High Point stars lead area medal haul at state girls’ wrestling championships

Junior Ella Poalillo of High Point is going out on top.

Poalillo won her third straight state wrestling individual championship at thenNJSIAA state girls wrestling’ championships concluded on Saturday, March 14, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Poalillo, the state’s - and country’s - top ranked wrestler at 152 pounds, was dominant in capturing the state title, spending just 7:08 on the mat while recording four straight pins.

She pinned fourth-seeded Maria Imhauser of Hillsborough in 31 seconds in the semifinal round and second-seeded Fatina Lozier of Pennsauken in 2:33 in the final. Poalillo had won the 138-pound title as a freshman and won at 152 last year.

After winning the title, Poalillo said she plans on foregoing high school wrestling her senior season to focus on freestyle wrestling and working on her skills heading into college.

If this was indeed her final high school event, she concludes her sensational career with a 79-match winning streak and a career record of 100-3.

While it doesn’t look like Poalillo will win four high school state titles, her teammate, Elle Changaris is still on pace.

Changaris, a sophomore, won her second straight state wrestling championship when she captured the 120-pound crown on Saturday.

She won the 114-pound title a year ago, and pinned her way to the championship match where she won by a 12-3 major decision over sixth-seeded Emma Peake of Hunterdon Central.

Changaris, who completed a 39-1 campaign, now owns a career mark of 76-2. She remains undefeated against New Jersey opposition with both of her losses coming in the finals of the Beast of the East tournament in 2024 and this past December.

Peyton Mann also took part in the state tournament for High Point but did not place at 165 pounds.

For the High Point boys, senior Gavin Mericle reached the state tournament and went 2-2 at 285 pounds.

Vernon Wrestling

True DiGuiseppe won his preliminary round match at 190 pounds before falling to eventual state champion Carl Betz of Delbarton in the pre-quarterfinal round.

DiGuiseppe then won three straight times in the wrestleback rounds before bowing to Dominic Dorrman of Ridge to finish in eighth place.

For the Vernon girls, sophomore Melodie Guzik-Upchurch won her first round match at 138-pounds before dropping a hard-fought 8-2 decision to eventual state champion, Valeria Ramirez of Elizabeth, 8-3, in the quarterfinal round.

Guzik-Upchurch, who wrestled back to place fourth after a 12-3 loss to top-seeded Mia Spadavecchia of Westwood in the third-place bout, was the only wrestler not to be pinned by Ramirez during the event.

Newton Wrestling

Senior Eva Barry of Newton/Kittatinny at last stood atop the podium when she scored a pin in 1:37 over top-seeded Shea Aretz of Buena to capture the 145-pound state title on Saturday.

Barry was second at 138 pounds as a sophomore and as a junior. She won her first two state tournament matches this year by fall before edging third-seeded Charlize Schlam of Point Pleasant Boro, 5-3, in the semifinal round.

Barry became the 83rd state champion from Newton and first girls wrestler to accomplish the feat. She concluded her senior season with a 29-1 record and won 116 career matches.

Her teammates, junior Stella Ramos (152 pounds) and senior Abby Paglia (235) also medaled.

Ramos, fourth at 152 pounds last year, took fourth again at that weight this season with Paglia placing eighth at 235.

Sophomore Addison Petersen went 1-2 in the 100-pound bracket with junior Brianna Murray going 0-2 at 185.