Beat the Streets New York student-athletes impress at 2026 USA Wrestling Junior National Championships

Five student-athletes with Beat the Streets New York earned at least one victory in the tournament.

Beat the Streets New York student-athletes tested themselves on the biggest stage in Olympic-style high school wrestling at the 2026 USA Wrestling Junior National Championships at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

Carolina Lockard led the way with a five-win performance in the junior girls freestyle division, while 16U grappler Angelina Ramirez impressed in her first national appearance with two victories. BTSNY alumna Isabella Lorenzana, now wrestling for California, added All-America honors with a fourth-place finish.

Lockard improved on her performance from last year with one more victory. She won her first three matches with a 40-second fall, 10-0 technical fall and 9-6 decision to advance to the Round of 16. The Brooklyn native then suffered her first loss with a 36-second fall to Ella Poalillo (New Jersey), the eventual runner-up. Lockard rebounded with two falls (4:26 and 4:53) then fell one win shy of the podium with a loss by fall in 1:47 to Matlida Hruby (Colorado), who went on to take seventh place.

Lockard will continue her wrestling career at the collegiate level at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Ramirez won her opening bout by fall in 3:30 then dropped her next match by fall in 37 seconds to third-place finisher Brooklyn Henry (Pennsylvania). The rising Bronx sophomore responded with a tight 8-6 decision then fell by the same score to end her tournament run.

BTSNY student-athletes Valeria De Los Santos, Dayalaris Espejo, Esteicy Mora Gil, Alexa Nunez and Monique Teal also competed but did not record a win.

Lorenzana, who represented California, started her wrestling career with BTSNY before moving to Los Angeles. She will continue her wrestling career at King University in Tennessee.

Boys in Junior Division

Nathaniel Torres (freestyle) and Aldar Tugulchiev (Greco-Roman) each scored victories before falling in the Consolation Round of 32.

Tugulchiev had a challenging debut match, falling by 8-0 tech fall to eventual eighth-place finisher David Burchett (Colorado). The Brooklyn junior rebounded with an action-packed 18-15 win and a 10-0 tech fall. His tournament run ended with a 12-4 tech fall loss.

Like Tugulchiev, Torres had a tough draw with a 16-6 tech fall loss to eventual fourth-place finisher Frank Fuentes (California). The Bronx senior bounced back with a fall in 3:45 for his first win at the national tournament before being eliminated by fall in the next round.

BTSNY Junior League alumnus Nicholas Raptis earned wins in freestyle and Greco-Roman in the 16U division. The Brooklyn native had two wins (both tech falls) in freestyle and four victories (three tech falls, one fall) in Greco-Roman.

For BTSNY student-athletes, the trip to Fargo was more than the final results. Competing against the top wrestlers in the country on a national stage gave them invaluable experience, while the journey to North Dakota offered a chance to see a new part of the country. Along the way, they forged new friendships with teammates from across New York State.

Photo Courtesy: Jess Gregg

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Since being founded in 2005, Beat the Streets New York has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTS works to develop the full human and athletic potential of New York City urban youth and strengthen the city's wrestling culture. We aim to make a lifelong impact on student-athletes through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat -- discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution to our work at btsny.org/donate.