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Youth and Masters divisions champions crowned at 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals

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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. – It was one of the biggest turnouts of youth and Masters age competitors in the history of the Carolina Beach Nationals on Saturday. It led to some great action on the eight rings alongside the Atlantic Ocean.


Natalie Shaver of the North Carolina Wrestling Factory, who was also a champion in 2025 at the U.S. Beach Nationals held in Carolina Beach, won two brackets on Saturday, the 12U Boys 104-pound class and the 12U Girls 109.8-pound class.


Other youth champions at this year’s Carolina Beach Nationals, who were also champions at the 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals at Carolina Beach were:

  • Junior Boys 130.5-141.5 - Lucas Angstadt (North Carolina)
  • 16U Boys 149.4-159.4 - Jake Klotz (Raleigh Area Wolfpack)
  • 16U Boys 282.5 - Ryan Hodgins (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)
  • 16U Girls 121 - Charlotte VanPelt (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)
  • U15 Boys 65 kg - Ian Winchell (North Carolina)
  • 14U Boys 78.9 - Ronan Smith (North Carolina)
  • 14U Boys 129.3-134.9 - Daniel Aparicio (North Carolina)
  • 12U Boys 119.1-139.9 - Lachlan Smith (North Carolina)

The Masters division was especially active, with 10 champions determined in five age divisions.


Among the most accomplished of the Masters champions was Jordin Humphrey of the Titan Mercury WC, who has won several Veteran Worlds medals. Humphrey won a three-athlete round robin at 75.9 kg in Division C.


In the oldest division, Masters F, Pete Werling of North Carolina scored wins over well-known USA Wrestling coaches George Bancroft and Frank Lipoli for the 96.5 kg title.

2026 Carolina Beach Nationals 

At Carolina Beach, N.C., May 9 


Final Results 

Junior Boys 
55.4 lbs. 

1st - Esteban Placencia (Eastern Carolina Wrestling Academy)


69.85-85.8 lbs. 

1st - Yeshua Guardian (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)

2nd - Bishop Bessler (West Kitsap WC)


108.3-109 lbs. 

1st - Ethan Chapman (North Carolina)

2nd - Nematullah Panahi (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))


123.7-128.4 lbs. 

1st - Matthew Carter (North Carolina)

2nd - Ian Cochran (Virginia)

3rd - Mohammad Sahil (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))


127.3-136.6 lbs. 

1st - Carson Giannotti (North Carolina)

2nd - David Matus (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))

3rd - Nathan Bastuscheck (Virginia)


130.5-141.5 lbs. 

1st - Lucas Angstadt (North Carolina)

2nd - Kylen Beheler (North Carolina)

3rd - Tristan Towery (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)


143.3-150.2 lbs. 

1st - Hayden Roland (Black Mountain Wrestling Club)

2nd - Eason Stouff (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)

3rd - Rory Gallagher (North Carolina)


145-158.6 lbs. 

1st - Laith Alamawi (Thunderbird Wrestling Club)

2nd - Elijah Watts (North Carolina)

3rd - Vincent Valentino (Laney High School Wrestling)

4th - Connor Earl (North Carolina)


148.7-155 lbs. 

1st - Axel Beatenhead (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)

2nd - Michael Gutierrez-Argueta (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))

3rd - Ethan Olivier (North Carolina)


159.2-171.5 lbs. 

1st - Elijah Brown (North Carolina)

2nd - Christian Noblett (Roundtree Wrestling Academy)

3rd - Mason Wheeler (Black Mountain Wrestling Club)

4th - Liam Morrow (North Carolina)


166.5-180.6 lbs. 

1st - Andrew Robinson (North Carolina)

2nd - Jadeen Reid (Virginia)

3rd - James Sink (Tennessee)


199.7-214.7 lbs. 

1st - Tommy Gillespie (Laney High School Wrestling)

2nd - Sean Maloney (Eastern Carolina Wrestling Academy)


216.8-236.5 lbs. 

1st - Christian Hall (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)

2nd - Cooper Lanier (North Carolina)


315.5 lbs. 

1st - Adrian Mendez (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)


Junior Girls 
45-66.6 lbs. 

1st - Ezmerelda Fuller (Cowboy Wrestling Club)

2nd - Katie Stowe (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)


111.5-119.4 lbs. 

