Girls state wrestling preview and predictions
BY BRANT PARSONS —Welcome to our 2026 state tournament preview and predictions.
This is yearly tradition that is meant to be both a viewing guide and fun way to look ahead to the best three days of the season.
We’ve changed it up a bit this year and given you an inside peek into how the picks are made.
In the past, we’d print out the brackets and make notes on it, use the Kabra Wrestling rankings, and then make a pick for each match. Then a summary would be written for each weight class.
Those note-stained pages are now graphics you will see at the top of every weight class in the preview.
This preview is a snapshot in time on what I felt would happen in this tournament when I wrote the preview. If I was to go through and write it again, I’m sure there are some that would be different. There does tend to be a good deal of scratching out on my brackets when I do this.
As always, there is no bias that goes into these picks and they are meant for entertainment purposes only. I don’t cheer for my bracket to be right, in fact, the most memorable moments related to these previews are the kids that proved me wrong and then told me that they did.
In fact, when I’m covering the state tournament, I often don’t even remember the picks that I made. I’m too excited just watching the great action.
Best of luck to each of the state qualifiers that will compete this weekend. Just reaching the state tournament is such a tremendous accomplishment and no matter what you do this weekend at Silver Spurs Arena, you are a success that has accomplished great things through this powerful sport.
And if you prove Kabra wrong, please let me know, we have a sticker for you.
The Picks
Team Race
Final standings
1. Orlando Freedom
2. St. John Neumann
3. South Dade
4. Florida Christian
5. Sunlake
Predicted total state champions
1 - Barron Collier, Destin, Douglas, Florida Christian, Gulf Breeze, Lemon Bay, Mater Lakes, Mosley, Naples, Oakleaf, South Dade, St. John Neumann, Sunlake, Wakulla
Predicted state placers
6 - Orlando Freedom
5 - South Dade, St. John Neumann
4 - Florida Christian, Sunlake, Viera
3 - Flagler Palm Coast
2 - Admiral Farragut, Archbishop McCarthy, Brandon, Charlotte, Chiles, Doral Academy, Douglas, George Jenkins, Gulf Breeze, Lake Mary, Lincoln, Mater Lakes, Miami Palmetto, Middleburg, Oakleaf, Oviedo, Winter Springs.
1 - Baker County, Barron Collier, Bartow, Bartram Trail, Bloomingdale, Braden River, Citrus, Cocoa Beach, Destin, Dr. Krop, East Bay, East Lake, Forest Hill, Fort Pierce Central, Hagerty, Harmony, Innovation, Jensen Beach, King, Kissimmee Osceola, Lake Gibson, Lemon Bay, Lincoln Park Academy, Mater Academy, Mosley, Naples, North Bay Haven, North Fort Myers, North Miami, Orlando Cypress Creek, Pace, Palm Harbor University, Park Vista, Port Charlotte, Riverdale, Rockledge, SLAM Miami, St. Augustine, Strawberry Crest, Sumner, Tampa Bay Tech, Tampa Freedom, Taravella, Tohopekaliga, Wakulla, Western, Windermere
FHSAA Schedules
Class 3A: IBT results | Dual results | State IBT preview
Class 2A: IBT results | Dual results | State IBT preview
Class 1A: IBT results | Dual results | State IBT preview
Class G-1A: IBT results | State IBT preview
Kabra's Picks
1. Paola Perez (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. Rebecca Marin (Doral Academy)
3. Sayuri Caceres (Lincoln)
4. Sophie Booe (Palm Harbor University)
5. Aniyah Whayne (Kissimmee Osceola)
6. Hannah Ferret (Bloomingdale)
7. Rylee Beville (Cocoa Beach)
8. Lydia Gonzalez (South Dade)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Ashlie Schlegel (Palmetto); Josie Reeves (Orlando Freedom)
First round matches you can't miss: Gonzalez vs. Beville; Addison Neufeld (North Bay Haven) vs. Ferret
Kabra says: You can make an argument that there are 6-7 wrestlers with credentials to win a state title here. Perez moved herself into the favorite role with her massive 14-0 major decision win in the region final over Marin. Before that, the Doral Academy junior had won three straight meetings in close fashion. You can’t discount Caceres, who came from the pack rankings-wise and won the state title last March. She’s wrestled into form and is again a competitor.
