Nine Lowcountry wrestlers win state titles at 2026 SC individual championships

Nine Lowcountry wrestlers won state titles at the 2026 SC High School League individual championships on Saturday.

The championships were held at the Florence Center for the second straight year.

Of the nine champions five came from May River High School — Stephano Calderon, Marcus Foulk, Thomas Brough, Blake Butler and Vivian Urriola.

Calderon defeated Dreher’s Franco Pressley, 12-3, to win the Class 4A 106-pound championship. It was his first title after finishing third last year. The sophomore entered the tournament as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in his weight class by www.scmat.com

Foulk pinned Midland Valley’s Nolan Johnson at the 1:59 mark to win the Class 4A 126-pound championship. It was Foulk’s first title and the third year he qualified for the championship.

Brough defeated York’s Jason Blackmon, 8-5, to win the Class 4A 150-pound championship. He finished third in the 138-pound class last year.

Butler defeated York’s Hayden Adkins by technical fall, 16-1, to win the Class 4A 157-pound championship. It was Butler’s second straight title. He won the 150-pound championship last year.

Urriola won the girls’ 130-pound championship by pinning North Charleston’s Davonna McClary at the 5:51 mark. The junior finished fourth last year but was the top-ranked wrestler in her class coming into the championship.

Two Battery Creek wrestlers won state championships: Theo Johnson and Nate Najar. Johnson defeated Crescent’s Luke Gay, 7-6, to win the Class 3A 120-pound championship. It was his first state title.

Najar defeated Woodruff’s Joshua Mulak, 18-12, for the Class 3A 150-pound title. It was his first state championship.

Hilton Head’s Bryce Stephenson won his second state title by defeating Travelers Rest’s Tim Simmons, 16-13, for the Class 4A 120-pound championship. Stephenson finished his career with two titles and a third-place finish.

Beaufort’s Colton Freeman won the Class 4A 215-pound championship by pinning defending champion Westside’s Jarrett Clinkscales in the 2:46 mark. It was Freeman’s first public school state championship. He won in SCISA in 2024.

Other Lowcountry wrestlers finished in the top four. Runner-up finishers were Bluffton’s Andrew Lawson (113) and Abraham Brown (190).

Third-place finishers were Bluffton’s Oscar Roman (106), May River’s Bryce Butler (113) and Ryan Seman (120), HHI’s Cole Sowers (138) and Bluffton’s Christian Vargas (215).

Fourth-place finishers were Bluffton’s PJ Ventrone (120) and Whale Branch’s Javaree Bartley (132).

On the girls side, Beaufort’s Olesya Mullins (105) and Hilton Head Island’s Makayla Hinchey (155) finished second. HHI’s Jourdyn Mootry (130) was third.

This story was originally published February 22, 2026 at 6:08 PM.