With six strong victories, Konopka wins Super 32 championship

Max Konopka became the first Connecticut boy to win a Super 32 Challenge championship over the weekend in North Carolina. (Photo courtesy Steve Fulco/Southside Wrestling Club)

Simsbury’s Max Konopka won all six of his matches and gave up just one point in his final three bouts to become the first Connecticut boy since 2017 to win the Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Konopka, a senior at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, beat No. 2 seed Ladd Holman of Utah, 5-0 in the championship match at 215 pounds. Konopka gave up just four points in the tournament.

The last Connecticut boy to win at the tournament was Danbury’s Jakob Camacho in 2017 at 106 pounds. Konopka was the first finalist from the state since GFA’s Nico Provo took second in 2019.

No other Connecticut boy or girl won a medal in the tournament, known as one of the toughest high school tournaments in the country. Two Connecticut wrestlers – Newtown’s Maddox Wilson (80, sixth) and Bethany’s Ty Silverstorm (95, fifth) – won medals in the 11-and-under division.

In Konopka’s championship bout, it was 0-0 after one period. In the second period, he got a reversal with 25 seconds remaining to take a 2-0 lead.

The two wrestlers battled in the third period. Holman came close to a takedown to tie the bout but Konopka wouldn’t yield. Both wrestlers fought for underhooks in an over-under position. Holman attempts a throw-by to a single leg and gets to the leg but can’t finish.

Konopka locks around the crotch as Holman looks to hook the leg. Konopka scrambles through and comes out on top for a takedown, extending his lead to 5-0 with 20 seconds left. Konopka throws in a leg and rides Holman out to secure the win.

In the semifinals, Konopka beat Pennsylvania’s Decker Bechtold, 11-0 with two takedowns and a four-point near fall. In the quarterfinals, Konopka beat Texas’ Cody Savage, 18-1, with three takedowns and a pair of four-point near falls.

Konopka had five takedowns in his 16-3 third round win. He also had wins of 14-0 and a pin in 2:46. Konopka wrestled two years at Simsbury High before moving to GFA last fall.

Newtown’s Antonio Arguello (157) didn’t medal but he went 4-2 in the tournament with one pin and one win by technical fall. Newtown’s Joey Cotter (106) also went 4-2.

Five state wrestlers won three matches – Plainville’s Jaxsen Bailey (138, GFA), Old Lyme’s Chase Catalano (190, Xavier), South Windsor’s Vincent Rivera (106, Xavier), Plainville’s Logan Bailey (113, GFA) and Bristol Central’s Alex Lamarre (157). GFA’s Jay Sgrulleta (126) went 2-2.

Four Connecticut girls entered the tournament but didn’t secure a win.

Maddox Wilson (80) went 5-3 in the 11-and-under tournament to finish sixth while Ty Silverstorm (95) went 2-2 to finish fifth in the 11-and-under event.

Super 32 champions from Connecticut
2003: Alex Cournoyer (112), Suffield Academy
2017: Jakob Camacho (126), Danbury
2017: Joanne Ortiz (106), New Milford
2024: Kayla Batres (106), Milford/GFA
2026: Max Konopka (215), Simsbury/GFA

2026 Super 32 championship matches
High school boys
106:  #2 Nelson Villafane III (PA) pin #1 Luke Loren (CA)
113:  #7 Caleb Elvin Noble (IL) dec. #1 Kooper Deputy (PA), 15-10
120:  #1 Cameron Sontz (NJ) dec. #3 Anthony Garza (CA), 6-2
126:  #3 Mateo Gallegos (PA) dec. #4 Miklo Hernandez (MN), 4-2
132:  #1 Israel Borge (MO) dec. #3 Paul Ruiz (CA), 5-2
138:  #1 Dean Anderson (AZ) dec. #3 Dawson Youngblut (IA), 7-1
144:  #1 Matthew O’Neill (PA) dec. #2 Jovani Solis (FL), 2-0
150:  #5 Arseni Kikiniou (CA) dec. #3 Peyton Hornsby (IN), 8-1
157:  #1 Mac Crosson (IA) dec. #2 Camryn Howard (NY), 2-1 OT
165:  #1 Melvin Miller (PA) dec. #2 Matthew Staples (IN), 7-3
175:  #2 Lucas Boe (FL) dec. #4 Maximus Fortier (WV), 6-5
190:  #1 Tanner Hodgins (NJ) dec. #2 Mario Hutcherson (PA), 5-4
215:  #1 Maximus Konopka (CT) dec. #2 Ladd Holman (UT), 5-0
285:  #2 Satoshi Davis (NV) dec. #4 Kendahl Hoare (PA), 4-2

Complete results (FloWrestling)