Konopka makes his GFA debut with championship at Ironman

Simsbury’s Max Konopka’s wrestling career at Greens Farms Academy in Westport is off to a championship start.

The two-time New England and National High School Coaches Association national champion began his Prep School career with an impressive win on Saturday at the 31^st annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Konopka went 5-0 to win his weight class at 215 pounds and help GFA earn a top 20 finish in the tournament. The Dragons, who had three other wrestlers win multiple matches finished 18^th in the field of more than a 120 public school and prep school teams.

Norwalk’s Kayla Batres won her weight class in the Women of Ironman tournament at 110 pounds on Sunday.

Konopka beat two nationally ranked wrestlers (FloWrestling) and moved up to No. 1 at 215 in FloWrestling’s most recent rankings with the win. He gave up just one in his first three wins in the tournament over Malvern Prep’s (PA) Bradley Dimiglio, 10-0, Lake Highland Prep’s (FL) Grant Silverfield (pin 4:14) and Devin Dowens of Plainedge (NY), 8-1.

In the semifinals, Konopka beat No. 9 ranked Ceasar Salas of Crown Point, Indiana, 8-6. A third period escape gave Konopka a 5-4 lead and he extended to 8-4 with a takedown with 18 seconds remaining. Salas got a late takedown with two seconds left to narrow the winning margin.

In the final, Konopka beat No. 13 ranked Cael Weidemoyer of Faith Christian Academy (PA) by a score of 9-5.

Tied 3-3 after one period, Konopka took a 4-3 lead after two periods thanks to an escape. In the third period, Weidemoyer took a 5-4 lead on a two-point reversal. Weidemoyer was called for stalling to tie the match at 5-5.

Konopka escaped with 1:14 remaining to take a 6-5 lead and clinched the bout with a three-point takedown with 24 seconds remaining.

GFA teammates Jaxsen Bailey (132) and Jeremy McGrath (157) each went 2-2 while Ryan Schneider (285) went 3-2 with two pins.

Konopka, a junior, transferred to GFA earlier this fall after spending two years at Simsbury High. He also made a verbal commitment to attend Virginia Tech beginning in September 2027.

Batres also went 5-0 to win a championship at 110 pounds. In her first three matches, she had a pin (36 seconds) and two technical falls (17-2 in 3:31; 20-4 in 3:20).

She bat Addison Morse of Bixby in the semifinals, 6-2 before outlasting Isla Silva of Mt. Lebanon, 4-3 in the championship match.

A three-point takedown by Batres in the second period put her in front.

She was the only GFA wrestler in the girls tournament.

GFA will be competing in the Fab 50 tournament this weekend in Pocono Manor, Pa.

Two GFA wrestlers won at the Scott Viera Open on the campus of Roger Williams College in Bristol, Rhode Island. While the tournament is primarily collegiate wrestlers, it is an open tournament for high school students or unattached wrestlers who may have graduated from college and exhausted their ability.

Jackson Heslin, who is committed to Bucknell, prevailed by technical fall at 125 while Blake Jacobsen of New Canaan also won with a technical fall at 165 pounds.

2025 Walsh Jesuit Ironman
At Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Team results (top 10): Faith Christian Academy (PA) 141, Blair Academy (NJ) 129, 3. Delbarton NJ 122, 4. Lake Highland Prep (Fla) 120, 5. Malvern Prep PA 112. 6. Bishop McCort PA 88½, 7. Wyoming Seminary PA 85, 8. Christian Brothers Academy NJ 80½, 9. Perrysburg OH 72½, 10. Edmond North OK 70
Other teams: 18. Greens Farms Academy-Westport CT 53
Individual results
106
Final: Connor Maddox (Westfield) de. Cohen Reer (Edison) 9-6, OT
3. Lincoln Valdez (Pomona) dec. Jack Anello (Blair Academy) 2-1
113
Final: Rylan Seacrist (Brecksville) dec. Jusin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep) 11-3
3. Caleb Noble (Warren Township) dec. Jarreau Walker (Streetsboro) 2-1
120
Final: Dom Munaretto (St Charles East) dec. Jovanni Tovar (Miami Southridge ) 13-11
3. Michael Batista (Blair Academy) dec. Cameron Sontz (Delbarton) 2-1, 3 OT
126
Final: Grey Burnett (Perrysburg) dec. Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy) 4-2
3. Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy) dec. Ignacio Villasenor (Stillwater) 4-2
132
Final: Jayden Raney (Union County) dec. Nathan Rioux (Avon) 8-3
3. Vincenzo Anello (Blair Academy) dec. Eric Casula (Stillwater) 1-0
138
Final: Karson Brown (St Edward) dec. Israel Borge (Bixby) 6-5, 2 OT
3. Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary (PA)) dec. Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic) 3-2, 3 OT
144
Final: Jordyn Raney (Union County) dec. Tyler Dekraker (Lake Highland Prep) 4-0
3. Clinton Shepherd (Crown Point) tech fall Robert Duffy (Christian Brothers Academy) 15-0, 1:50
150
Final: Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort) dec. Joe Bachmann (Faith Christian Academy) 14-6
3. Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) dec. Bentley Sly (Stuart W. Cramer) 8-3
157
Final: Wyatt Medlin (Washington Community) dec. Justus Heeg (Providence Catholic) 2-1
3. Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Jake Miller (Broken Arrow) 6-1
165
Final: Jayden James (Delbarton) dec. Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort) 8-5 OT
3. Liam Kelly (Mount Carmel) dec. Bruno Cassioppi (Hononegah) 13-2
175
Final: Joseph Jeter (Edmond North) dec. Nick Singer (Faith Christian Academy) 6-4
3. Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep) dec. Gabriel Logan (Delbarton) 6-5 OT
190
Final: Michael White (Lawrence North) dec. C.j. Betz (Delbarton) 14-6
3. Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic ) dec. Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy) 5-3
215
Final: Maximus Konopka (Simsbury, Green Farms Academy) dec. Cael Weidemoyer (Faith Christian Academy) 9-5
3. Aiden Cooley (Allen) dec. Ceasar Salas (Crown Point) 4-3
285
Final: Mark Effendian (Faith Christian Academy) dc. Alex Taylor (Mount Vernon) 5-2
3. Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep) dec. Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy) 2-1, 2 OT