1st - Peyton Smith (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Mia Trejos (North Carolina)


16U Boys 
50.25-52.3 lbs. 

1st - Harley Mann (Virginia Team Predator Wrestling Club)

2nd - Jake Geist (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


59.4-64 lbs. 

1st - Kash Mireles (Michigan)


108-115.4 lbs. 

1st - Gavin Cruz (Waynesville Tigers Wrestling Club)

2nd - Scott Hettinger (North Carolina)


118.9-120.8 lbs. 

1st - Kaylor Jones (Lions Wrestling Academy)

2nd - Harold Rosenzweig (Capital City Wrestling Club)

3rd - Robert Killian (North Carolina)


121.3-130.1 lbs. 

1st - Charlie Pierce (Sly Fox Wrestling Club)

2nd - Gavin Strawn (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

3rd - Jagger Beatenhead (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)


132.2-144.2 lbs. 

1st - Ethan Gatlin (North Carolina)

2nd - Seer Stokes (Compound Wrestling)

3rd - Ian Winchell (North Carolina)

4th - Liam Parisi (North Carolina)


135.7-137 lbs. 

1st - Julian Hoover (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Parham Ghorbani (North Carolina)

3rd - Nathan Hadley (Arlington Wrestling Club (AWC))


149.4-159.4 lbs. 

1st - Jake Klotz (Raleigh Area Wolfpack)

2nd - Jensen Anders

3rd - Wesley Wood (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)


178.1-180.8 lbs. 

1st - Cole Robinette (D1 Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Cason Lewis (North Carolina)


198.4 lbs. 

1st - Jake Hardy (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))


282.5 lbs. 

1st - Ryan Hodgins (West Lincoln High School Wrestling)

2nd - Jake Hardy (Athens Drive High School Wrestling (Mad Cow WC))


16U Girls  
55 lbs. 

1st - Charlotte VanPelt (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


212.1 lbs. 

1st - Kylie Geouge (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)


U15 Boys  
55 kg 

1st - Harley Mann (Virginia Team Predator Wrestling Club)

2nd - Jake Geist (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


65 kg 

1st - Ian Winchell (North Carolina)


U15 Girls 
45 kg 

1st - Piper Fry (Michigan Wrestling Academy)


14U Boys 
78.9 lbs. 

1st - Ronan Smith (North Carolina)


92.7-100.2 lbs. 

1st - Trevor Killian (North Carolina)

2nd - Aria Bushaw (Carolina Reapers Wrestling Club)

3rd - Michael Montoya (North Carolina)


106.2-107.7 lbs. 

1st - Dalton Boehning (North Carolina Wrestling Factory)

2nd - charles leggett III (North Carolina)


104.4-114.4 lbs. 

1st - Clark Yarborogh (RAW (Raleigh Area Wrestling Club ))

2nd - Carson Pressley (North Carolina)

3rd - Gavin Campbell (Eastern Carolina Wrestling Academy)


119.1-119.8 lbs. 

1st - Trevor Frank (North Carolina)

2nd - Jordan Wade (Virginia)


120.5-127.4 lbs. 

1st - Landon Bradford (North Carolina)

2nd - James Carfora (Wrestling Warehouse)

3rd - Luke Agee (North Carolina)


129.3-134.9 lbs. 

1st - Daniel Aparicio (North Carolina)

2nd - Bentley Weaver (Sly Fox Wrestling Club)

3rd - Elijah Alicea (North Carolina)


148.7-150.1 lbs. 

1st - Oscar Burleson (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)

2nd - Liam Gilliam (North Carolina)


165.5-169.2 lbs. 

1st - Lawson Ayers (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)

2nd - Madon Davis (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)


243.6 lbs. 

1st - Aiden Frye (North Carolina)


14U Girls 

1st - Brekyn Boyle (Honey Badger Wrestling Club)

12U Boys 
55.7-73 lbs. 

1st - Fox Fadel (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Max Wright (North Carolina)

3rd - Ethan Cain (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


78.4-81.2 lbs. 

1st - Ben White (Pennsylvania)

2nd - Brendan Hinnant (North Carolina)

3rd - Ryder Yezarski (North Carolina)


86.3-90.7 lbs. 

1st - David Hayes (Combat Athletics Wrestling Club)

2nd - Jayko Erwin (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)

3rd - Dylan Conger (North Carolina)

4th - Dallas Bright (North Carolina)


96-104.5 lbs. 

