Seven New Jersey Wrestlers Earn All-American Honors at NCAAs
New Jersey’s wrestling pipeline continues to shine on the sport’s biggest collegiate stage.
At the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, seven wrestlers with Garden State roots secured All-American status, finishing inside the top eight of their respective weight classes and once again demonstrating the strength and consistency of New Jersey high school wrestling on the national level.
Representing programs across the country — and high schools throughout the state — this year’s group reflects both the depth of New Jersey wrestling and its continued impact at the NCAA level.
Below is a look at each New Jersey native who earned All-American honors this weekend.
125 lbs — Tyler Kilsnky (Rider | Middletown North HS)
Placement: 8th
The 11th-seeded Tyler Kilsnky put together one of the most impressive underdog runs of the tournament at 125 pounds to secure All-American honors for Rider.
After dropping a second-round match early in the championship bracket, Kilsnky responded with a remarkable wrestleback performance. He stunned the bracket by pinning #3 seed Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State, one of the top contenders in the weight class, before continuing his momentum with another statement victory — a fall over #9 seed Dean Peterson of Iowa in the blood round to clinch All-American status.
Although Kilsnky dropped his final two placement matches, his run through a loaded bracket secured an 8th-place finish and marked a major milestone performance for both himself and the Rider program.
141 lbs — Luke Stanich (Lehigh | Roxbury HS)
Placement: 3rd
The 5th-seeded Luke Stanich delivered one of the strongest performances of his collegiate career, finishing 3rd in the nation at 141 pounds for Lehigh and earning his second career All-American honors.
Stanich advanced all the way to the semifinals before suffering a razor-thin sudden victory loss to #1 seed Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, a two-time national champion. Rather than letting the loss derail his tournament, Stanich bounced back in impressive fashion.
In the consolation finals, he secured a 7–2 decision over four-time All-American and 2025 NCAA finalist Brock Hardy of Nebraska, closing out the tournament with authority and cementing himself among the nation’s elite.
141 lbs — CJ Composto (Penn | Westfield HS)
Placement: 7th
The 11th-seeded CJ Composto put together one of the most impressive wrestleback runs in the tournament at 141 pounds to earn All-American honors for Penn.
After falling in the second round, Composto responded with a series of high-level victories on the backside of the bracket. Among his biggest wins were victories over returning All-American Braeden Davis of Penn State and two-time All-American Vance Vombaur of Minnesota, both significant statement performances.
Composto capped off his tournament with a pin in the 7th-place match, securing his place on the podium and completing a breakthrough NCAA performance.
149 lbs — Shayne Van Ness (Penn State | Blair Academy)
Placement: 2nd
Top-seeded Shayne Van Ness delivered another outstanding NCAA Tournament performance at 149 pounds, putting together a dominant run to reach the national championship match for Penn State.
Van Ness opened the tournament in commanding fashion with a technical fall in the opening round, followed by a pin in the second round, and another technical fall in the semifinals, showcasing his offensive firepower throughout the bracket. He also earned an earlier victory over #20 seed Chance Lamer of Nebraska, who emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest bracket-busters.
In the national championship match, Van Ness faced #10 seed Aden Valencia of Stanford in a tightly contested battle. The bout remained close throughout regulation before Valencia secured an 8–5 sudden victory win, handing Van Ness a narrow loss in the finals. Despite the result, Van Ness capped off an impressive tournament run and added a runner-up finish to his résumé after previously earning two third-place finishes at the NCAA Championships.
149 lbs — Cross Wasilewski (Penn | Delbarton HS)
Placement: 7th
The 3rd-seeded Cross Wasilewski entered the tournament as a serious title contender at 149 pounds before suffering a dramatic quarterfinal setback.
In a tightly contested match, Wasilewski was pinned in the closing seconds of the quarterfinal round, shifting him into the wrestlebacks earlier than expected. He responded with resilience, winning his next two matches to remain in All-American contention.
Wasilewski secured his place on the podium with a strong finish, defeating #8 seed Casey Swiderski of Oklahoma State in the 7th-place match to cap off an impressive tournament performance.
174 lbs — Danny Wask (Navy | Blair Academy)
Placement: 6th
The 15th-seeded Danny Wask delivered one of the biggest individual upsets by a New Jersey native in the tournament at 174 pounds.
Wask opened his run with a statement victory over #2 seed Simon Ruiz of Cornell, a fellow New Jersey product and Delbarton alum, in the pre-quarterfinal round. He followed that performance with another tight battle in the quarterfinals, falling in sudden victory to #7 seed Cam Steed in a match that could have gone either way.
Refusing to let the loss slow his momentum, Wask battled through the consolation bracket and secured wins over the #11 and #12 seeds to clinch All-American status and earn his place on the podium.
285 lbs — David Szuba (Arizona State | Brick Memorial HS)
Placement: 7th
The 10th-seeded David Szuba battled through adversity to earn All-American honors at heavyweight for Arizona State.
After dropping a second-round match early in the tournament, Szuba responded with a strong run through the wrestlebacks, winning three consecutive matches to secure his place on the podium.
He ultimately finished 7th in the nation, adding another milestone achievement to an already accomplished collegiate career and continuing the strong tradition of Brick Memorial wrestlers succeeding on the national stag
With seven wrestlers reaching the podium this year, New Jersey once again proved why it remains one of the premier wrestling states in the country. From Shore Conference standouts to national prep powers, the Garden State pipeline continues to produce elite talent capable of competing and succeeding on college wrestling’s biggest stage.