Four wrestlers from the Cobb County School District have secured individual titles at the 2026 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Traditional Wrestling State Championships. The champions include North Cobb junior Ronan An, Hillgrove senior Demetrius Heywood, and Walton teammates sophomore Nathaniel Park and senior Jake Rheaume, each winning in their respective weight classes in the 6A classification. Other students from Cobb Schools also achieved top-five finishes.
Ronan An of North Cobb won his second consecutive state championship in the 125-pound category. He entered this season as a two-time All-American and remained undefeated for another year. At the state meet, he conceded only one point in his first two matches, then defeated his semifinal opponent 18-3 and won the final with a score of 6-1.
“I could write a dissertation on Ronan and his accomplishments both on and off the mat,” said Michael Dillard, Warriors Wrestling Coach. “He is the type of student-athlete that all coaches and teachers dream of having.”
North Cobb Athletic Director Matt Williams added: “Ronan is not just a great wrestler; he is a great student. He is a magnet student with a 4.5 GPA and a very respectful young man who has been raised in the right way.”
This win marks Ronan’s third major wrestling title after claiming last year’s National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) National Championship for his weight class.
Hillgrove’s Demetrius Heywood claimed victory in the 175-pound category after moving to Georgia before his junior year. In his first match for Hillgrove, he nearly upset a South Carolina state champion, signaling promise to Hawks Wrestling Coach Shawn Slenczka.
Demetrius advanced through tough competition at state, upsetting last year’s runner-up in the semifinals before winning 4-1 in the finals against an opponent who had beaten him previously.
“As a coach, watching your wrestler achieve his goal is the ultimate experience,” said Coach Slenczka. “Not many people on the outside gave Demetrius a chance to win it all going into the State Tournament. In the end, Demetrius proved the doubters wrong and has earned his place as Hillgrove’s seventh State Champion in wrestling.”
Hillgrove High School offers athletic opportunities as part of its commitment to student achievement according to its official website. The school serves students from grades nine through twelve while promoting academic success and partnerships among students, teachers, parents, and community members (source).
Walton’s Nathaniel Park dominated early rounds at state with scores of 16-1, 19-3, and 15-0 before reaching finals against last year’s defending champion.
“Nathaniel dominated from the region tournament through the State Championship,” said Raiders Wrestling Coach Dylan Turner. “We really felt good about his chances after the State Duals. Nathaniel wrestled the defending State Champ and beat him 6-1.”
In their rematch during finals, Nathaniel secured a close 4-2 win for his first state title after finishing with a season record of 58-2.
Walton senior Jake Rheaume completed an undefeated season (40-0) by winning both semifinal (4-3) and final (11-5) matches at state to claim victory in his weight class.
“Jake has always had the potential to win a state championship,” Coach Turner said about Rheaume. “He was on his way in his ninth-grade year and got injured in the semis… This year it was State Champ or bust, and he went out and dominated everyone he faced and cemented one of the great seasons at Walton.”
Cobb County Schools had strong representation overall with 78 individual qualifiers; nearly forty percent finished within their classification’s top five at state.
Other notable results included girls such as Bianca Pennyman (McEachern), who placed second at 235 pounds; Lillian Milloy (Pope), third at 125 pounds; Kate Martinez (North Cobb), fourth at 140 pounds; among others across various schools.
On boys’ side: Grant Albright (Allatoona) finished second at 132 pounds; Cash Prado (Pope), second at same weight class but different division; Mihai Necula (Walton), third at 150 pounds; Jayce Salvemini (Harrison), third at 165 pounds; Wisdom Iheanacho (South Cobb), second at 175 pounds; David Rudd (Harrison), second at 190 pounds; Miguel Contreras (Osborne), third at same weight class—alongside several more podium finishes across classifications.
The Walton team placed third overall among teams competing in Class 6A.
