Senior Carlos Rohm claimed a state title at 175 lbs becoming just the third two-time champion in program history. Junior Errol Henry captured the 132-lb championship title, adding another gold for the Tigers placed sixth overall in NYSAIS competition 

“It was a great day for Dalton Wrestling,” head coach Cory Cowles said. “We had 10 total wrestlers with eight placing in the top six. We set goals at the start of the year and again a couple of weeks ago. It’s always fun to watch them achieve their goals and see all of the hard work pay off.”

Rohm returned to the mat for the first time in three weeks after he battled a shoulder injury and subsequent  illness. The senior defeated a Poly Prep wrestler 5-3 in the finals to secure his state title.

“I woke up at 6:00 AM to make sure I felt ready to wrestle,” Rohm said. “I think the most important part of my day was spending 30 minutes preparing food. It was simple and easy, but it made a huge difference to help fuel my body and unlock the skills I had been training for through hundreds of practices.”

Rohm topped the podium at 170 lbs last year. The future University of Pennsylvania wrestler joined Nicky Veronis ’82 and Elie Farah ’19 as Dalton’s only two-time NYSAIS champions.

In the 132-lb finals, the No. 3  seed Henry defeated a top-seeded Collegiate wrestler, 9-5. It was a rematch of an Ivy Championship match Henry lost a week earlier. 

“The number one thing during the championship was understanding that I had put in the work and feeling like I deserved to win,” Henry said. “It helped me feel prepared for the match and put me in a good position to win. This accomplishment was an accumulation of all my work over the season and also a sign that I can compete at a higher level if I clean up some mistakes.”

Fellow junior Jake Kleinhandler finished as the runner-up at 190 lbs, while sophomore Hank Weller stood second at 165 lbs. Senior Will Safranek grabbed third place at 215 lbs, and freshman Henry Sheff took fifth place at 103 lbs. In the 126-lb class, seniors Stephan Leathers and Johji Nakada finished fifth and sixth, respectively. 

Rohm, Henry, Weller and Safranek all qualified for the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Individual Championships in Albany, New York. The four qualifiers tie the program record set in 2024, when Rohm made his first appearance in Albany.   

“I have my sights set on the New York State title this year,” Rohm said. “It has always been my goal to make an impact at Albany, and while winning NYSAIS is an accomplishment that I am very proud of, I see it as a qualifying tournament for my true goal. I can attribute this mindset to the awesome mentors in assistant coaches Hassan Fouad and Travis Brown.”

New York’s top boys wrestlers will battle February 27-28 at MVP Arena in Albany, NY

“Three of the four wrestlers will be making their first trip,” Cowles said. “It’s a great tournament and an honor to get there, but I know they are all hungry for more.”