Stags standout becomes first-ever senior champion from Berkeley County
Berkeley High School senior wrestler Landon Jackson became a national champion and all-American with an outstanding performance March 27-29 during the 2026 National High School Coaches Association's Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Jackson took down five opponents from five states to claim a coveted national crown at 220 pounds. Jackson was the No. 8 seed overall in his weight class and defeated wrestlers from Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, California and Maryland to become only the seventh Senior Nationals champion to hail from South Carolina going back to the inception of the event in 1990. He is the first grappler from the Berkeley County School District to win it all at Senior Nationals. The only other NHSCA Nationals champion to come from the school district is Cane Bay High School's J.J. Peace, who won Junior Nationals in 2023.
"He had a really great run of matches," Berkeley coach Thomas Ard said. "Some of my friends who coach in college were comparing him to college wrestlers who are really good, too. They were like he's fast like so and so. You might not believe it until you get out on the mat with him. That's what he uses. He's fast and strong. He wrestles his way and got it done wrestling his way, the goals he set."
In the Senior Nationals final, Jackson held on to edge Evan Gavin of Maryland, 7-5. Jackson's 3-point takedown with 43 seconds left in the third period gave him a 7-3 advantage. The next closest bout along the way was 6-2 in the quarterfinal round versus James Moore of Ohio.
After knocking off Moore, Jackson cruised into the championship match with a 16-9 victory over Kevin Cryer of California. Jackson recorded three takedowns in the third period to pull away from Cryer.
Jackson's first two victories of the weekend came by scores of 12-4 and 14-7. Jackson just missed out on NHSCA all-American honors (top 8) as a sophomore and junior, falling in overtime matches during the blood round.
"I always knew he had it in him," Ard said. "... This year, he said I'm going to win it. He kept me telling me he was going to win it all. I said maybe we should work on being an all-American. I said top 8 is good, but he said no. Right after he won the (high school) state championship, he knew he had bigger goals. He said let's go get that national championship."
The domination in Virginia is a continuation of the work he did on the mat during the South Carolina high school season. This past winter, Jackson ascended to the top of the awards podium in the Class 5A state championships, becoming the first Berkeley Stags wrestler to claim a state crown since 2015. Jackson capped his prep career as a North-South All-Star.
Jackson is a member of Legacy Elite Wrestling Club and plans to wrestle in college. Winning a national championship has helped open up some additional opportunities for Jackson, Ard said.
The mat isn't the only competitive spot Jackson excelled for the Stags. He capped his football career as a two-time all-region selection at defensive end for coach Eric Lodge's football team.
"He approaches everything with a chip on his shoulder," Lodge said. "He works his tail off at practice and in the weight room. He's tremendously strong. He's not the biggest kid but when you're as strong, as quick and as relentless as he is, you're a lot to deal with. He's just a really great competitor."