February 25, 2026 — There’s no grappling with the fact that Cobb Schools is home to Wrestling State Champions. This year, at the 2026 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Traditional Wrestling State Championships, four wrestlers from the Cobb County School District won individual titles. North Cobb junior Ronan An, Hillgrove senior Demetrius Heywood, and Walton teammates sophomore Nathaniel Park and senior Jake Rheaume each stood atop the medal podium in the /6A classification for their respective weight classes. Several others from Cobb Schools, both male and female, placed in the top five.
North Cobb’s Ronan An – 6A 125-pound State Champion
Winning the State Championship this year meant back-to-back titles for Ronan. He entered this season as a two-time All-American and could receive that honor again after going undefeated for the second consecutive high school season. At the State Meet, Ronan swept through his bracket in dominating fashion, only conceding one point in his first two matches before overpowering his semifinal opponent 18-3 and punctuating his run with a 6-1 win in the final.
“I could write a dissertation on Ronan and his accomplishments both on and off the mat,” Michael Dillard, the Warriors Wrestling Coach, said. “He is the type of student-athlete that all coaches and teachers dream of having.”
North Cobb Athletic Director Matt Williams agreed.
“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," AD Williams added.
This Georgia State Championship marked Ronan’s third major wrestling title. Last March, he won the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) National Championship for his weight class.
Hillgrove’s Demetrius Heywood – 6A 175-pound State Champion 
Demetrius moved to Georgia the summer before his junior year. In his first wrestling match for Hillgrove, he came within a breath of upsetting a state champion from South Carolina. It was at that moment that Hawks Wrestling Coach Shawn Slenczka knew that he had someone special on his team.
Demetrius’ path to the title was difficult. In the semis, he upset last year’s State Runner-Up, who had pinned his previous eight opponents. Then, in the finals match, Demetrius earned retribution along with his State Championship with a 4-1 victory over a competitor who had defeated Demetrius one week prior.
“As a coach, watching your wrestler achieve his goal is the ultimate experience,” Coach Slenczka shared. “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.”
Walton’s Nathaniel Park – 6A 144-pound State Champion
Nathaniel cruised through his first three matches of the State Meet. Posting impressive scores of 16-1, 19-3, and 15-0 (Semifinals), it was clear that he belonged in the finals. This was no surprise to Raiders Wrestling Coach Dylan Turner.
“Nathaniel dominated from the region tournament through the State Championship,” Coach Turner reported. “We really felt good about his chances after the State Duals. Nathaniel wrestled the defending State Champ and beat him 6-1.”
Nathaniel would face that same defending champion in the Traditional State Finals. This matchup would prove to be even closer than in the Duals State Tournament, with Nathaniel earning a hard-fought 4-2 victory for his first State Title, completing a 58-2 season. With two seasons left in high school, there is great excitement for what his future holds.
Walton’s Jake Rheaume – 6A 165-pound State Champion
In 2025, Jake gained significant experience at the State Meet, finishing third in his weight class. This season, he remained focused on finishing the task and completed an undefeated season with a 40-0 record. After surviving a tense 4-3 semifinals win at State, he polished off his high school career with a solid 11-5 win to become a State Champion.
“Jake has always had the potential to win a state championship,” Coach Turner said about his senior State Champion. “He was on his way in his ninth-grade year and got injured in the semis, and he was winning before the injury. In his sophomore year, he got hurt at Christmas and was unable to finish the season. Last year, he only lost to the eventual state champ. 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 Schools Are Mat-Tested
With 78 individual state qualifiers, Cobb has the mat covered. Including the four State Champions, almost 40% of the qualifiers finished in the top five at State in their classification and weight class. Here are the rest of those who battled their way to the podium.
GIRLS
• 105lb Natalie Lippstreau (Wheeler) - 5th place
• 115lb Reagan Fizer (McEachern) - 4th place
• 120lb Kristen Fenner (Walton) - 5th place
• 125lb Lillian Milloy (Pope) - 3rd place
• 140lb Kate Martinez (North Cobb) - 4th place
• 145lb Quinlan Bryant (North Cobb) - 5th place
• 235lb Bianca Pennyman (McEachern) - 2nd place
• 235lb Jonalisa Ledoux (Wheeler) - 5th place
BOYS
• 4A 126lb Nate Davis (Allatoona) - 4th place
• 4A 132lb Grant Albright (Allatoona) - 2nd place
• 5A 132lb Cash Prado (Pope) - 2nd place
• 6A 144lb Connor Harrell (McEachern) - 5th place
• 4A 150lb Jonathan Sandberg (Allatoona) - 3rd place
• 6A 150lb Mihai Necula (Walton) - 3rd place
• 5A 157lb Jax Brickley (Lassiter) - 4th place
• 6A 157lb Jacob Funes (North Cobb) - 5th place
• 6A 157lb Brandon Whiteford (Walton) - 4th place
• 6A 165lb Jayce Salvemini (Harrison) - 3rd place
• 5A 175lb Finn Shawver (Pope) - 5th place
• 6A 175lb Wisdom Iheanacho (South Cobb) - 2nd place
• 5A 190lb Coen Weaver (Kennesaw Mountain) - 2nd place
• 6A 190lb David Rudd (Harrison) - 2nd place
• 6A 190lb Miguel Contreras (Osborne) - 3rd place
• 6A 215lb Davis Nicholson (Walton) - 4th place
• 4A 285lb Alex Miller (Allatoona) - 3rd place
• 6A 285lb Madden Fredenburg (North Cobb) - 5th place
TEAMS
• 6A Walton – 3rd place
h/t photos provided by North Cobb, Hillgrove, and Walton
