What Will It Take? Defining Success for North Carolina at Super 32 — How North Carolina has done at Super 32 the last three years, and what a strong weekend in Greensboro would look like.

NC United

Greensboro, N.C. | October 24–25 | By NC United

Super 32 is back in Greensboro this weekend, Oct. 24–25 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. It is the toughest folkstyle tournament of the year, and it is in our backyard. Last year more than 1,500 boys entered the high school tournament across 14 weights, and placing means finishing top 8 of the most elite wrestlers in the country. The boys wrestle folkstyle; the girls' tournament is freestyle.

Every year North Carolina sends well over a hundred wrestlers. So before this weekend, a fair question: what does a good Super 32 actually look like for North Carolina? We pulled every bout North Carolina wrestled at the last three Super 32s to answer it.

The baseline: three years of North Carolina at Super 32

North Carolina means wrestlers registered from North Carolina, leaving out the few who attend high school in another state. Byes are not counted as wins; forfeits are.

Three things stand out.

1. About half of North Carolina's wrestlers go 0-2. Every year, roughly half the boys and well over half the girls leave without a win. That is not a knock on them. It is what a bracket full of state champions does to anyone who has not yet wrestled at that level.

2. North Carolina wins about three of every ten matches. The number has barely moved: 30%, 32%, 30% for the boys.

3. The podium has been hard to reach. In three years, one North Carolina wrestler has placed in the boys' tournament: Bentley Sly (Stuart Cramer), fourth at 150 last year, going 8-2. In 2023 and 2024, North Carolina boys reached the round of 12, one win from the podium, but none placed. The girls have placed one, two and three: Leah Edwards (fifth at 106) in 2023, Kaylah Evans (seventh at 160) and Sumaiya Aamoud (eighth at 148) in 2024, and Faith Bane, Lauren Samuel and Savada Kitchen last year.

Two more names worth knowing. Jaclyn Bouzakis won the 100-pound girls' title in both 2024 and 2025; she registers as North Carolina, an affiliation we love, but competes for Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania. Jack Harty also registers as North Carolina but does not currently compete for a North Carolina high school. Neither is counted in North Carolina's numbers in this article.

This year's field

North Carolina's entry is the biggest of the last three years: 176 wrestlers, 131 boys and 45 girls. On the boys' side, 33 are reigning state champions (NCHSAA or NCISAA), more than half placed at states last winter, and 61 are seniors. Twenty North Carolina entrants are NHSCA or Fargo All-Americans, and all ten champions from last month's NC United Tournament of Champions are entered. Last year's top North Carolina finishers, Bentley Sly (fourth) and Faith Bane (sixth), have graduated, so the boys' podium hopes rest on a new group.

Boys who have already won at Super 32. Aiden White (Weddington) went 4-2 last year and placed fourth at NHSCA Nationals as a junior. Jaxon Thomas (Piedmont) went 3-2. Liam Myles (Union Pines), Mac Johnson (Cape Fear), Colt Cambruzzi (Providence), Connor Reece (Northwest Guilford), Aaron Ellison (Lumberton) and Jekai Sedgwick (Hoke County) each won two matches last year.

Boys with national results. Braylen Yates (Topsail, formerly East Rowan) is the reigning NHSCA freshman national champion and placed fourth at Fargo in 16U freestyle. Gavin Lopez (Green Hope) has placed at NHSCA Nationals three years running, fourth as a junior, and finished runner-up at the Journeymen Fall Classic this month. Carson Worrick (Davie), Drew Teeter (Mooresville) and Carson Raper (South Rowan) each placed fourth at NHSCA Nationals last spring; Tobin McNair (Wakefield) was fifth. Aaron Ellison and Jake Amiott (Topsail) are Fargo placers. Devin Hord (Kings Mountain) placed fifth at Fargo in 16U freestyle, and Cam Johnson (Cape Fear) was a 16U Greco-Roman All-American. Connor Reece, Aaron Ruiz-Angel (Mount Airy), Jacob Perry (New Bern) and Connor Brinkley (Newton-Conover) are NHSCA All-Americans.

Girls. Two of last year's three North Carolina placers are back: Lauren Samuel, seventh at 124, and Savada Kitchen (Brevard), eighth at 200. Rylynn Keziah (Parkwood) won an NHSCA national title last spring and placed seventh at Fargo in the Junior division. Khiry Reese (Rosewood) was third at NHSCA, Ella Taylor (Cary) eighth, and Mia Pardo (Jack Britt) placed fifth at Fargo in 16U. Riley Paden (South Mecklenburg) won two matches here last year.

College coaches are paying attention: more than 50 of the North Carolina wrestlers in this field are on at least one college program's RecruitNC board.

What “good” looks like this weekend

Measured against that baseline, here is what would make this a good Super 32 for North Carolina, and what would make it a great one.

For the boys

• Good: one or more placers, and more than 14 wrestlers with winning records (beating the best of the last three years).
• Great: two or more placers, and a team winning percentage above a third.
• Historic: a North Carolina wrestler in a boys' Super 32 final.

For the girls

• Good: four or more placers, one more than North Carolina's best year.
• Great: five or more placers, and six or more winning records.
• Historic: a North Carolina girls' champion.

For one wrestler

A winning record at Super 32 is a strong weekend. Last year only 11 of 130 North Carolina wrestlers managed one. Only about half the boys' field wins two matches. Placing takes a deep run through the bracket and the consolations: Bentley Sly won eight matches on the way to fourth, and Lauren Samuel won four to place seventh.

Why it matters beyond the bracket

College coaches are on RecruitNC this week starring the North Carolina wrestlers they plan to watch in Greensboro. Within 24 hours of Sunday's finals, every coach gets a report on each wrestler they starred: placement, record, significant wins and notable losses. A wrestler does not have to place to help his recruiting. Two good wins over seeded opponents will be in front of the coaches who asked about him.

How to follow

After the event, results will be on RecruitNC, on North Carolina wrestlers' profiles. College coaches from programs in more than 20 states recruit on RecruitNC. If your wrestler's profile isn't claimed, claim it this week.

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