Virginia Announces Wrestling Newcomers For 2025-26
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia wrestling program will welcome a group of nine wrestlers to the squad for the 2025-26 academic year as head coach Steve Garland announced the group of newcomers to the program on Tuesday (June 10).
The class, which features multiple All-America honorees and state champions, is ranked No. 21 nationally by FloWrestling. Seven of the incoming recruits are ranked in the top 250 nationally on the MatScouts Big Board for 2025-26 which is the fourth-most of any recruiting class. Only three schools signed more top 250 recruits than the Cavaliers.
In addition to the eight incoming freshmen, the Cavaliers also add graduate transfer Colton Washleski from Rider.
2025 VIRGINIA WRESTLING NEWCOMERS
Macon Ayers | 165 | Goodview, Va. | Staunton River High School
• Ranked No. 204 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• 2x NHSCA All-American
• Fargo All-American
• 3x VHSL State Champion
• Also lettered in football and served two years as team captain for both football and wrestling
STEVE GARLAND ON MACON AYERS
“Macon is one of the best wrestlers in the Commonwealth. He is a three-time state champ! He is also a two-time NHSCA All-American as well. He comes to us from a really good high school program. He has had great experiences at that level that will set him up for success here.. He has been a UVA fan his whole life. He has such a passion for this school. He is also a high character guy that we love being around. We are so excited to have him with us.”
Adam Butler | 149/157 | Avon, Ohio | St. Edward High School
• Ranked No. 227 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• Fargo All-American
• 3x Ohio state finalist
• 4x Ohio state placewinner
• US Open placewinner
• 8x Team state champions
• Served as team captain
STEVE GARLAND ON ADAM BUTLER
“Adam is coming to us from one of the best high school wrestling programs in the history of the sport. He is a guy that goes out there and lets it fly. He has no fear in the way he competes. Making the Ohio state tournament finals three times is really impressive, but the best is yet to come with him we think. He is still developing physically. In a couple years he is going to be a monster.”
Rocco Hayes | 125 | Orland Park, Ill | Carl Sandburg High School
• Ranked No. 207 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 57 overall recruit on FloWrestling 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 14 at 113 pounds in final FloWrestling 2024-25 rankings
• Fargo freestyle national champion
• Super 32 finalist
• 3x Illinois state place winner – third place finish all three times
• 3x team captain
• Posted most pins in Carl Sandburg history
• Conference Athlete of the Year
• 3x Team MVP
STEVE GARLAND ON ROCCO HAYES
“Rocco is a Fargo national champion. That is so impressive. That is one of the toughest high school wrestling competitions you can win. He also made it the finals of the super 32 tournament – again, one of the toughest high school competitions around – and he is from a great state. He has been battle tested his whole life. He comes from a great program with great coaching and a great family -two of his brothers wrestled here for us and Louie, his oldest brother, was an All-American here. Huge upside!”
Aiden King | 141/149 | Columbus, Ohio | Bishop Hartley High School
• Ranked No. 194 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• NHSCA National Champion
• 2x Ohio state champion
• 4x Ohio state placewinner
• 4x All-Metro selection
• 4x All Central Catholic League
• Ohio freestyle state champion
STEVE GARLAND ON AIDEN KING
“Aiden is a two-time state champion from one of the best states in the country. That speaks for itself. But one thing we really liked about him was that he is unpredictable out there on the mat. He can beat you in a variety of ways. He has ways to score bonus points that most kids his age just don’t possess. We hope he can continue to develop his unique style and blossom in college.”
