For the first time in nearly four decades, three four-time state champions were crowned in a single year
Only 14 wrestlers in North Carolina history had achieved it.
Never — in nearly four decades — had three done it in the same year.
Until February 22, 2026.
On that day, three wrestlers — Cael Dunn, Lorenzo Alston, and Bentley Sly — stepped onto the mat carrying the weight of history.
Cael Dunn, Lorenzo Alston, and Bentley Sly — February 22, 2026
Four years. Four state titles. Fourteen names on a list that spans from 1987 to 2024.
By the end of the night, that list had grown to seventeen.
For the first time in North Carolina wrestling history, three four-time state champions were crowned in a single year.
The Rarity of Greatness
Four state championships is not a goal. It is an improbability.
Consider what it requires:
- Four consecutive years of peak performance
- Zero seasons derailed by injury, illness, or circumstance
- Four separate weight classes as your body changes
- Four different brackets, each with its own elite competition
- The mental fortitude to win when the pressure is highest
- The ability to withstand the target on your back after year one, two, and three
Most wrestlers who win one state title never win another.
Most wrestlers who win two never make it to three.
And those who reach three? They carry the burden of history into their senior year — knowing that one loss, one mistake, one off day separates them from immortality or incompletion.
Since 1987, only 14 wrestlers navigated that path successfully.
In 2026, three did it in the same year.
Cael Dunn: The Relentless Force
School: Avery County / South Davidson
College: Campbell University
Career Record: 217-1
State Titles: 2023 (1A 170), 2024 (1A 170), 2025 (1A 190), 2026 (1A/2A 215)
The Path
Cael Dunn's 2026 state tournament wasn't just dominant — it was historic.
Competing in the smallest division (1A/2A), Cael delivered the most dominant performance of the entire state championship.
Total match time: 1 minute, 44 seconds.
Three matches. Three pins. The most pins in the least amount of time of any wrestler across all seven divisions at the 2026 state tournament.
His semifinal match against Hayden Virtanen lasted 18 seconds — the third-fastest pin of the entire championship.
The Bracket:
- Quarterfinals: Fall 1:01 vs Ayden Guessford
- Semifinals: Fall 0:18 vs Hayden Virtanen (3rd fastest pin of the entire tournament)
- Finals: Fall 0:25 vs Nick Wade
That's not wrestling. That's inevitability.
The Consistency
Over four years, Cael compiled a 217-1 record.
One loss. In four years. Across 218 matches.
His season-by-season progression:
- Freshman (2022-23): 56-1
- Sophomore (2023-24): 60-0
- Junior (2024-25): 49-0
- Senior (2025-26): 52-0
Three consecutive undefeated seasons. Four state titles. No wrestler in his path stood a chance.
The National Stage
While state dominance tells part of the story, Cael proved himself nationally:
NHSCA Nationals:
- 2024: 6th place (4-3) as a sophomore
- 2025: 3-2 as a junior
Super 32:
- 2025: Made the blood round, defeated a nationally-ranked opponent (2-2)
- 2024: 3-2
Cael didn't just dominate North Carolina. He competed — and won — against the nation's best.
The Legacy
A 217-1 career. Three undefeated seasons. Four state titles. Campbell University's newest commit.
Cael Dunn entered the 2026 state tournament as one of the most dominant wrestlers in North Carolina history. He left as an immortal.
Lorenzo Alston: The Perfectionist
School: Uwharrie Charter
College: NC State University (committed and signed)
Career Record: 202-2
National Rankings: Frequently ranked top 10 on FloWrestling and MatScout
State Titles: 2023 (1A 144), 2024 (1A 145), 2025 (1A 157), 2026 (4A 175)
The Path
Lorenzo Alston's senior year was different.
After three state titles at 1A, the new seven-division system placed Uwharrie Charter in 4A — jumping three classifications. The change wasn't Lorenzo's choice. It was a consequence of the structural shift in North Carolina wrestling.
