Konopka wins national prep title, helps GFA finish fifth

GFA’s Max Konopka of Simsbury won his first Prep School national championship on Saturday.

At Simsbury High, Max Konopka won two New England championships. Now, he has added a national championship to his resume.

Wrestling for Greens Farms Academy out of Westport, Konopka went 5-0 with three pins to win at 215 pounds at the Prep School national championships at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday.

Konopka helped GFA finish fifth in the nation for the fourth consecutive year with a school record 203½ points. Lake Highland, Florida won the national championship for the second straight year with a dominating 345½ points, six individual champions and nine finalists.

GFA had 10 All-American wrestlers who finished in the top eight of their respective weight classes.

Konopka, a junior, had a pin and two technical falls in his first three bouts.

In his semifinal bout, Konopka got an escape with 50 seconds left in the first period to beat sophomore Colton Ball of Lake Highland, 1-0. In the finals, Konopka beat senior Cash Colbert of St. Paul VI Catholic, 7-0 thanks to a takedown with 36 seconds left in the second period and a takedown with 13 seconds left in the match.

He is the first GFA wrestler to win a Prep School national championship since Steven Burrell (215) in 2023.

Other medalwinners for GFA included Marlborough’s Jackson Heslin, a three-time All-American who finished third at 126 pounds. New Canaan’s Blake Jacobson (165), Plainville’s Jaxsen Bailey (132) and Milford’s Jeremy McGrath (157) finished fifth for GFA while Norwalk’s Ryan Schneider (285) finished sixth.

GFA’s Kaleb Jackson (190) finished seventh while Chase Kastner (Southington, 120), Jack Harty (175), Joe Mahoney (New Fairfield, 144) each finished eighth.

Canton’s Colby Houle, wrestling for Northfield Mount Hermon in Gill, Mass., earned All-American honors for the third straight year with his fourth place finish at 150 pounds.

Senior two-time co-captain Jack Degl of Brunswick finished eighth at 175 pounds. He is the first All-American with the Bruins since 2021 (Nick Bell ’21 and Chris Perry ’21). Degl finishes his final season with a 33-5 record and an overall career total of 128 wins. Degl will continue his wrestling career next year at Williams College.

