2025 Elite 8 New England Results

Elite 8, presented by Compound Sportswear, is one of the premier events leading into the

season. The invite-only tournament, hosted in Georgia, attracts the best super teams from

across the country. With New England’s ever-growing talent pool, it’s no surprise that several

wrestlers from the region earned invitations. Below are the results of every New England

competitor.

150 lbs – Braylon Gonzalez

Team: NJ Commission

School: Xavier (CT)

Grad Year: 2026

2025 Result: CT State Champion

When the NJ Commission needed a 150-pound wrestler just weeks before the event, Xavier’s

Braylon Gonzalez got the call. The two-time Connecticut state champion entered undersized but battled hard. Despite going 0-7, earning an invitation alone was a major accomplishment.

Gonzalez played a valuable role in NJ Commission’s third-place team finish.

Full Results:

● Mike Turi (Team Gotcha) def. Gonzalez, TF 16-1

● Dallas Russell (Minion Legends) def. Gonzalez, TF 17-2

● Brady Hand (Black Mambas) def. Gonzalez, TF 22-3

● Ivan Arias (Cormier WA) def. Gonzalez, TF 15-0

● Luke Knox (Stellar Trained) def. Gonzalez, Fall 1:40

● Jeffrey Huyvaert (Team Carnage) def. Gonzalez, TF 15-0

● Grayson Eggum (POWA) def. Gonzalez, Maj. 15-5

157 lbs – Colby Houle

Team: Misfits

School: Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)

Grad Year: 2027

2025 Result: National Prep, 4th Place

Moving up in weight, Colby Houle continues to make his name on the national stage. Wrestling for Misfits, the NMH junior had a strong showing, pushing every match to the wire. Houle lost 4-2 to MJ Staples (Team Carnage) and dropped a close 8-5 bout to Brian Chamberlain (Stellar Trained). He also picked up a forfeit win.

Full Results:

● MJ Staples (Team Carnage) def. Houle, Dec. 4-2

● Brian Chamberlain (Stellar Trained) def. Houle, Dec. 8-5

● Houle def. Unknown (Unattached), Forfeit

165 lbs – David Perez

Team: Black Mambas

School: Ponaganset (RI)

Grad Year: 2026

2025 Result: New England Champion

David Perez lived up to the “Elite” name. The nationally ranked senior dominated, finishing 7-0 with four pins—tied for the most in the event in just the second most time. His closest match was an 8-5 sudden victory over Mac Speece (Stellar Trained). Perez also tied for fourth in overall team points with 33.

“It feels great to perform well at a tournament like Elite 8. It can open a lot of new doors,” Perez told The Schwartz Report. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect these results. This is just the beginning, and the future will bring even more.”

Full Results:

● Perez def. Titus Norman (Minion Legends), Fall 5:01

● Perez def. Brandon Bethea (POWA), Fall 1:51

● Perez def. Jake Robie (Team Thunder), Fall 4:09

● Perez def. Mac Speece (Stellar Trained), SV-1 8-5

● Perez def. Jake Hughes (NJ Commission), Dec. 6-1

● Perez def. Titus Norman (Minion Legends), Dec. 8-3

● Perez def. Zane Gerlach (Misfits), Fall 5:39

175 lbs – Colby Vital

Team: Misfits

School: Ponaganset (RI)

Grad Year: 2026

2025 Result: New England, 4th Place

Vital battled in what proved to be a stacked field, finishing 1-5. He dropped a close 8-5 bout to New York Military Academy’s Braeden Simoneaux but rebounded with his own 8-5 win over Bo Davis (Cormier WA).

Full Results:

● Jayden Williams (POWA) def. Vital, Fall 3:21

● Mason Ontiveros (Team Carnage) def. Vital, Maj. 12-2

● AJ Corp (Stellar Trained) def. Vital, SV-1 2-1

● Braeden Simoneaux (Black Mambas) def. Vital, Dec. 8-5

● Vital def. Bo Davis (Cormier WA), Dec. 8-5

● Brennan Warwick (Miami Hawks) def. Vital, Dec. 4-1

175 lbs – Braeden Simoneaux

Team: Black Mambas

School: New York Military Academy (NY)

Grad Year: 2026

2025 Result: Louisiana State Champion

A recent transfer to the region, Simoneaux made an impression with two wins—including one over Ponaganset’s Colby Vital. The Louisiana native stayed competitive in nearly every match, with every single one going the distance except his other win which came by fall.

Full Results:

● Kyle Scott (Minion Legends) def. Simoneaux, Dec. 10-3

● Jayden Williams (POWA) def. Simoneaux, Dec. 14-10

● Isai Fernandez (Team Thunder) def. Simoneaux, Maj. 13-3

● AJ Corp (Stellar Trained) def. Simoneaux, Dec. 6-5

● Simoneaux def. Josh Piparo (NJ Commission), Fall 5:08

● Kyle Scott (Minion Legends) def. Simoneaux, Dec. 7-3

● Simoneaux def. Colby Vital (Misfits), Dec. 8-5

215 lbs – Max Konopka

Team: NJ Commission

School: Simsbury (CT)

Grad Year: 2027

2025 Result: New England Champion

New England fans know Max Konopka as a dominant force, and now the national stage does

too. The Simsbury standout went 7-0 with two pins and three top-25 wins, outscoring his

opponents 29-6 in non-fall matches. He tallied 31 team points, helping NJ Commission to a

third-place finish.

“It was awesome—the level of competition was insane throughout every lineup,” Konopka told The Schwartz Report. “Every match was tough, so I just focused on scoring points and

controlling the match the best I could.”

Full Results:

● Konopka def. Porter Loveland (Team Gotcha), Fall 3:12

● Konopka def. Kendal Hoare (Minion Legends), Maj. 15-4

● Konopka def. Mick Moylan (Black Mambas), Dec. 6-2

● Konopka def. Kal-el Fluckiger (Cormier WA), Fall 5:50

● Konopka def. Jason Singer (Stellar Trained), Dec. 4-0

● Konopka def. Unknown (Unattached), Forfeit

● Konopka def. Ronan An (POWA), Dec. 4-0

285 lbs – Alex Bajoras

Team: NJ Commission

School: Wyoming Seminary (PA) / St. John’s Prep (MA ’25)

Grad Year: 2026

2025 Result: New England Runner-Up

The legend of Alex Bajoras continues to grow. The St. John’s Prep grad went 7-0 with three top-25 wins, serving as NJ Commission’s heavyweight anchor alongside Konopka. Bajoras recorded one fall and stifled his opponents in decision matches, outscoring them 15-1.

“It’s crazy—every single match here is tough. Even your ‘off’ matches are harder than 90% of

what you’ll see elsewhere,” Bajoras said of the tournament.

Full Results:

● Bajoras def. Unknown (Unattached), Forfeit

● Bajoras def. Jackson Locke (Minion Legends), Dec. 2-0

● Bajoras def. Zayne Candelaria (Black Mambas), Dec. 6-0

● Bajoras def. Leland Day (Cormier WA), Fall 5:16

● Bajoras def. James Hartleroad (Stellar Trained), Dec. 1-0

● Bajoras def. Troy Ceja (Team Carnage), Dec. 3-0

● Bajoras def. Izzy Taylor (POWA), Dec. 4-1