And he went undefeated.
Season Record: 48-0
His 2026 state tournament path:
The Bracket:
- Quarterfinals: Fall 0:58 vs Aiden Carter
- Semifinals: TF-1.5 3:54 (21-5) vs Ian Sunderland
- Finals: Dec 8-1 vs #25 Jacob Reigel (Lynchburg commit)
The finals match against Jacob Reigel (49-1, ranked #25 in the Class of 2026) was controlled from start to finish. Lorenzo was never at risk, winning decisively 8-1 against a formidable competitor headed to Lynchburg University.
He was also named 2026 4A Most Outstanding Wrestler.
The Consistency
Lorenzo's career record tells the story of sustained excellence: 202-2.
But the details reveal something even more remarkable:
Last three seasons:
- 2023-24: 48-0
- 2024-25: 43-0
- 2025-26: 48-0
139 consecutive wins. Zero losses over three full years.
His only two career losses? Both came during his freshman season.
The National Dominance
Lorenzo Alston is one of the most decorated national competitors in North Carolina history.
National Rankings:
- Featured on FloWrestling and MatScout rankings for over a year
- Frequently ranked in the national top 10
NHSCA Nationals:
- 2023 (Freshman): 2nd place (4-1)
- 2024 (Sophomore): 4th place (6-2)
- 2025 (Junior): 2nd place (7-1)
Two runner-up finishes. One 4th place. Never outside the top four.
NC United National Team:
- 2025 NHSCA Duals: 6-0 (undefeated)
Uwharrie Charter NHSCA Dual Team Championship:
Competed on Uwharrie Charter's NHSCA Dual Team Championship team.
Super 32:
- 2025: 5-2
- 2024: 2-2
- 2023: 1-2
Lorenzo competed against — and defeated — nationally-ranked wrestlers year after year.
The Legacy
A 202-2 career. Three consecutive undefeated seasons. Four state titles across two classifications. Two NHSCA runner-up finishes. NHSCA Dual Team Champion with Uwharrie Charter. Nationally ranked top 10 on FloWrestling and MatScout for over a year. NC State University signee.
Lorenzo Alston proved that greatness isn't about school size or enrollment. It's about work ethic, coaching, and competitive fire.
Uwharrie Charter is a small school. But Lorenzo's legacy is enormous.
Bentley Sly: The National Contender
School: Stuart Cramer
College: Appalachian State University
Career Record: 207-6
State Titles: 2023 (3A 120), 2024 (3A 132), 2025 (3A 144), 2026 (4A 150)
The Path
Bentley Sly's senior year was a statement.
After three state titles at 3A, he moved up to 4A and went 50-2. His only two losses? Both at Iron Man — one of the toughest tournaments in the nation.
He didn't lose a single match in North Carolina all season.
His 2026 state tournament path was clinical:
The Bracket:
- Quarterfinals: TF-1.5 2:24 (18-0) vs Ric Riccardella
- Semifinals: Fall 1:29 vs Matthew Coats
- Finals: Fall 1:23 vs Tucker Massie
Three matches. Two pins and a tech fall. Total dominance.
The Consistency
Bentley's career record of 207-6 shows sustained excellence across four years:
Season-by-season:
- Freshman (2022-23): 52-3
- Sophomore (2023-24): 50-1
- Junior (2024-25): 55-0
- Senior (2025-26): 50-2
One undefeated season. Four state titles. Six total losses in 213 matches.
The National Excellence
Bentley Sly is not just a North Carolina champion. He is a nationally-ranked elite wrestler.
Super 32:
- 2025: 4th place All-American (8-2)
- 2024: 5-2
- 2023: 5-2
- 2022: 1-2
A Super 32 All-American. The toughest tournament in the country.
NHSCA Nationals:
- 2025 (Junior): 3rd place All-American (7-1)
- 2024 (Sophomore): 6th place All-American (4-3)
- 2023 (Freshman): 0-2
Two NHSCA All-American finishes. A 3rd-place medal as a junior.