2026 Prep School National Championships
At Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh University)
Team results (top 10) — 1. Lake Highland Prep 345½, 2. Malvern 285, 3. Blair Academy (NJ) 271, 4. Wyoming Seminary 248½, 5. Greens Farms Academy 203½, 6. Baylor School 159½, 7. Northfield Mt. Hermon (MA) 150½, 8. New York Military Academy 148½, 9. McCallie School 97½. 10. Archbishop Spalding 96
Other Connecticut schools: 48. Avon Old Farms 16, 51. Greenwich Country Day 44, 54. Brunswick 13, 77. Hopkins 7, 107. Marianapolis Prep 0
Finals
106 Liam Mcgettigan (Lake Highland Prep) pin Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary), 4:00
113 Justin Farnsworth (Malvern) dec. Liam Davis (Lake Highland Prep), 1-0
120 Wyatt Spencer (Wyoming Seminary) dec. Gabe Swann (Baylor School), 7-3
126 Lukas Littleton mascaro (Malvern) dec. Jack Baron (Germantown Academy), 4-1
132 Shamus Regan (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Vincenzo Anello (Blair Academy), 1-0
138 Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary) dec. Yandel Morales (Lake Highland Prep), 5-3
144 Tyler Dekraker (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Matt Oneill (Malvern), 6-1
150 Charlie Desena (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Michael Turi (Wyoming Seminary), 4-1 OT
157 Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) pin Brooklyn Pickett (Mount Saint Joseph), 2:54
165 Titus Norman (Baylor School) dec. Nate Consigli (Nmh), 7-2
175 Nadav Nafshi (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Noah Tucker (Bullis), 17-3
190 Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy) tech fall Jackson Angelo (Lake Highland Prep), 18-3 3:48
215 Maximus Konopka (Greens Farms Academy) dec. Cash Colbert (Paul VI Catholic High School), 7-0
285 Luks Zalota (Malvern) dec. James Bechter (Nmh), 2-1
3rd Place
106 Evan Cies (Malvern) dec. Jack Anello (Blair Academy), 8-3
113 Eric Bocanegra (Blair Academy) dec. Brock Humphrey (Linsly School), 4-0
120 Michael Batista (Blair Academy) dec. Cooper Merli (New York Military Academy), 4-0
126 Jackson Heslin (Greens Farms Academy) dec. Johnny Green (New York Military Academy), 7-3
132 Shai Sabag (Germantown Academy) dec. Marcus Heck (Wyoming Seminary), 1-0
138 Tyler Conroy (Malvern) dec. Malachi Puckett (Baylor School), 5-0
144 Weston Borgers (Blair Academy) dec. Matthew Dailey (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2
150 Declan Obyrne (Malvern) dec. Colby Houle (Nmh), 8-2
157 Shea Morris (New York Military Academy) dec. Brian Chamberlain (Wyoming Seminary), 4-2
165 Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Arment Waltenbaugh (The Hill School), 5-2
175 Declan Bligh (The Roxbury Latin School) dec. Lucas Parietti (Wyoming Seminary), 13-10
190 Mason Chamberlain (Malvern) dec. Braeden Simoneaux (New York Military Academy), 6-5
215 Colton Bell (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Conner Bercume (Blair Academy), 1-0
285 Cael Mielnik (Blair Academy) dec. Alex Bajoras (Wyoming Seminary), 10-2
5th Place
106 Damian Duchez (Bullis) dec. Dylan Deck (Germantown Academy), 6-4
113 Royce Wetzler (Benedictine College Prep) dec. Riley Alcantar (Baylor School), 1-0
120 Max Berman (Germantown Academy) dec. Tyler Verceles (Loyola Blakefield), 4-1
126 Eli Gabrielson (Archbishop Spalding) forfeit over Alex Marchetti (Wyoming Seminary)
132 Jaxsen Bailey (Greens Farms Academy) forfeit over Jaxon Lane (McCallie School)
138 Jack Dragoumanos (Belmont Hill School) tech fall Matteo Defillippo (Norfolk Academy), 17-1 2:18
144 Billy Hamilton (McCallie School) dec. George Emendorfer (Baylor School), 4-1 TB2
150 Andrew Mccarthy (New York Military Academy) dec. Niko Colavecchio (Paul VI Catholic High School), 11-5
157 Jeremy Mcgrath (Greens Farms Academy) pin Cole Albert (The Hill School), 0:47
165 Blake Jacobson (Greens Farms Academy) forfeit over Barry Norman (Blair Academy)
175 Ryan Meier (Blair Academy) dec. Chase Hetrick (Malvern), 5-3
190 Bojan Sulc (Gonzaga College High School) dec. Lucas Alvan (Nmh), 9-5
215 Gabriel Smith (The Hill School) dec. Evan Gavin (St. Marys Ryken), 4-3
285 Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy) dec. Ryan Schneider (Greens Farms Academy), 6-3
7th Place
106 Carter Lirgg (Cardinal Newman School) dec. Charles Cooper (Loyola Blakefield), 5-3
113 Charlie Mutschler (Archbishop Spalding) dec. Jacob Naylor (McDonogh), 4-2
120 Rocco Lombardo (Malvern) dec. Chase Kastner (Greens Farms Academy), 13-1
126 Isaac Novod (Belmont Hill School) dec. Peter Rincan (NMH), 4-1
132 Landon Herdic (New York Military Academy) dec. Drew Roggie (St. Christopher’s School), 4-0
138 Landon Lill (Peddie School) medical forfeit over Ryan Rios (Blair Academy)
144 Tyler Stephens (Mount Saint Joseph) dec. Joe Mahoney (Greens Farms Academy), 2-1 UTB
150 Benji Koch (Blair Academy) dec. Connor Allison (Mount Saint Joseph), 5-2
157 Raymond Fitzgerald (Malvern) medical forfeit over Joseph Schinder (Blair Academy)
165 Cole Wilson (Paul VI Catholic High School) dec. Jack Degl (Brunswick School), 13-5
175 Brodie Bedford (All saints episcopal school) medical forfeit over Jack Harty (Greens Farms Academy)
190 Kaleb Jackson (Greens Farms Academy) dec. Dylan Reel (Baylor School), 7-6
215 Rock Shurette (Baylor School) dec. Cooper Gentle (McCallie School), 7-2
285 Sean Boyd (Benedictine College Prep) dec. Ryker McCarthy (Greenwich Country Day School), 7-2
Outstanding wrestler: xxx
2026 National Prep School championships brackets and results (FloArena)