Ellia Poalillo, the country’s top-ranked 152-pound girls high school wrestler and three-time New Jersey state champion, had her 2026 state title vacated due to an “eligibility issue,” her father Joe told NJ.com.
The family reportedly learned in the spring that her championship had been vacated following the High Point star’s win over Pennsauken’s Fatina Lozier in March.
“It wasn’t (her) fault. It’s more of something we could have prevented,” Joe told NJ.com. “It was something we tried to remedy but we couldn’t.”
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) confirmed to NJ.com that a state title had been vacated, but did not state the specific wrestler nor the reason for doing so.
The organization’s website, though, now has an asterisk in the box for its 152-pound champion from 2026 with the caption: “State title revoked due to a violation of NJSIAA rules.”
High Point superintendent Scott D. Ripley said the school is “aware” of the NJSIAA’s statement but told NJ.com it would be “inappropriate” to comment on the matter.
“The NJSIAA can confirm that a girls wrestler violated the Association’s rules during the 2025-2026 wrestling season,” NJSIAA spokesman Mike Cherenson wrote to NJ.com. “In accordance with NJSIAA rules and procedures, the athlete’s state wrestling title for 2025-2026 will be vacated. NJSIAA has previously notified both the student-athlete and member school of the violation and related consequence.”
Losing the championship marks a tough end to an otherwise spectacular prep career for Ellia, who announced after the match that she would not compete in high school wrestling this upcoming season.
The Iowa State commit said after her win — which gave her a perfect 36-0 season, per Sports Illustrated — she planned to focus on freestyle wrestling and preparing for college.
Ellia won the 138- and 152-pound titles in her freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, and finished her prep career with a 100-3 record, per NJ.com.
“The decision is the decision,” Joe said to NJ.com. “It was something we were going to try and fight but there was no way to fight it. We’ve moved on.
“There are things we can control and things that are out of our control. We don’t set the rules.”
She has since withdrawn from High Point and will now compete as a homeschooled student, according to her father.
Ellia reportedly is training in Arizona and will head to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado in the fall.
“She wasn’t coming back no matter what,” Joe told NJ.com. “It was always the plan for her to go to the Olympic Training Center or to a prep school. But prep schools don’t wrestle a normal schedule.”