Jayce Paridon | 141 | Green Cove Springs, Fla. | Lake Highland Prep
• Ranked No. 67 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 51 overall recruit on FloWrestling 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 8 at 138 pounds in the 2024-25 final rankings by MatScouts and FloWrestling
• 2025 NHSCA Freestyle National Champion
• 2025 USA Folkstyle National Champion
• 2025 Prep National Champion
• 2025 Powerade Champion
• 2023 Florida state champion
• 4x Florida state placewinner
STEVE GARLAND ON JAYCE PARIDON
“Jayce is as tough as they come. He loves to train and he loves to compete. He won three national championships, all over the country in February and March of this year. He comes to us from one of the top wrestling programs in the country in Lake Highland Prep. He has had one of the toughest schedules you can put together, great coaching and great workout partners. He is ready!”
Emmitt Sherlock | 174 | Baltimore, Md. | Gilman School
• Ranked No. 29 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 50 overall recruit on FloWrestling 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 4 at 190 pounds in the 2024-25 final rankings by MatScouts
• Ranked No. 5 at 190 pounds in the 2024-25 final rankings by FloWrestling
• 5x National Prep All-American
• 3x Time State Champion
• 2x US Open Champion
• U17 Freestyle and Greco World Team Member
• Fifth at Freestyle World Championships
• Freestyle Pan American Champion
• Bronze Greco Pan American
• 2x Ironman All-American
• 3x Beast of the East All-American
• 3x Time Fargo All-American
• NHSCA Freshman National Champion
STEVE GARLAND ON EMMITT SHERLOCK
“Emmitt is a rare kid in that he made not one, but two world teams last year. I don’t think we have ever had anyone do that. Just so impressive. He is one of the top ranked guys in the country but again, like most of these guys, I think he can still improve his game. He can be even better in the years to come. He has a unique skill set and unique physical frame that will give him a niche in college. We look forward to helping him develop those gifts.”
Lincoln Shulaw | 174 | Columbus, Ohio | Saint Francis DeSales High School
• 2x Ohio state finalist
• 4x Ohio state placewinner
• Posted 149-28 career record at Saint Francis DeSales
• All-Metro selection
• Team captain
STEVE GARLAND ON LINCOLN SHULAW
“Lincoln is a two-time Ohio state tournament finalist three-time top three placer. He has been in the biggest matches at the state level. He is really good from the top position, but the opportunity for him moving forward will be his development offensively. The Paulsons and Ian can really help him there. He is such a great kid to be around. He is going to help us on the mat for sure, but I am also excited about what he will add to our culture in other ways as well.”
Ethan Timar | 125/133 | Brunswick, Ohio | St. Edward High School
• Ranked No. 154 overall recruit on MatScouts 2025 Big Board
• Ranked No. 20 at 120 pounds in the final 2024-25 rankings by MatScouts
• Ranked No. 11 at 120 pounds in the final 2024-25 rankings by FloWrestling
• 2023 Ohio state champion
• 3x Ohio state placewinner
• 2023 team MVP
• 2x Ironman placewinner
• 3x Powerade placewinner
• 2025 Team Captain
STEVE GARLAND ON ETHAN TIMAR
“Ethan is teammates with Adam Butler and again comes from a great program with phenomenal coaching. He has had great mentorship his whole life. He is smart, hardworking, humble and focused. He is a state champ and has other great accomplishments but you would never know it talking to him. He’s quiet and all about the business at hand. Great guy to have on our team. What I am most excited about his top game. He can really do damage at the college level there.”
Colton Washleski | 157 | Flemington, N.J. | Hunterdon Central High School (Rider)
• Four-year letterwinner at Rider
• Ranked in the top 25 at 157 pounds as a senior in 2024-25
• 2024 NCAA qualifier at 157 pounds
• Sixth place finish at 2023 Midlands Championship
• 2x Team Captain at Rider
• NHSCA All-American at Hunterdon Central
• 2x New Jersey state placewinner
STEVE GARLAND ON COLTON WASHLESKI
“Colton has been to the NCAA tournament. He has and been nationally ranked and won over 30 matches in a collegiate season – which is pretty darn hard to do. He has competed against the best. He is battle tested and that experience will help him with this transition and will help the team. We expect him to make an immediate impact here.”