The best of NYSPHSAA Girls Wrestling will compete for the top spots on the podium, all day Thursday at @mvparena
— NYSPHSAA (@NYSPHSAA) February 25, 2026
Read the preview: https://t.co/RxQ9utRMMA pic.twitter.com/IxdTVPyvoP
The Championship Preview, Presented by Upstate New York Hotel Marketing Association
By: Matthew Salvi, Spring 2026 Intern
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is set to conduct its second ever Girls Wrestling Individual State Championship Tournament on Thursday, February 26th at 9:00 am at MVP Arena in downtown Albany. MVP Arena has been the venue for the boys wrestling individual championships since 2005 (separate preview) and will continue to host the girls in 2027.
The 2026 Girls State Championships will see 212 athletes compete in one division and 13 weight classes. Brackets will be 16 girls per weight class with the top six finishers being recognized on the podium following the finals. Girls from each of the 11 member sections have qualified for this event and were seeded based on their performances during the season.
“Since 2023, we've seen participation in the sport of girls wrestling almost double,” said Ryan Palmer, NYSPHSAA Girls Wrestling State Coordinator. “A lot of this has been attributed to going freestyle, breaking away from mixed competition, new opportunities for our student athletes and desire for constant improvement. The sport is becoming more competitive, more popular and even more fun to watch. Thursday will showcase the best that the state has to offer and we’ll see 13 state champions crowned”
Numerous 2025 Champions have qualified for this year’s tournament including Samatha Massey (107lbs, Mount Markham- III), Charlie Wylie (107lbs, Port Jervis- IX), Laila Builes (114lbs, Port Chester- I), Haley Gonzales (132lbs, Hicksville- VIII), Isabella Satalino (138lbs, Columbia- 2), Ava Guilmette (165lbs, Shenendehowa- 2), Michaela Thomas (165lbs, Iroquois- IV), and Peyton Mullin (235lbs, Dundee- V).
Additionally, a bevvy of 2025 Runner Ups have qualified for this year’s event as well including Jasmine Brucato (100lbs, Alexander- V), Gabrielle Severin (120lbs, Bethpage- VIII), Delaney Dixon (145lbs, Windsor- IV), Aaliyah Morrow (152lbs, Bellport- XI) Jaida Macaluso (185lbs, Minisink Valley- IX), Teagan McGuinness (185lbs, Union-Endicott- IV), and Mia Flores (235lbs, MacArthur- VIII).
Starting at 9:30 am, preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and wrestlebacks will take place until 2:00 pm. A new session starts at 5:00 pm with ceremonies for the medal rounds as qualifying wrestlers will be marched out to the mats, followed by wrestling kicking off at 5:15 pm.
Tickets for each session will be sold for $16 (including fees) at the box office or online at Ticketmaster at https://www.mvparena.com/events (additional fees apply).