Jackson Completes Historic Double, Downs Morris Hills 47-15 in NJSIAA Girls Wrestling Team Final

Piscataway, N.J. — Less than a week after crowning five medalists at the individual state championships in Atlantic City, Jackson Township showed why depth still matters most, rolling past Morris Hills 47-15 to capture the NJSIAA Girls Wrestling Team Championship at Rutgers Athletic Center on February 22, 2026.

The Jaguars’ dominance was on display from the opening whistle, but the bout that best illustrated their superiority came at 120 pounds, where senior Marlowe Donato—fresh off a third-place finish at Boardwalk Hall—methodically dismantled Sophia Salazar 9-0 for a major decision that widened Jackson’s already comfortable margin.

“We don’t need superstars; we need six minutes of effort across fourteen weight classes,” veteran head coach Joe Lemke told reporters afterward, echoing the philosophy that carried Jackson to a flawless 19-0 dual-meet record this winter. “Tonight was another example of our girls buying in, executing technique, and trusting the training.”

Donato’s victory capped a remarkable two-week stretch for the senior, who reached the individual semifinals last weekend before battling back through the consolation bracket to secure bronze. Her major over Salazar provided four critical team points and set the tone for a lineup that surrendered only three bouts all evening.

Jackson’s path to the inaugural team title was paved during the individual tournament, when Donato (114), Briana Dugo (126), Ava Bonilla (100), Madison Reach (107) and Victoria Tandari (132) combined for 79 points to edge Central Regional 72 and claim the state’s championship banner. By adding the dual-meet crown seven days later, the program became the first in New Jersey history to sweep both major postseason prizes in the same season.

“We heard all year that we didn’t have a state champ, so we couldn’t win anything meaningful,” Donato said while clutching her latest medal. “But wrestling is a team sport, and every point counts—tonight we made that point loud and clear.”

The Jaguars will celebrate the historic double this week before shifting focus to sustaining a run that, according to Lemke, shows no signs of slowing.

“We had freshmen and sophomores in the lineup tonight who will only get better,” he noted. “If they keep buying in the way this senior class has, Jackson will be in the conversation for a long time.”