At the end of each season, The News-Press and Naples Daily News select All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every varsity sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with our research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Lincoln Sledzianowski
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Senior
Nothing was going to stop Lincoln Sledzianwoski from repeating as a state champion this season.
Not only did he battle a shoulder injury at the beginning of the year but he also moved up two weight classes — from 132 pounds to 144 pounds.
Sledzianowksi made the transition look seamless as he did not lose a match, finishing his senior year with an unbeaten 33-0 record.
At the Class 1A state tournament, Sledzianowski defeated every opponent by pin or technical fall. He also defeated the eventual Class 2A and Class 3A state champions earlier in the season.
Sledzianowski has been a key piece of the quick rise of the St. John Neumann wrestling program, which finished as state runner-up this season. The University of Nebraska commit is the 2026 Southwest Florida Boys Wrestler of the Year.
Question: How do you reflect on what you were able to accomplish this season?
Sledzianowski: I think it was a good season. Beginning of it, I had some injuries, but I’m just glad it all worked out, and I came out on top.
How challenging was it to move up two weight classes, and what did you have to adjust?
Sledzianowski: It was a little more challenging because the guys were a little stronger, but nothing too much. Just lifting more and working on my technique, but, other than that, not a lot.
What did it mean to you for the team to finish as state runner-up?
Sledzianowski: I think it’s a big goal for us, and I think it’s important that we keep on going. And hopefully next year, the guys can upgrade that to the gold medal.
What has been your favorite memory from high school wrestling?
Sledzianowski: I would say all the dual state finals. I think that’s the most fun and exciting thing because it’s more of a team thing. It’s not really about yourself, and I just like that aspect more in wrestling.
FIRST TEAM
Jacob Bacon
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Wrestling at 175 pounds, Bacon won more than 50 matches and finished as state runner-up in Class 1A. He was second at regionals and won district and CCAC titles.
Benito Barnhart
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: A state finalist last season, Barnhart bounced back from an elbow injury he suffered during the season to win the Class 1A state title at 120 pounds. He also won a regional championship.
William Buckley
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Buckley reached the Class 1A state final at 150 pounds, losing a tight match for the championship. He finished the season 42-7 with victories at districts and regionals.
Eric Bush
School: Riverdale
Year: Junior
Highlights: Bush dominated his way to his first FHSAA state title, winning by fall in every round in the Class 2A bracket at 120 pounds. He posted a 49-3 record this season, which included runs to district and regional titles.
Kalel Hernandez
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Wrestling in the 175-pound weight class, Hernandez came in fourth place at the Class 2A state tournament. He won district and regional titles and finished the season with just four losses.
West Lucas
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Lucas finished as Class 2A state runner-up in the 190-pound weight class. Lucas won regional and district titles and posted a 46-2 record on the season.
Greyson McDonald
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Wrestling at 106 pounds, McDonald won more than 40 matches this season, including district and regional titles. At the Class 1A tournament, he came in fourth place.
Braeden Mills
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Mills came in seventh place at the Class 1A state tournament in the 165-pound weight class. He won district and conference titles and came in third at regionals.
Jalal Naghib
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Naghib put together an impressive freshman season at 132 pounds, winning more than 40 matches, including a conference title. At the Class 1A tournament, he finished in fourth place.
Toby Pearce
School: Mariner
Year: Senior
Highlights: Wrestling at 150 pounds, Pearce won LCAC and district titles and came in third at regionals. At the Class 2A state tournament, he came in third place.
Erik Perez
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Senior
Highlights: Wrestling at 126 pounds, Perez finished in third place at the Class 1A state tournament. He went 44-4 on the mat, winning district and regional titles.
James Sanders
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Sanders went 38-9 in his freshman season in the 113-pound weight class and captured regional and district titles. At the Class 1A state tournament, he came in fourth place.
Kael Seneca
School: Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Seneca finished his high school career on top, capturing his first state title at the Class 2A tournament. The 126-pound wrestler cleaned up at districts and regionals and lost just one match all season.
Everett Stephens
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Junior
Highlights: Stephens won CCAC and district titles, came in second at regionals and fourth at the Class 1A state tournament in the 120-pound weight class. He finished the season with a 49-7 record.
Bennett Sweitzer
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Highlights: Sweitzer won the Class 1A state title at 175 pounds, becoming the first Bishop Verot state champion in wrestling. He also posted a 41-3 record and won at regionals.
