Virginia Beach, VA – Santa Ana’s Marley Nelson (126 lbs) put on a clinical display at the 37th Annual High School Nationals, dismantling the field to secure her spot at the top of the podium. Nelson won all six of her bouts via bonus points, capping off the tournament with an 11-2 dominant decision over 3x Arkansas State Champion Raylee Hunter.
The “Saint” Legacy
Nelson enters an elite circle at Santa Ana High School, becoming only the third wrestler in school history to claim a national title:
Tony Perez (1998) – 103 lbs
Jose Leon (1999) – 112 lbs
Marley Nelson (2026) – 126 lbs (First Female Champion)
Quick Analysis
The Bonus Point Machine: Marley Nelson’s 100% bonus-point rate through six matches is a staggering statistic at this level of competition. Her 11-2 finals victory highlighted a pace that state champions from other regions simply couldn’t match.
Silver Streak: California was agonizingly close to four titles, with Pia Hill (100 lbs), Stefany Caballero (185 lbs), and Marley Smith (235 lbs) all finishing as National Runners-up.
Santa Ana Double: Santa Ana High solidified itself as a national powerhouse this weekend, placing two wrestlers on the 126 lbs podium with Nelson (1st) and Tiffany Nguyen (8th).
Folsom Fire: Folsom High also showcased elite depth, placing two All-Americans in Pia Hill (2nd) and Annika Scott (7th).
2026 NHSCA All-American Roll Call
126 lbs: Marley Nelson (Santa Ana) – National Champion
100 lbs: Pia Hill (Folsom) – Runner-up
185 lbs: Stefany Caballero (Orange) – Runner-up
235 lbs: Marley Smith (Lassen) – Runner-up
235 lbs: Avyon Bonner (Red Bluff) – 3rd Place
165 lbs: Areli Rodriguez (Alisal) – 4th Place
185 lbs: Selieni Paseka (LB Poly) – 5th Place
100 lbs: Kylie-Ann Thach (Eleanor Roosevelt) – 7th Place
120 lbs: Annika Scott (Folsom) – 7th Place
126 lbs: Isabella Sermana (Cerritos) – 7th Place
126 lbs: Tiffany Nguyen (Santa Ana) – 8th Place

Photo Credit: NHSCA Website