poalillo, Silva and Tucker have already provided meaningful comparisons that will help guide future decisions.

High School On SI plans to revisit both rankings monthly, with additional updates when significant results make them necessary.

The objective is straightforward: recognize the nation's best high school wrestlers based on their performances, while allowing new results to determine when the order needs to change.

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