NC United National Team:
- 2024: Inaugural Ultimate Club Duals team (6-1)
- 2025: NHSCA Duals team that made Round of 16 (5-1) — broke all records for an all-NC team
- 2025: UCD team (9-0)
Bentley wrestled on every NC United national team — helping establish North Carolina as a legitimate national wrestling program.
Other National Highlights:
- 4th place at Iron Man — one of the nation's premier tournaments
- 2nd place at App State Open (defeated D1 opponents on his way to the finals)
- Nationally ranked top 10 for over a year
Bentley Sly is considered one of the best wrestlers to ever come out of North Carolina.
The Legacy
A 207-6 career. Super 32 All-American. Two-time NHSCA All-American. 4th at Iron Man. Nationally ranked top 10. Appalachian State commit.
Bentley Sly didn't just dominate North Carolina. He competed — and excelled — against the best in the country.
The Immortals: All 17 Four-Time State Champions
Before 2026 (14 Total)
- Mike Kendall (Albemarle, 1987-1991) — 103-112-119-130
- John Mark Bentley (Avery, 1993-1997) — 119-125-135-140
- Drew Forshey (St. Stephens, 1999-2003) — 103-112-119-125
- Dusty McKinney (East Gaston, 2000-2004) — 103-112-119-125
- Chris Bullins (McMichael, 2003-2007) — 160-160-170-160
- Justin Sparrow (East Gaston, 2003-2007) — 119-140-145-160
- Corey Mock (Chapel Hill, 2005-2009) — 103-112-125-135
- Jacob Creed (Ragsdale, 2005-2009) — 103-119-130-135
- Landon Foor (Fred T. Foard, 2017-2021) — 170-182-182-182
- Levi Andrews (Avery, 2018-2022) — 220-220-285-285
- Kyle Montaperto (CATA, 2018-2022) — 106-120-120-126
- Jeremiah Price (Surry Central, 2019-2023) — 145-145-152-152
- Kage Williams (Robbinsville, 2020-2024) — 182-195-182-190
- Cam Stinson (Mallard Creek, 2020-2024) — 106-113-120-126
2026 — Three Join the Immortals
- Bentley Sly (Stuart Cramer, 2022-2026) — 120-132-144-150 (3A → 4A senior year) — 207-6 career
- Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie Charter, 2022-2026) — 144-145-157-175 (1A → 4A after 7-division system) — 202-2 career
- Cael Dunn (Avery/South Davidson, 2022-2026) — 170-170-190-215 (1A/2A - smallest division) — 217-1 career
Combined 2026 four-time champion career record: 626-9
What It Means
Three wrestlers. One historic night. A first in North Carolina wrestling history.
For nearly four decades, only 14 wrestlers had achieved four state championships in North Carolina.
Never had three done it in the same year.
In 2026, on February 22nd, history was made.
Cael Dunn dominated the smallest division (1A/2A) with relentless force — the most dominant state tournament performance of the entire championship.
Lorenzo Alston proved that greatness transcends school size — nationally ranked for over a year, he went undefeated after the seven-division system moved him from 1A to 4A.
Bentley Sly competed on the national stage and won at 4A — establishing himself as one of the best to ever come out of North Carolina.
They didn't just win four state titles. They rewrote the standard for excellence.
The Future
Cael is headed to Campbell University. Lorenzo is committed and signed to NC State University. Bentley is headed to Appalachian State University.
But their high school careers are complete.
217-1. 202-2. 207-6.
626 wins. 9 losses. 12 state titles.
They entered the 2026 state tournament as three of the most dominant wrestlers in North Carolina history.
They left as immortals.
Congratulations to Cael Dunn, Lorenzo Alston, and Bentley Sly — North Carolina's 2026 Four-Time State Champions.
Part 3 of 3 in the NC Wrestling State Championship Series