Kabra's Picks
1. Kiera Partello (Barron Collier)
2. Grace Jawulski (Brandon)
3. Joslyn Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast)
4. Hananeel Gregoire (Orlando Freedom)
5. Saryiah Ford (SLAM Miami)
6. Tiffany Francisco (Western)
7. Hadassa Manjano Herrera (Winter Springs)
8. Sophia Wojnar (Bartram Trail)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Emerson Webber (Hernando); Zahar Zouaki (Viera)
First round matches you can't miss: Gabriella Nathan (Park Vista) vs. Manjano Herrera
Kabra says: Another exciting weight class with a collection of wrestlers who could win this state title. Partello evened up her season series with Jawulski in the region final for her fourth career region title. Also lurking behind the two weight class leaders is former state champion Johnson, region champions Gregoire and Ford, and a collection of others that have solid wins on their resume.
Kabra's Picks
1. Camdyn Elliott (Gulf Breeze)
2. Zoey McDonald (St. John Neumann)
3. Jazlyn Diaz (Riverdale)
4. Miayalee Ortiz Martinez (George Jenkins)
5. Gabriela Kerber (Orlando Freedom)
6. Amileshka Ortiz-Nunez (Lake Gibson)
7. Elizabeth Pinto (Viera)
8. Jordan Deglace (Strawberry Crest)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Juliana Mills (Flagler Palm Coast); Melanie Loynaz (Mater Academy)
First round matches you can't miss: Mills vs. Deglace; Ortiz-Nunez vs. Victoria Sifuentes (South Dade)
Kabra says: Elliott is looking to end her career with a fourth state final appearance and second state title. The Gulf Breeze senior is the favorite here but the challengers in this bracket are tough. Diaz is a three-time state placer who got the unlucky draw into the top half with Elliott. The highlight of the bottom half could be a quarterfinal match between #3 McDonald and #4 Kerber. Not only could this match determine who reaches the final, but it serves as a crucial match between the two teams vying for the top of the podium
Kabra's Picks
1. Melissa Gallo (Florida Christian)
2. Catalina Kenney (Viera)
3. Maya Alvarado (Orlando Freedom)
4. Fallon Dames (Middleburg)
5. Hailee Moder (St. John Neumann)
6. Natalia Sanchez (Winter Springs)
7. Nova Estrada (North Bay Haven)
8. Isabella Tellez (Doral Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: MacKenzie Allcroft (Fort Pierce Central); Maple Brady (Mariner)
First round matches you can't miss: Joycey DeYoung (Merritt Island) vs. Brady
Kabra says: Gallo made her mark at last year’s state tournament, placing third as a sixth grader. She built off that in the knockout final, taking our 110-pound favorite to task for the entire six minutes and putting a couple near scares into her. Alvarado and Dames are also on the top half and a possible 3-4 matchup in the quarterfinals. Six wrestlers in the bottom half should make for exciting front and back side of the bracket. Kenney is the pick to lead the group to the finals, but the rest of the podium could look a variety of ways.
Kabra's Picks
1. Kendal Haynie (Wakulla)
2. Kailea Villavicencio (Archbishop McCarthy)
3. Shaniah Martinez (East Bay)
4. Anabella Junco (Florida Christian)
5. Vanessa Whitelock (Admiral Farragut)
6. Caitlin Bohrer (Fort Pierce Central)
7. Carmen Moya (Miami Palmetto)
8. Mary McKinney (Choctawhatchee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Michelle Amyot (Viera); Paige Ballard (George Jenkins)
First round matches you can't miss: Bohrer vs. Amyot; Moya vs. Isabella Barrera (Orlando Freedom)
Kabra says: Haynie became the prohibitive favorite when Abigail Rodriguez went to compete on the boys side and the Wakulla sophomore is back and healthy and ready to win her first state title. Martinez, Junco, and Moya landed in the top half with Haynie and will look to first provide some roadblocks to Haynie’s quest, and then position themselves for a spot high up the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. Sophie Simons (Naples)
2. Savanna Porter (St. John Neumann)
3. Arianna Ruiz (Mater Lakes Academy)
4. Caly Rodriguez (Brandon)
5. Ryauna Nepomuceno (Viera)
6. Cameron Lord (Sunlake)
7. Claudia La Costa Perez (Oviedo)
8. Amelia McKnight (Lincoln)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Cora Hayes (North Fort Myers); Paola Blanco-Cruz (Olympic Heights)
First round matches you can't miss: Lord vs. Rodriguez; Hays vs. Nepomuceno
Kabra says: When I was asked on the Dirty South podcast which weight class I wanted to talk about first, I didn’t even have to hesitate — it was this one. There have been at least three wrestlers ranked #1 here this season and we enter the state tournament without a clear favorite. This weight class could come down to individual matchups and the “luck” of the path drawn.