1st - Natalie Shaver (North Carolina Wrestling Factory)

2nd - Jace Kosco (Wrestling Warehouse)

3rd - Asher Welborn (North Carolina)

4th - Colt Welborn (North Carolina)

5th - Caeden Snyder (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


119.1-139.9 lbs. 

1st - Lachlan Smith (North Carolina)

2nd - Maximus Whitty (North Carolina)


12U Girls 
62.4 lbs. 

1st - Eliana Cain (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


80.5-90.7 lbs. 

1st - Isabella Evans (Stingers Wrestling Club)

2nd - Julia Martin (North Carolina)


104.7-109.8 lbs. 

1st - Natalie Shaver (North Carolina Wrestling Factory)

2nd - Ava Killian (North Carolina)


121.4 lbs. 

1st - MacKenzie Withrow (Eastern Carolina Wrestling Academy)


10U Boys 
54.2-55.7 lbs. 

1st - Jameson White (Pennsylvania)

2nd - Ethan Cain (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)


75.2-88.5 lbs. 

1st - Jax Orange (North Carolina)

2nd - Alexander Zwan (North Carolina)

3rd - Van Parks (North Carolina)


153.8 lbs. 

1st - Andy Stouff (Top Dawg Wrestling Club)


10U Girls 
64.6-79.8 lbs. 

1st - Aubrey Martin (North Carolina)

2nd - Alani Brown (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

3rd - Blakley Huffman (North Carolina)


95 lbs. 

1st - Elva Placencia-foy (Eastern Carolina Wrestling Academy)


8U Boys 
40.2-50.6 lbs. 

1st - Bernard Bryant (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Callahan Waters (North Carolina)

3rd - Jayden Huffman (North Carolina)


58.5-68.2 lbs. 

1st - Carter Etnoyer (Pennsylvania)

2nd - Grayson Coleman (Western Carolina Wrestling Club)


71.5-75.5 lbs. 

1st - Cooper Courtney (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Drew McCroskey (D1 Elite Wrestling Club)


8U Girls 
49.2-70.4 lbs. 

1st - Harper Orange (North Carolina)

2nd - Lavanna Withrow (North Carolina)

3rd - Lori Augenstein (North Carolina)


6U Boys 
47.1-54.9 lbs. 

1st - Grady Parks (North Carolina)

2nd - Mason Packer (Fayettenam Brawlers)

3rd - Jackson Marano (North Carolina)


Masters A 
74.6-77.2 kg 

1st - Noah Perdue (Florida)

2nd - Christopher Emery (New Jersey)

3rd - Grant McMains (New Jersey)


81.9-87.2 kg 

1st - Demontay Wimbush (Virginia)

2nd - Tanner Atchison (Georgia)

3rd - Terrence Santiago (Wrestling Guild of Clarksville)


93-127.35 kg 

1st - Jayden Miller (Power Training Center)

2nd - Cuauhtemoc Cervantes (South San Francisco Gator Wrestling)

3rd - Jake Sedon (North Carolina)

4th - Nicholas Nottingham (North Carolina)


Masters B 
75.5 kg 

1st - Serdar Kurbanov (Virginia)


93.7-100 kg 

1st - Cody Lewis (North Carolina)

2nd - Michael Ullerich (South Carolina)


Masters C 
73.1-75.9 kg 

1st - Jordin Humphrey (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC))

2nd - Brandon Bushaw (Carolina Reapers Wrestling Club)

3rd - Serdar Kurbanov (Virginia)


79.7-84.6 kg 

1st - Donald Snyder (Carolina Elite Wrestling Club)

2nd - Ruben Blanco (The Hive Wrestling)


110.5-130 kg 

1st - Joseph Smith (Tennessee)

2nd - Christopher Pierce (Pennsylvania)


Masters D 
84.4-88 kg 

1st - James Yezarski (North Carolina)

2nd - Rodney Fisher (Greenbrier Wrestling Club)

3rd - Joey Maluchnik (Pennsylvania)


Masters F 
79.7-96.85 kg 

1st - Pete Werling (North Carolina)

2nd - George Bancroft (Rocky Mount Wrestling Club)

3rd - Frank Lipoli (Virginia Challenge Wrestling Association)