The high school girls wrestling season is rolling along as January gives way February. 

The second leg for the Trinity Award concluded, another state earned the SANCTIONED stamp, and four states crowned individual state champions with three more on the way.

Stars Galore In Iowa 

Iowa is staging its second Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state championship Thursday and Friday in Coralville, and the brackets are out. Spread across the 14 weight classes are 23 nationally-ranked wrestlers. Of last year’s 13 champions, 10 are returning and nine are #1 seeds. 

At 125, two returning champions could collide in the finals. Fargo champion Molly Allen bumps up from 115 to take the #1 seed while Jillian Worthen, who won it last year at 105, is the #2 seed. Both are undefeated this season.

Other returning champions include Katie Biscolglia (ranked #16 nationally at 100), Jasmine Luedtke, Abigail Meyrer, Maeley Elsbury (#25 at 140), Kiara Djoumessi (#9 at 140), Skylar Slade (#8 at 155), and Naomi Simon (#3 at 170). Biscoglia, Luedtke, Slade, and Simon are also all undefeated. 

Montana And Utah On Deck 

Montana is holding its state tournament on Feb. 9. This weekend, girls will be trying to qualify for the state tournament across six different divisions. As of Jan. 29, seven of last year’s champions are ranked #1 by Montana Girls High School Wrestling Rankings — Angelina Escarcega, Kaura Coles (#3 at 115), Gretchen Donally (#2 at 145), Kaitlyn Thorn, Trinity Barrus, KyLee Lindsley, and Tirza TwoTeeth (#8 at 235). 

Also on Feb. 9, Utah will be holding its 1A and 2A state tournament at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield. Class 4A, 5A, and 6A will wrestle their state championship on Valentine’s Day at Utah Valley University.

Utah currently has 10 nationally ranked athletes who could make some noise if they are at the state championships. The Beehive State has three athletes ranked in the top five — Showcase champion Tilisa Matakaiongo (#4 at 190), Fargo champion Keilikki Nau Rarick (#3 at 235), and Fargo runner-up Cheyenne Ruiz (#4 at 235). The two Fargo finalists, who competed at different weight classes last summer, recently faced off at Utah’s All-Star dual, where Rarick pinned Ruiz. 

State Recaps

Louisiana, New York, Alabama and the District of Columbia held championship events during the past two weeks. 

In Louisiana, Baton Rouge High School won the LHSCA Girls State Championship team title after taking second last year. The team champs had three individual champions — freshman Allison Flores Hernandez (215) and returning champions Lea Leduff (150) and Olivia Maxie (165). Other repeat champions included Chevy Coleman (106) from Sam Houston High School and Toni Jarreau (145) from Walker High School. Ten different high schools had individual champions. 

New York hosted its second girls championship also on Jan. 26. Most of the champions are familiar with being on the podium. Six of the 13 have placed at national events. No school crowned more than one champion, but Section 2 claimed the most titles — Cailan Drake from Shaker (114), Ragen Retell from Tamarac (126, #11 at 130), Mia Collins from Ballston Spa (132, #8 at 135), Elle Hutton from Columbia (185). Retell and Collins are Fargo All-Americans. 

Two returning champions claimed another title — Gabriella Barone from Niagara Wheatfield (100) and Yianna Foufas from Mepham (120). 

Other champions you might recognize are Gail Sullivan at 94, a 15U Pan-Am Champion; Julianna Hernandez at 107, 6th-8th Preseason National champion; Zoe Griffith at 138 (#15 at 135), Fargo Champion; and Rebecca Brennan at 145 (#28 at 140) and Brynn Shepardson at 152 (#22 at 170), Fargo All-Americans. 

Peyton Mullin from Dundee (235) also earned a state title. 

This past season, New York girls competed under modified folkstyle rules where all the periods start in neutral and with every stop in action. Next season, NYPHSAA girls will compete under freestyle rules, becoming the first state to do so. 

A record 63 teams competed Jan. 17-19 when Alabama held its championship finals. Daphne High School, honorably mentioned in the latest national team rankings, won the tournament with 277 points, thanks to five finalists and three champions. This is the Trojans’ third title in the last four years.   

Alabama crowned two four-timers. Kaylse Hill from Daphne picked up four first-period falls and then a 6-1 decision in the finals at 132. At 120, Fargo All-American Evelyn Holmes-Smith (#19 at 125 ) from Enterprise, pinned her way to a state title.  Both juniors went undefeated this season.  

Two other returning champions won their respective weights. At 100, freshman Alanah Girard (Daphne) also pinned her way through the tournament, including three in less than 30 seconds, earning herself Most Outstanding Wrestling. From Enterprise, Mackenzie Schultz at 152 also stuck all four of her opponents.

On Jan. 13, the second annual DCSSA Girls Invitational was underway. The championship was open to D.C., Maryland, and Virginia athletes who may or may not have wrestling offered at their school. 

The 12 champions were Kelani Ramos (100), Ezra Lewis (107), 2023 Maryland state placers London Harps (114) and McKinley Jovanovic (120), Joni Chuka (126), Zoe Lewis (132), Aubry Spadoni (138), Hana Coutts (145), Cameron Millsapps (152), Kaaliyah Hariston (165), Amirah Abegesah (185), and Dominique Patrick (235). 

Louisiana Sanctioned

Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction high school girls wrestling. 

On Jan. 25, LHSAA voted in a 96-1 decision to sanction the sport the day before the Louisiana High School Coaches Association hosted its second and final unofficial girls state championship in Baton Rouge. Louisiana will start sanctioning events this upcoming 2024-2025 season. 

Tulsa Nationals 

Two of the three nationally-ranked athletes who competed at Tulsa Nationals in Oklahoma earned 15U titles on January 21. At 98 pounds, #14 (at 100), Lyric Hetzer from Ohio earned three falls and a decision enroute to the title including a semifinals win over Kickoff Classic champion Justice Gutierrez. Gutierrez defeated #17 (at 100) Violet Diaz in the opening round, 4-2. At 106, #8 (at 100) Florida’s Abigail Gonzalez breezed her way through her bracket before winning a close 4-3 battle against 6-8th grade Preseason Nationals runner-up Tatianna Castillo in the final bout. 

All the champions represented different clubs. Oklahoma had the most champions with three —  Gage Vaughn (135), Abagail Lacy (175), and Paige Wainscott (HWT). Lacy won the 6-8th grade crown at Preseason Nationals earlier this season. 

California had the second most with two – Aubree Storm Gutierrez (115) and Gia Coons (150)

None of the champions from this season’s Kickoff Classic won Tulsa Nationals, ending any chance for a Trinity Award for the 15U division this year. Part three of the WOW Championships will be April 4-7 at Reno Worlds in Nevada. 

ICYMI: High School Freshman Jaclyn Bouzakis Won Warrior Open Over Two College #1s

Beyond the high school freshman rockstars, four other high schoolers earned their spot on the podium.

Madison Nieuwenhuis (101) was fourth while Morgan Johnson (116), Alexis Lazar (123), and Valerie Hamilton (143) all placed sixth.