Area girls shine at IWCOA Girls State Finals

CORALVILLE – The best from the girls side of high school wrestling was on full display at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s Girls State Tournament Friday and Saturday.

The two-day tournament saw 12 champions get crowned, some repeat winners and some first timers. In the field of 683 was seven wrestlers from the News Advertiser area.

Among area competition at the girls state tourney, Southwest Valley’s Ady Lundquist was the most successful, wrestling her way to a final appearance in the 106 bracket.

Lundquist’s tournament was her second, and will likely not be her last. Her first match, against Baxter’s Kailee Conradi, lasted 23 seconds. Her second match, against Chariton Haddon Anderson, lasted 31 seconds. Both ended with Lundquist on top by pin.

Lewis Central’s Ava McNeill was Ludquist’s third opponent, battling in the quarterfinals. Ady didn’t allow a point, winning a 12-0 major decision.

In the semifinal against Jalynn Goodale of Osage, Lundquist had some push back from an opponent for the first time all tournament, but a 12-7 decision sent Lundquist to the 106 final to face Bettendorf’s Ella Schmit.

USA Wrestling’s No. 21-ranked wrestler at 106 in Schmit dominated, as she did all tournament. She pinned Lundquist in 1:49, which was Schmit’s longest match of the night, all ending by pin. It’s also Schmit’s second straight title.

Last season, Lundquist placed fifth in her freshman season.

“Second as a sophomore. It’s exciting to me because there are more girls in junior high coming up that want to wrestle and get involved,” Southwest Valley head coach Cody Konecne said on Lundquist. “Just build the numbers and hopefully some time they’ll sanction it and give us a little freedom to do other things.”

Lundquist was not alone at state, being accompanied by fellow Timberwolf Camryn Johnston in the 113 field.

Johnston fell in her opening match, but bounced back with a pin in 25 seconds over Bedford/Lenox’s Jaycee Fitzgerald, another area girl competing at the tournament.

Johnston’s tourney came to a close in the third round of consolation against Iowa City, West’s Ava Davis, who pinned her in 1:27.

Bedford/Lenox’s Fitzgerald won her opening match against Ottumwa’s Hannah Nguyen, pinning her in 3:12. Fitgerald’s day came to an end with back-to-back losses, falling by pin to Radaisyia Thomas of Algona and Johnston.

Despite not having the tournament turn out the way she wanted, it was all love and appreciation from Fitzgerald after the tournament concluded.

“When I was younger I always loved wrestling with my brothers, but never took the courage to actually do it,” said Fitzgerald on Facebook, thanking her family in a post. “... I brought up the courage to join the wrestling team and I’ve never loved a sport more than i do wrestling. Win or lose, at the end of the day I am a wrestler and i’m beyond proud of myself for it. Girls state was such an amazing experience. I got my first win and i can’t wait to go back next year.”

Creston/O-M’s Savannah Sistad was the lone girl to be sent to state from the Panthers. Her outing saw her win three matches, but come up short of a placing in the 195 division.

Sistad pinned Karen Meyer of Ridge View in 1:52 before falling in a 1-0 decision against Rachel Eddy of Independence.

The Panther product bounced back, winning back-to-back matches by pin. Emmalee Sharar from Hudson and Madison Hinrichs of Waverly-Shell Rock fell victim to Sistad’s pin at 2:48 and 1:56, respectively.

Bella Canada of AHSTW ended Sistad’s consolation run with a fall in 2:33.

“We sent Savannah up there. She’s our first ever representative at girls state,” said Downing. “It was a really good experience and we’ve got a few in our junior high program. Hopefully it’s an event we’re at every year.

“She lost to the girl that finished first (Eddy) and fourth (Canada). Quality losses. She was right there in close losses,” added Downing. “Unfortunately for her is she doesn’t have any other girls in room. I think that’s going to change in the future.”

Nodaway Valley’s trio of wrestlers did not place. Erin Rhoads (106), Rose Lonsdale (138) and Grace Britten (170) each fell into consolation.

Lonsdale was the lone Wolverine to pick up a win, winning her first round match against Perry’s Martha Turrado. Lonsdale won in a 9-5 decision that included four takedowns.

Rhoads and Britten finished the tournament 0-for-2. Lonsdale’s night ended in the second round of consolation on the losing end of a fall from Mid-Prairie’s Caitlyn Busch.

A prosperous future

One of the biggest storylines for girls wrestling across the state of Iowa is participation, and how to appeal the sport to high school girls.

The numbers have shot up as participation is seen in schools across the state. Five years ago, the tournament had 67 wrestlers, this past weekend, there was 683.

With basketball, bowling and cheerleading as other avenues of participation within schools, making wrestling an appealing activity for girls isn’t always on the forefront of athletic directors minds when it comes to trying to gain p

articipation numbers.

But, as we go through 2021, the movement of girls wrestling has taken off – and will only continue to grow.

For the 2021 meet, hosted for the third time by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, the talent of girls wrestling in Iowa was on display on the highest stage the high school level has to offer. With state titles on the line, 683 wrestlers laced up and hit the mats for competition.

The 683 may be small in comparison to what is seen at the boys tournaments, which is three classes and 14 weight classes.

In 2020 there was 350 girls wrestling. A year prior to that? 87.

With evident signs of growing by the numbers, the tournament is in good hands for a prosperous future.

Seven girls who wrestled in the tournament are nationally ranked. Of the 48 wrestlers who reached the semifinals, 32 schools were represented (17 different schools were in the finals). Among those 48 were 15 seniors, some of which are wrestling collegiately, 14 juniors, 12 sophomores and seven freshmen.

The number for area girls has risen up to seven as well (two from Osceola Sentinel Tribune schools), up from one last season – who was Lundquist.

Creston/O-M’s Downing weighed in on the tournament Saturday, saying it’s helping grow the sport for a group of tough girls who sometimes have to battle against boys in the weight room.

“I think it’s really help grow the sport, which is great. There’s som

e really tough girls when you watch. They really get after it,” said Downing.

Eight of the 12 state champs this week were first-time title-winners. Seven of the 12 will be back next season, and so will 71 of the 96 total medalists.

With the numbers trending upwards and the talent only getting better as they stick with their programs longer, the tournament will soon get the recognition it deserves by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union or the Iowa High School Athletic Union. Due to “teams” not being present at 15% of IGHSAU member institutions, the union does not recognize the sport.

It would be the first step in helping sanction the sport for the state. Once either union commits on sanctioning the sport, the sky is the limit for girls wrestling.

For more on helping girls high school wrestling become sanctioned, you can visit femaleelitewrestling.org/sacntionia.