Kabra's Picks
1. Willow White (South Dade)
2. Paola Ramirez (Orlando Freedom)
3. Kami Rice (Charlotte)
4. Jordan Herron (Chiles)
5. Rose Karakolis (Park Vista)
6. Adalyne Fowls (Gulf Breeze)
7. Sydney Jones (Jensen Beach)
8. Clariza Pequeno (Port Charlotte)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Alyssa Doolittle (North Fort Myers); Kaja Williams (Parrish)
First round matches you can't miss: Pequeno vs. Jones; Elysse Fredenburg (Cocoa Beach) vs. Aidan Arthur (Fletcher)
Kabra says: White enters the weekend as one of the biggest favorites, not just in the girls tournament, but in the entire arena. And while’s she’s poised to win her second title, there’s so much here to watch. For starters, Ramirez gave White the best competition this season, keeping it close over six minutes back in December. Ramirez will have a battle to even get there, with a possible 3-4 meeting in the quarterfinals with Karakolis.
Kabra's Picks
1. Kailani Barrientos (Oakleaf)
2. Sarah Walsh (Middleburg)
3. Eysis Estes-Brinson (Miami Palmetto)
4. Shamari Smith (South Dade)
5. Gabrielle Asabi (Sunlake)
6. Elisa Medina (Tohopekaliga)
7. Alexis Hutter (Braden River)
8. Kylee Hopkins (Baker County)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Sara Goodman (Sandalwood); Gracie Austin (Charlotte)
First round matches you can't miss: Smith vs. Vinson; Hopkins vs. Austin
Kabra says: Barrientos have finished third the past seasons and comes into the weekend as the favorite to win her first state title here. A quarterfinal highlight could be Walsh and Estes-Brinson meeting again in the quarterfinals. When they wrestled in the Knockout, the Miami Palmetto senior jumped out to an early lead before Walsh battled her way back to victory. Estes-Brinson and Smith have made a habit out of close matches the past month, meeting in the GMAC, district, and region finals. The South Dade senior gets a tough first round and potential meeting with Barrientos in the second.
Kabra's Picks
1. Julianna Caisse (St. John Neumann)
2. Zoe Delgado (Florida Christian)
3. Kiiaana Gavere (Pace)
4. Gabriella Sergi (North Fort Myers)
5. Ennis Coakley (Sunlake)
6. Kelsey Marschka (Chiles)
7. MaryEllen Wingate (Lake Mary)
8. Jayla Sanders (Bartow)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Hanna Migliaccio (Riverview); Naomi Luna (Morgan)
First round matches you can't miss: Sanders vs. Migliaccio; Luna vs. Coakley
Kabra says: We aren’t sure how bad our rankings might prove to be here, but with a 2-1 series lead, an argument can be made for Caisse to be ranked above Delgado here. Either way, we think the two could settle it on the mat on Saturday evening. Don’t count out returning state finalist Gavere though. She’s spent much of her season wrestling in the panhandle but has performed well here and potentially gets Delgado in the semis. Another potential rankings miss is not properly Coakley in front of Marschka do to their head-to-head result. This one will definitely be sorted early on Thursday. Coakley does have a win over Caisse (Caisse leads season series 2-1) and they could meet in the semifinals.
Kabra's Picks
1. Ailee Briggs (Lemon Bay)
2. Sariah Forgione Franco (Orlando Cypress Creek)
3. Alena Rik (Mater Lakes Academy)
4. Taylor Pelchat (St. Augustine)
5. Tori Gibson (George Jenkins)
6. Zoe Goode (Oakleaf)
7. Nezaria Powell (Rockledge)
8. Alisha Vilar (Flagler Palm Coast)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Ceajah Brown (Orlando Freedom); Kennedy Wright (Bayshore)
First round matches you can't miss: Wright vs. Lineshka Joseph (North Miami)
Kabra says: Briggs is one of our biggest favorites coming into the weekend and it makes sense that she’s on our top line here. The Lemon Bay senior is a two-time defending state champion and has reached the finals that past three seasons. Rik may be the second-best wrestler in this bracket but she got the draw into Briggs’ side of the bracket. We used a like loss to determine the top half semifinal, but we’re excited we could see a Forgione Franco-Pelchat bout there.