Clinton Thompson
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Thompson went 48-2 in the 138-pound weight class with victories at districts and regionals. At the Class 2A state tournament, he came in third place.
Lennox Washington
School: Evangelical Christian
Year: Junior
Highlights: Wrestling at 285 pounds, Washington won a district title and came in third at regionals. At the Class 1A state tournament, he came in sixth place to finish his season 36-9.
Bekim Zherka
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Junior
Highlights: In the 132-pound weight class, Zherka won district and regionals titles and came in fifth at the Class 1A state tournament. He finished the season with a 43-5 record.
Lukah Zherka
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Junior
Highlights: Zherka came in fifth place in the 126-pound weight class at the Class 1A state tournament. He was the runner-up at districts and regionals.
SECOND TEAM
Andrew Bishop, North Fort Myers
Richmerlens Celiferme, St. John Neumann
Sebastian Corporan, Bonita Springs
Quinn Enguita, Bishop Verot
Anthony Farnot, Gateway
Leland Flaherty, ECS
Russ Haas, St. John Neumann
Daniel Iriarte, Riverdale
Tyler Jeskie, Barron Collier
Iam Kenly, Palmetto Ridge
Lucas Lopes, Island Coast
Michael Maher, Riverdale
Jonathan Moder, St. John Neumann
Landon Murphy, North Fort Myers
Gabriele Nudi, North Fort Myers
Ezequiel Pedraza, Cape Coral
Jaxon Perry, Riverdale
Hudson Sweitzer, Bishop Verot
Randy Wallace, LaBelle
Damien Zherka, Aubrey Rogers
HONORABLE MENTION
Aubrey Rogers: Dominic Banski, Mathew Elyash, Eli Smolanoff
Barron Collier: Lorenzo D’Annunzio, Maxwell Edwards, Oleksandr Komisarov
Bishop Verot: Sean Cameron, Tiago Passos, Lorenzo Vasquez
Bonita Springs: Emiliano Buenrostro, Pedro Collado, Jonathan Oliveros
Canterbury: Atreyu Bott, Banner Brockington, Stone Creighton
Cape Coral: Dylan Iverson, Felix Molina Florian, Samuel Montano Quintero
Dunbar: Chancey Alexander, Ethan October
East Lee County: Jacob Flores, Marlon Medina, Anthony Prendergast
ECS: Dominic Capauno, Ice McCormick, Zeke Washington
Estero: Jakob Bolz, Luke Terry, Kevin Wilson
First Baptist: Kael Hillis, Colton Kersey, Deklan Koopman
Fort Myers: Garin Gindele, Ethan Harris, Cameron Wiik
Gateway: Matthew Garcia, Craig Odom, Rowland Rodriguez
Gateway Charter: Max Bonavita, Logan Panga
Golden Gate: Yahir Garcia Hernandez, Cayden Lewis, Yariel Tamayo
Gulf Coast: Jason Barnes, Julian Bolanos, Henry Johnson
Ida Baker: Logan Frontiero, James Murphy, Journey Ortiz
Immokalee: Aurelio Anzualda, Isaac Maldonado, Roland Rivera
Island Coast: Kaydon Hoang, Abdiel Rodriguez
Lely: Peter Espinosa, Roberto Hidalgo, Jose Raga
Mariner: Ryan Boos, Joey Laviola, Vince Wurtsbaugh
Naples: Ibrahim Albaghdadi, Jaime Nunez, Vanden Sigmond
North Fort Myers: Wyatt Alexander, Nordel Contreras, Aiden Lopez
Oasis: Cameron Papp, Andrew Upp, Chase Williams
Palmetto Ridge: Jordan Blomberg, Rylan Horell, Christopher Olivert
Riverdale: Easton Balma, Logan Miller, Jhon Pierre
SFCA: Max Losapio, Gianni Monteiro, Jack Wooley
St. John Neumann: Hunter Born, Gabe Harris, Reyvis Soto
COACH OF THE YEAR
Blaine Ison
Highlights: The Celtics reached the semifinals of the state dual series and repeated as district and regional champions. Ison’s squad had 11 wrestlers qualify for the Class 1A tournament where Benito Barnhart and Lincoln Sledzianowski took home state titles, and the Celtics finished as state runner-up.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet the 2026 SW FL Boys Wrestling All-Area Team, Wrestler of the Year
Reporting by Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
