Featured Event Highlight Recap: Ingles Smoky Mountain Grapple
Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission coordinated and supported another successful year of the Ingles Smoky Mountain Grapple, a high‑energy wrestling event that brought close to 900 athletes to the Asheville area and generated overnight visitation for local lodging and hospitality partners.
Event highlights included:
1,615 total matches
Girls Division: 224 wrestlers
JV Division: 269 wrestlers
Varsity Teams: 42
Varsity Wrestlers: 382
Five states represented: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee
Grapple showcased Asheville’s ability to host niche and emerging sports while diversifying the region’s sports tourism portfolio. Building on this success, ABRSC is excited to welcome the Gladiator/Gladiatrix Series in June, with additional details to be announced on ABRSC’s website https://ashevillesportscommission.com
A HUGE SHOUTOUT TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND WRESTLERS WHO COMPETED AND SAW SUCCESS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING THIS 2025-2026 SEASON! WINNING TEAMS AND PARTICIPANTS LISTED BELOW ALSO COMPETED IN THE 2025 GRAPPLE!
Wrestling Dual Team State Champions
1A Champion: Robbinsville High School
4A Champion: Uwharrie Charter Academy
Individual State Champions
1A/2A Men’s Division
Men’s Champion:Robbinsville
Most Outstanding Wrestler:Adair Panama (Robbinsville)
113 Champion: Sullivan Cunningham (Swain County), 4th place at Grapple
120 Champion: Adair Panama (Robbinsville), 1st place at Grapple
138 Champion: Loxston Hooper (Robbinsville), 1st place at Grapple
144 Champion: Devin Hall (Robbinsville)
3A Men’s Division
150 Champion: Alexander May (Hendersonville)
157 Champion: Joaquin Leunda Freeman (Charles D Owen), 2nd place at Grapple
4A Men’s Division
Men’s Champion: Pisgah
Most Outstanding Wrestling: Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie)
126 Champion: Kail Burnette (Pisgah), 3rd place at Grapple
150 Champion: Micah Howard (Tuscola), 1st place at Grapple, John Clarke Award Winner
175 Champion: Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie)
190 Champion: Jacob Hudgin (RS-Central), 1st place at Grapple
215 Champion: Landon Pope (Pisgah), 1st place at Grapple
5A Men’s Division
Men’s Champion: Enka
106 Champion: Maddox Crooke (Enka)
113 Champion: Jacobie Morrison (Enka), 1st place at Grapple
8A Men’s Division
126 Champion: Carter Furman (Northwest Guilford), 1st place at Grapple
138 Champion: Connor Reece (Northwest Guilford), 1st place at Grapple
150 Champion: Jack Gibson (Northwest Guilford)
157 Champion: Connor Reed (Leesville Road), 3 place at Grapple
215 Champion: Gavin Lopez (Green Hope)
1A-4A Women’s Division
Most Outstanding Wrestler: Riley White (Uwharrie)
132 Champion: Riley White (Uwharrie), 1st place at Grapple
145 Champion: Nola Walker (Newton-Conover), 3rd place at Grapple
185 Champion: Savada Kitchen (Brevard), 1st place at Grapple
235 Champion: Kimberly Talton (Madison), 1st place at Grapple
6A Women’s Division
114 Champion: Sydney Mark (Asheville/SILSA), 1st place at Grapple
8A Division
120 Champion: Lisa-Jean Foley (Millbrook), 4th place at Grapple
