The Wrestling Wolves took 3rd out of 47 teams at The 2025 Prep Slam tournament in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Prep Slam, which took place Jan. 3-4, 2025, is located at Holy Innocents Episcopal School, one of the most prominent Episcopal schools in the country.

The Wolves considered it a great way to start off the new year, especially heading into the State meets in February.

The wrestlers performed very well throughout this tournament, giving every opponent a tough time. The Wolves had 7 wrestlers who placed and an overall team score of 173 points.

Saint Paul’s sophomore Scott Cascio performed very well, being the second-ever Saint Paul student to win the tournament. This was some of Cascio’s best wrestling throughout the season, and he had a total of 5 matches, scoring 16 points for the team. Cascio’s weight class is 120 pounds, and he is currently ranked third in Louisiana, so it was nice to see him compete well in another state. As a result, many people are excited to see him dominate the competition at the 2025 Louisiana State Tournament.

“It felt pretty great, honestly, you know it really just showed my hard work and dedication to the sport. I really feel like I wrestled great, and I’m just working to get better every day,” Cascio stated after the tournament.

Saint Paul’s pre-freshman Jagger Martinez placed 4th at The Prep Slam and wrestled some tough matches. Martinez’s weight class is 106, and he is also ranked 3rd in Louisiana for that weight class.

Martinez wrestled a total of 8 matches throughout the two days and earned a record of 6-2. Jagger knows what he needs to do to improve. He stated, ”I definitely need to do my weight cut better, have a plan, eat the right foods after weigh-ins…” Overall, Martinez’s great performance shows he has a bright future ahead of him.

At 113 pounds, Saint Paul’s junior Luke Jones placed 6th. Jones wrestled 7 matches, and he went 5-2.

Jones has worked very hard this season, and this tournament was just another way for him to get more time on the mat. Luke did a great job at this tournament, and Saint Paul’s fans are excited to see how Jones will fare at State. “Scott and I have been grinding for the past week, perfecting all the little things; that’s all,” Jones stated.

The next placer for the Wolves was Saint Paul’s junior Liam Ritchie at 126. Ritchie placed third and wrestled very well between the two days. He wrestled four matches in the champions bracket but lost his fourth. After the loss, Ritchie was able to wrestle his way back up and earn 3rd. Ritchie wrestled six matches in total, having a record of 5-1. Ritchie had an impressive performance overall, and he plans to go 132 for the 2025 State Tournament.

Miller Bourgeois, a Saint Paul’s senior, placed 6th wrestling at 150. Miller lost his first match; however, he wrestled very well and had 6 more matches, giving him a record of 5-2. This tournament was very good for Bourgeois because it gave him more mat time before the 2025 State Tournament. Since it is his senior year, Miller wants to go out with a bang and has been preparing nonstop for it. 

At 175, the Wolves have Saint Paul’s junior Caleb Shartle. Shartle wrestled 6 matches with a record of 5-1. Caleb got 5th place and wrestled some very tough matches. Throughout the season, Shartle has been doing very well, being 1st seed for the majority of tournaments this season. Shartle has been on varsity ever since his freshman year.

Our final placer was Saint Paul’s senior Jackson Peak. Peak, a state champion last year, had an excellent tournament and earned 3rd place. Peak had a record of 5-1. This was a great tournament for him to get some extra matches in before looking to repeat at State. Peat is currently ranked 1st in his weight class of 215.

Peak knows what he needs to do to prepare for State. “Coach Ivan and I have been working hard, fixing all the little things we need to, and we have a plan, and we’re working on it. We’re also staying in shape and getting ready to dominate,” Peak stated. Peak plans to wrestle in college.

Overall, the Saint Paul’s Wrestling Wolves had a great experience at The 2025 Prep Slam, as it serves as a precursor to the State tournament in February 2025.