Women of Ironman
At Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Team results (top 10): Broken Arrow, OK 132, 2. Bixby OK 102½, 3. Olentangy Orange OH 91½, 4. Canon-McMillian PA 88, 5. Mt. Lebanon PA 85½, 6. Kearney MO 83½, 7. Cleveland TN 80, 9. Perry Massillon OH and Wyoming Seminary PA 68½, 10. Tulsa Union High OK 68
Other teams: 30. Greens Farms Academy-Westport CT 29
Of note: 110 teams were represented in the tournament.
Individual results
100, Final: Madison Healey (Wyoming Seminary) pin Ella Thomas (Poland Seminary) 5:22; 3. Naiya Delos Santos (Taylor County HS) dec. Kylee Tran (Tulsa Union High School) 3-1
105, Final: Eva Zimmerman (Hillcrest HS) dec. Summer Mutschler (Archbishop Spalding HS) 12-0; 3. Zolah Williams (Kearney HS) injury default over Libertie Nigh (Urbana High School)
110, Final: Kayla Batres (Green Farms Academy) dec, Isla Silva (Mt. Lebanon) 4-3; 3. Chloe Skiles (Roxana HS) dec. Addison Morse (Bixby) 1-0
115, Final: Abigail Gonzalez (Miami Southridge) dec. Justice Anthony (Parkersburg South HS) 12-5; 3. Senna Grassman (Cleveland) dec. Kaylee Vera (Little Miami High School) 10-3
120, Final: Marlee Solomon (Canon-McMillan) pin Kenzie Carder (Olentangy Orange) 1:18; 3. Kayla Moroschan (Chippewa) dec. Angelina Gochis (Kaneland HS) 7-0
125, Final: Carolyn Geckler (Perry (Massillon)) dec. Kandice Spry (Tri-Valley) 11-0; 3. Caitlin Rankin (Riverbend HS) dec. Liberty Johnson (Clermont Northeastern HS) 5-0
130, Final: Caroline Hilton (Cleveland) dec. Willow White (South Dade High School 8-4; 3. Lacie Knick (Olentangy Orange) pin Haley Smarsh (Moon High School) 0:55
135, Final: Ava Turner (Preston HS) dec. Erin Delling (Parkway Central High School) 7-2; 3. Naima Rodriguez (Fauquier High School) pin Alora Strauser (Alter High School) 3:18
140, Final: Taina Fernandez (Archbishop Spalding HS) pin GG Garduno (St. Ignatius College Prep) 1:31; 3. Kelice Luker (Tulsa Union High School) dec. Claudia Heeney (Lockport) 3-0
145, Final: Violette Lasure (Chestnut Ridge ) dec. Emily Beckley (Broken Arrow) 12-1; 3. Naomi Gearheart (Crestview HS) pin Emma Shephard (Perry (Massillon)) 2:25
155, Final: Julia Araujo (Bismarck High School) pin Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary) 4:43; 3. Camilla Hathaway (Mt. Lebanon) pin KyLee Tibbs (Gahanna Lincoln) 1:47
170, Final: Isabella McFarlane (King High School) dec. Sonora Reece (Broken Arrow) 10-2; 3. Emma Faszold (Francis Howell High School) pin Katie Hammersmith (Marysville) 2:06
190, Final: Millie Azlin (Bixby) pin Carli Vargas (Kearney HS) 1:32; 3. Reyleigh Liles (Broken Arrow) pin Mykah Bailey (Gahanna Lincoln) 4:47
235, Final: Deionna Borders (Berea Midpark ) pin Gabby Oregon (Archbold High School) 5:18; 3. Rebekah Ramirez (Lockport) pin Abby Radabaugh (Buckhannon-Upshur) 4:57