Kabra's Picks
1. Veronica Madrid (Destin)
2. Christal Desir (Forest Hill)
3. Arianna Antoniou (East Lake)
4. Bailey Beechler (Charlotte)
5. Zaria Slater (Lake Mary)
6. Emily McCormack (Windermere)
7. Viktoriya Devochkina (North Miami)
8. Loghan Anzualda (St. John Neumann)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Janessa Gomez (Jefferson); Marelin Soriano-Vasquez (Lake Brantley)
First round matches you can't miss: Anzualda vs. Devochking; McCormack vs. Slater
Kabra says: This weight class was dominated by Mya Bethel the first four years it was competed and now this year it’s a wide open race. Madrid won a state title in Kansas last year and has looked strong wrestling in the panhandle this season. Desir, who reached the final last season in her second year in the sport, has dominated her opponents in South Florida this season. Antoniou and Slater are both returning state placers too to add depth to the group chasing that top spot on the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. Tor'rina Rushing (Mosley)
2. Alexa Calidonio (Flagler Palm Coast)
3. Zadaryhea Moore (Tampa Bay Tech)
4. Isabella McFarlane (King)
5. Ariana Blanc (Douglas)
6. Riley Lancaster (Admiral Farragut)
7. Savanah Nazario-Darnell (Viera)
8. Jada Haughton (Dr. Krop)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Amaris Echezerrata (South Dade); Quisiera Wilson (Lincoln Park)
First round matches you can't miss: Haughton vs. Vanessa McCloud (Merritt Island); Haylee Richards (Oviedo) vs. Lancaster
Kabra says: What seemed like a two person race most of the season has turned into one of the most wide-open races in the state of Florida. Rushing has been dominant all season before losing to Calidonio in her region final. McFarlane won the Ironman and Knockout, but has suffered a couple losses in the postseason to Moore and Lancaster. In making our prediction, we’ve picked any of the top six to win this bracket with Rushing, Calidonio, Moore, McFarlane, Blanc, and Lancaster all getting serious consideration for the top spot on Saturday night.
Kabra's Picks
1. Paisley Murphy (Sunlake)
2. Hazuki Sykes (Sumner)
3. Arheanna Bryan (Taravella)
4. Aimar Donastorg (Orlando Freedom)
5. Makayla Ocean (Archbishop McCarthy)
6. Amirah Williams (South Dade)
7. Eva Kavaja (Hagerty)
8. Alexandra Marcano (Innovation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Karliana Arteaga (Braden River); Aliyah Hodge (St. Pete Northeast)
First round matches you can't miss: Arteaga vs. Williams; Bella Wall (Harmony) vs. Marcano
Kabra says: Murphy has been one of the most dominant wrestlers this season. The undefeated Sunlake senior has wins by fall over Sykes, Ocean, Donastorg, and Williams. Up to think point she’s answered every question asked of her and that’s why she’s our pick to win here. Sykes has had an impressive season, winning the Knockout and really settling into her perfect weight class after placing at 235 a year ago. Bryan’s lone loss on the season came at the Knockout, a 6-3 decision defeat to Sykes.
Kabra's Picks
1. Zeinab Mourad (Douglas)
2. Kenzie Barrett (South Dade)
3. Mekialla Mauvais (Orlando Freedom)
4. Shyann Tate (Oviedo)
5. Camila Halaby-Bravo (Florida Christian)
6. Ky'mari Riley (Tampa Freedom)
7. Makayla Brianvil (Lincoln Park)
8. Katelynn Holt (Harmony)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Sabrina Richards (Boca Ciega); Hanalee Corbin (Suwannee)
First round matches you can't miss: Tate vs. Brianvill; Holt vs. Makhiala Norfleet (Lakewood)
Kabra says: The freshman Mourad continues to surprise and excite. Her latest accomplishment was to win a region title by beating the then-ranked #1 and #2 wrestlers and do it handily. She’s our pick here in a field that is absolutely loaded with talent. The bottom half of the bracket does have some exciting things to watch with a possible Mauvais vs. Halaby-Bravo quarterfinal, with the winner likely getting second-ranked Barrett.
Brant Parsons is the founder and executive editor of Kabra Wrestling. He has been covering high school wrestling in Florida since 2004.
He can be reached at brant@kabrawrestling.com.