Two champions, two other placers
Nine wrestlers competed at the National Prep Championships this weekend. In the Prep Division, Julian Rios '26 went 3-0 with two pins and a technical fall on Friday to advance to the semifinals on Saturday morning. In the semifinals Julian lost a tough 4-1 decision in overtime to the eventual champion. He rallied in the consi-semis with a 3-1 decision in a rematch of the New England finals, and he won his 3rd place match in a 6-1 decision. Rios is 5-1 on the weekend, and is a 3x Prep All American.
Also wrestling in the Prep division were Christian Robinson '28 and Brady Haskell '28; Christian went 0-2 and Brady went 1-2 and did not place at the tournament.
In the girls division Dani Nugent '25 and Toni Elliott '27 both went 2-0 on Friday with pins to advance to the finals on Saturday morning. In her finals match at 138 lbs, Nugent pinned her opponent in 1:05. This is her 3rd National Prep Title in her career; she is a 4x Prep All American, the first in our program’s history. At 185 lbs Toni Nugent, the 2 seed, took on the 1 seed from Wyoming Seminary. In the first period she lost the takedown, but in the second period she took bottom, and reversed her opponent and put her on her back to get the second period pin. This is the first National Prep title for Elliott, who is now a 2x Prep All American.
At 100 lbs Serra Akyali '28 won her first two matches on Friday with a first period pin, but lost her semifinals match the eventual champion, before rallying in the consi-semis with a first period pin. In her 3rd place match she lost a tough 14-3 major decision. Akyali places 4th at National Preps with a 3-2 record for the weekend and is a Prep All American.
Also competing well for Andover were Tasha Bohorad '26, who went 1-2; Ophelia Lee '26, who went 2-2, and Bella Shmuylovich '26, who went 1-2.
Team Abbot places 4th as a team in the Girls Division.