Virginia Beach, VA — Woodgrove High School’s wrestling program added another chapter to its historic run this past weekend at the VHSL State Championships in Virginia Beach, capturing its third consecutive state title and further solidifying its place in Loudoun County wrestling history.
Woodgrove previously made history as the first high school in Loudoun County to win a VHSL State Wrestling Championship in a county that has existed since 1954. With three straight championships now secured, the program has moved from a historic breakthrough to sustained success at the state level.
The Wolverines qualified 10 wrestlers for the state tournament, with seven earning podium finishes. The team produced two individual State Champions, one State Runner-Up, three third-place finishers, and one fifth-place finisher.
Woodgrove finished the season with a 30 to 12 overall record. Of those 30 wins, 24 came with bonus points, including 14 pins, six technical falls, and four major decisions, reflecting a high number of decisive victories throughout the season and postseason.
At 106 pounds, August Rathmann opened the tournament with a pin over Jonathan Mangan of Warhill in 54 seconds, earning his first state tournament win. He later dropped matches to Jack Beaulieu of Chancellor and Camden Palmer of Atlee in the consolation rounds, but his state appearance marked a strong step forward in his first varsity season.
At 120 pounds, Zac Hartley began with a 16 to 0 technical fall over Blake Kelly of Sherando. He then lost a 4 to 1 decision to Brodie Gibbs of Atlee in the quarterfinals and later fell 5 to 2 to Cameron Nguyen of Rock Ridge in the consolation bracket. Hartley, last year’s State Runner-Up at 113, had moved down from 126 midseason and also won a regional title.
Adam Skinner placed third at 126 pounds after reaching the semifinals with wins over Griffin Delacruz of Grafton and Mills Banton of Patrick Henry. He lost a close overtime match to Jace Culotta of John Handley before rebounding with a 10 to 0 major decision over Tre Antoine of Orange County and a 7 to 1 win over Brady Beard of Powhatan in the third-place match. Skinner closes his career as a four-time state placer and finished with 163 career victories, the second most in Woodgrove program history.
Thomas Goode competed at 132 pounds after moving up in weight this season. He fell in the opening round to Jason Ludwig of Atlee, then earned a fall over Davin Jacobsen of Jamestown in the consolation bracket before being eliminated by David Lewis of Gloucester. The appearance marked his second trip to the state tournament.
At 138 pounds, Camden Murray won the State Championship after advancing through the bracket with two falls and a technical fall in the semifinals. In the finals, he defeated Max Mooney of James Wood by an 8 to 6 decision. The title followed earlier state finishes of fourth and second in previous seasons.
Jackson Knupp placed fifth at 144 pounds after wrestling six matches over the weekend. Following a narrow opening-round loss, he worked through the consolation bracket with wins over Nicholas Pellei of Lafayette and Eli Eastlake of Loudoun County, including a 17 to 1 technical fall. He secured a podium spot with a 9 to 8 win over Colton Jones of Spotsylvania in the blood round and finished with an 11 to 4 decision over Alex Stubblefield of Millbrook.
At 165 pounds, Colten Jones earned a third-place finish. He opened with a fall over Collin Adams of Patrick Henry and a 35-second pin over Jackson Mann of Blacksburg in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss to returning state champion Michael Byrne of Eastern View, he rebounded with a pin over Sean Hodel of James Wood and a 19 to 4 technical fall over Karl Dean of Gloucester in the third-place match.
Sawyer Jones captured the State Championship at 175 pounds, earning his third career state title. He advanced to the finals with three consecutive pins before defeating Thomas Thorpe of John Handley by a 10 to 2 major decision. Jones, who was previously the first state champion in Woodgrove history, now holds three individual titles.
Ibrahim Zaky placed third at 190 pounds. He opened with a technical fall and a major decision before dropping a 4 to 1 semifinal decision to William Potter of Millbrook. Zaky then responded with a 24-second pin in the consolation semifinals and a 17 to 3 major decision over Jax Smith of King George in the third-place match.
At 215 pounds, Campbell Frook advanced to the State Finals with a fall over Adam Morello of Courtland, a 4 to 0 decision over Asa Doyle of Millbrook, and a semifinal pin over Nathan Shelton of Powhatan. He finished as State Runner-Up after facing Kenneth Hamilton of Gloucester in the championship match, marking his highest career finish after previously placing fourth and sixth at the state tournament.
With three consecutive VHSL State Championships and multiple individual podium finishes, Woodgrove’s results in Virginia Beach highlight the continued strength and depth of the program as it maintains its position as one of the top wrestling teams in Loudoun County and across the state.