Championship Standings: Trinity Opens Wide Margin in 3A Individual Wrestling
Trinity sits atop the N. C. High School Athletic Association 3A boys wrestling championship standings with a 45. 5-point lead after the first day of the individual state tournament in Greensboro. The margin comes as seven Bulldogs reached finals and the program also captured the dual-team title earlier in the week, setting up a decisive Day Two at First Horizon Coliseum on Saturday.
Development details — Championship Standings
After the opening day of the NCHSAA 3A boys individual wrestling championships, Trinity has amassed 115. 5 team points, leaving Mount Airy in second with 76 points. Owen sits third with 49 points, followed by Lincolnton at 43 and Polk County at 42. 5. The 45. 5-point lead is the product of seven Trinity wrestlers advancing to championship bouts across weight classes.
The individual title matches slated for Day Two are: 106 pounds — Jeven Palmeri of Trinity versus Hunter Dancy of North Wilkes; 113 pounds — Aiden Burkholder of Trinity versus Angel Olalde of Mount Airy; 120 pounds — Stephen Cross of Trinity versus Jose Trejo of Surry Central; 126 pounds — Ayden Sumners of Wheatmore versus David Lambright of Eastern Randolph; 132 pounds — Omega Edge of Trinity versus Alexander Cecil of Madison; 138 pounds — Hezekyah Matson of Trinity versus John Bryson Perkins of Owen; 144 pounds — Simeon Hammett of Trinity versus Michael Fischer of Mount Airy; 150 pounds — Alexander May of Hendersonville versus Mason Wheeler of Owen; 157 pounds — Jonathan Nguyen of Northeastern versus Joaquin Leunda Freeman of Owen; 165 pounds — Zalen McCraw of Polk County versus Jay Mills of Lincolnton; 175 pounds — Andrew Meadows of Mount Airy versus Gavin Gholami of Lincolnton; 190 pounds — Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore versus Styler Blackwell of Polk County; 215 pounds — Nash Mullis of North Stanly versus Aaron Ruiz-Angel of Mount Airy; 285 pounds — Joseph Trahan of Trinity versus Maddox Carson of Eastern Randolph.
Context and escalation
The individual tournament is taking place at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N. C. Trinity’s strong position is the culmination of two developments this week: the Bulldogs captured the NCHSAA dual-team championship on Tuesday, and several wrestlers continued that momentum into the individual bracket, advancing to the final round. The accumulation of points tied to reaching championship bouts has propelled Trinity’s total to 115. 5 through the first day.
What makes this notable is the breadth of Trinity’s representation across weight classes — finalists from the 106-, 113-, 120-, 132-, 138- and 144-pound divisions and the heavyweight bracket underscore the program’s depth on both lines and in the upper weights.
Immediate impact
The immediate consequence of Day One’s results is a sizable cushion for Trinity heading into the deciding sessions. With seven wrestlers guaranteed at least runner-up finishes, the team is positioned to convert individual championships into an insurmountable total or to extend the lead further. Mount Airy, Owen, Lincolnton and Polk County remain in contention but face the mathematical challenge of overcoming a 45. 5-point deficit during the final rounds.
For individual competitors, the championship bouts listed for Saturday determine state titles in their respective weight classes; those outcomes will directly finalize team totals and the order of finish in the team standings. Schools with multiple finalists can expect their team scores to change significantly depending on how many of those finalists secure individual crowns.
Forward outlook
The schedule calls for Day Two of the NCHSAA 3A boys individual wrestling championships to take place on Saturday at First Horizon Coliseum, when the championship bouts will be contested and the final team standings will be finalized. Teams and wrestlers will reconvene for the session that decides individual state champions and concludes the tournament cycle for this classification.
Coaches and programs now face a clear, short timetable: a single day of championship competition will determine the individual champions listed above and the ultimate placement of the top teams. The NCHSAA standings, already published for the top five, will be updated once the final matches conclude.
