Owen wrestler grabs gold at NCHSAA 3A State Championship
Four Warhorses represent the Swannanoa Valley in title Tournament
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 25, 2026
Owen senior wrestler Joaquin Luenda-Freeman is recognized, Feb. 21, as the NCHSAA 3A Individual Wrestling State Champion for the 157-pound weight class. Photo courtesy of Owen Wrestling
The impending pressure to rise to the occasion was not unfamiliar to Joaquin Leunda-Freeman, Feb. 21, as he steadied his emotions in the minutes after his 12-8 comeback victory in the semifinal round of the NCHSAA 3A Individual Wrestling State Championship in Greensboro. The stakes for the Nesbitt Discovery Academy senior and Warhorse wrestler, however, represented uncharted territory, as he prepared for the championship match.
Undeterred by the magnitude of the moment, Leunda-Freeman responded with a 10-1 victory over Northeastern High School’s Jonathan Nguyen, in the title round of the 157-pound division, to bring a gold medal back to the Swannanoa Valley.
The wrestler, a member of the Owen varsity wrestling team since his freshman year, was one of four Warhorses to qualify for the tournament in the First Horizon Coliseum. Luenda-Freeman, who qualified for the state championship meet for the first time last year, entered the 2026 competition with the goal of placing for the first time.
“I was really just hoping to improve this year, but getting first place wasn’t really on my mind,” he said. “Honestly, winning the state championship felt amazing. It was the best feeling I’ve had in the sport of wrestling, up to this point. Hugging my coaches afterward made it feel like everything I’ve put into these last four seasons of wrestling was worth it.”
Luenda-Freeman and fellow seniors and twin brothers, John Bryson and Kaiser Perkins, were joined by freshman Mason Wheeler, as each wrestler represented Owen in the title meet. Bryson, who posted a 46-8 record this season, finished as the state runner-up in the 138-pound class, while Wheeler collected his own silver medal in the 150-pound division.
“Three guys wrestling in finals matches is a program record at Owen, so that was huge for us,” said first-year Warhorse head wrestling coach Rich Caisse. “They wrestled against tough competition all year, because that was the focus when we built our schedule. Their performance in the state tournament was like an exclamation mark on what we’ve been preaching all year, which is that we have the tools and the wrestlers to do things at a big level.”
Luenda-Freeman proved himself in a dramatic comeback victory in the semifinal round, when he was down, 4-0, early in the match Josiah McCowan of North Stanly High School. Near the halfway point, the wrestler employed a risky approach that shifted the trajectory of the contest.
Kaiser Perkins, Joaquin Luenda-Freeman, John Bryson Perkins and Mason Wheeler represented Owen High School, Feb. 21, in the NCHSAA 3A Individual Wrestling State Championship, where Luenda-Freeman earned a gold medal, while Bryson and Wheeler each finished in the runner-up position. Photo by Fred McCormick
“I knew I needed to get some points back, but I couldn’t shoot on him because he had really good balance,” he said. “So, I launched him to his back, kind of out of nothing, because I didn’t really have a throw there. Luckily, it worked.”
The calculated maneuver tied the match, 6-6, heading into the last period.
“We ended up with 6 points out of that, but (McCowan) reversed it, so that evened things up heading into the last couple of minutes,” Caisse said. “Joaquin ended up taking him down, so in the heat of the moment, his instincts were right.”
The wrestler’s success on the mat this season is the result of hard work in the offseason, following a junior campaign in which he did not place in the championship meet, the coach continued.
“He went to two camps, competed in some offseason wrestling and I don’t even think he realized it was like he was putting money in the bank,” Caisse said. “Coming into this season, he was obviously more well-rounded as a wrestler, but at the same time, he thrives when there is a lot of action, the technique goes out the window and it’s a contest of who is more gritty.”
Bryson, who collected his 100th career victory as a junior, became the second wrestler in the history of the Owen program to qualify for the state championship tournament in three consecutive years. His second-place finish represents the best of his Warhorse tenure, which included a fourth-place showing as a sophomore and a fifth-place performance in 2025.
Owen senior John Bryson Perkins works, Feb. 21, to pin a West Lincoln wrestler in the NCHSAA 3A Individual Wrestling State Championship tournament in Greensboro. Photo courtesy of Owen Wrestling
“it’s kind of bittersweet,” said the wrestler, who entered the meet as the top ranked within his weight class. “It doesn’t feel great to end my career with a loss, but I know a second-place finish is a reflection of all my hard work paying off.”
While his brother fell in his quarterfinal match, he was proud to see his teammates represent the program on the podium.
“I really do enjoy watching these guys go out there and compete at a high level,” Kaiser said. “We have this really tight group of core guys, so we’re all invested in each other’s success.”
The sole Warhorse freshman to compete in the championship tournament outperformed his own expectations.
“The whole experience was amazing,” said Wheeler, who has been involved in the sport since the fifth grade. “Once I got into the match, it was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
His nerves eased after he opened the meet with a 10-5 victory over Spencer Moore of Wheatmore High School. He followed that performance by pinning McMichael High School’s Hunter Lewis in the semifinal round.
Wheeler credits his coaches and teammates for his early success on the varsity level.
“They kept pushing me all year, but they also spent a lot of time helping me with moves and making me a better wrestler,” said Wheeler, who lost, 8-6, in the championship match. “Just getting to that point in my first season lets me know I’m on the right track, so I feel like it’s definitely something I can build on in the future.”
While the program will lose four seniors to graduation, the efforts of the Perkins brothers, Luenda-Freeman and fellow upperclassmen have helped establish a winning culture at Owen, according to Caisse.
“I am optimistic about the future,” he said. “These guys this season have really set the example that if you buy in, live right and train right, nothing can hold you back. That’s exactly the message we want to carry into next year.”