The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Emma Albanese arrived at Southeast Community College with an impressive wrestling resume. She won four Nevada state titles, earned All-America honors multiple times in Fargo and was a champion at the Girls National High School Recruiting Showcase.

The Las Vegas native continued to add to her growing list of achievements in her first year of college wrestling, culminating with the national championship, which she won at 117 pounds.

On Thursday, Albanese was named The Open Mat's NJCAA Women's Freshman of the Year.

Albanese started the season ranked No. 8 at 117 pounds by The Open Mat but climbed the rankings quickly. In her first college tournament of the season, Albanese defeated returning national champion Ariah Mervilus of Indian Hills by technical fall on her way to placing Luther Hill/Simpson College Open. That performance moved her to No. 1 at 117 pounds.

A week later, Albanese claimed a tournament title at the Waldorf University Open, winning by technical fall in the finals over Iowa Western's Hailey Medina. She defeated Mervilus a second time, by pin, in a dual meet on Nov. 19. In December, Albanese finished runner-up at the Conner/Oppenheim Open.

She entered the 2026 NJCAA Women's Wrestling Invitational as the No. 1 seed at 117 pounds. Albanese was unscored upon in her first four matches in Council Bluffs, Iowa, getting four 10-0 technical falls to reach the finals. In the championship match, Albanese earned her fifth technical fall in five matches, winning 13-2 in just over a minute against Carl Albert State's Laila Mirza. She outscored her five opponents 53-2.