This past February, Samantha Spielbauer was chosen to be the American Gold Sports Alliance’s Athlete of the Month. Sam plays varsity basketball, while also competing as a wrestler at Clayton Ridge High School in Guttenberg, Iowa. Even though this is her first year of wrestling, Spielbauer surprised everyone by winning her first-ever state wrestling championship during the third annual Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s girls state tournament. Building upon her successes, Sam competed 2021 High School National Recruiting Showcase and Girls Folkstyle Nationals Tournament on March 27th and 28th.
[Read more…] about AGSA February Athlete of the Month Wins 2021 High School National Girls Folkstyle Nationals TournamentWomen's Sports
Iowa high school wrestling: Meet the 2021 All-Iowa Girls’ Wrestling Team
Cody GoodwinDes Moines Register
The continued growth of girls’ wrestling in Iowa reached new heights this season.
There were 683 girls that wrestled across the state, according to Trackwrestling. At the girls’ state tournament in January, sponsored for the third year by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, 457 girls from more than 100 schools competed.
The numbers are continuing to pop and the overall talent level is rising, too, and both of those facts are represented here, in our 2021 All-Iowa Girls’ Wrestling Team.
In this, we selected Elite members for our girls’ wrestling team, the wrestlers we consider to be the best of the best at the 12 weights contested at the IWCOA girls’ state tournament. We also included 12 additional honorable mention picks.
This year’s Elite Team selections represent nine different schools. There are five seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, and one freshmen. The honorable mention picks include three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen.
As the sport continues to grow and evolve here in Iowa, we feel it is our obligation to grow and evolve with it. Elite team members will be invited to the virtual Des Moines Register’s All-Iowa Sports Awards in Des Moines this June.
The selections were made based on in-season results, Register staff observations, and consultations with high school, college and recruiting contacts. Records listed are from Trackwrestling.
All-Iowa Elite Girls’ Wrestlers
106 pounds: Ella Schmit, jr., Bettendorf
Two-time IWCOA girls’ state champ, three-time finalist. Went 23-7 overall this season, and 5-0 against girls, all pins. Qualified for the IHSAA state wrestling tournament, one of just four girls to ever do so.
113 pounds: Eva Diaz, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock
IWCOA girls’ state champ. Went 24-0 with 21 pins this season. Recorded four first-period pins and a technical fall at the IWCOA girls’ state tournament.
120 pounds: Kiki Connell, sr., Charles City
IWCOA girls’ state champ and a two-time girls’ state medalist. Finished 28-6 overall this season. Outscored her five opponents at the state tournament by a combined 43-8.
126 pounds: Lilly Luft, soph., Charles City
IWCOA girls’ state champ and now a two-time girls’ state medalist. Went 23-1 this season with 15 pins, including three at the state tournament, where she outscored her opponents 43-9 across five matches.
132 pounds: Annika Behrends, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock
IWCOA girls’ state champ, and now a two-time girls’ state champ and three-time finalist. Went 11-0 this season with seven pins. Rallied to win both her semifinals and finals match to win gold at this year’s state tournament.
138 pounds: Abby McIntyre, sr., Glenwood
IWCOA girls’ state champ and now a two-time girls’ state champ. Went 15-1 overall this year with 11 pins, including five at the state tournament, four of which occurred in the first period. Grand View signee.
145 pounds: Naomi Simon, fr., Decorah
IWCOA girls’ state champ. Went 26-1 this year with 23 pins, including 12 in the first period. Recorded five pins at the state tournament, where she also outscored her opponents by a combined 22-0.
152 pounds: Madison Diaz, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock
IWCOA girls’ state champ. Finished the season 21-0 with 16 pins. Recorded four pins and a technical fall en route to first at the girls’ state tournament. Grand View signee.
160 pounds: Samantha Spielbauer, soph., Clayton Ridge
IWCOA girls’ state champ. Finished 13-5 overall with 13 pins, including 11 in the first period and six in under a minute. Became Clayton Ridge’s first state wrestling champ, boy or girl.
170 pounds: Morgan Smith, sr., Denver
IWCOA girls’ state champ. Finished 14-10 with 14 pins, including four at the girls’ state tournament. Beat the fourth-, third-, and second-place finisher en route to a state title.
195 pounds: Rachel Eddy, soph., Independence
IWCOA girls’ state champ, and now a two-time girls’ state finalist. Went 14-0 this season with nine pins. Joins her uncle, Scott, as a state wrestling champ for Independence. (Scott Eddy won an IHSAA Class 2A state title in 1997.)
285 pounds: Millie Peach, sr., Iowa Valley
IWCOA girls’ state champ and finished her career as the first three-time girls’ state champ. Went 23-13 overall this year, but 5-0 with five pins against girls. Went a combined 9-0 at the three girls’ state tournaments with nine pins, including seven in the first period.
Honorable Mention
- Sophie Barnes, soph., Lewis Central
- Abby Boehm, sr., North Fayette Valley
- Grace Gray, jr., Ankeny Centennial
- Emma Grimm, sr., Osage
- Olivia Huckfelt, fr., Spencer
- Keeley Kehrli, soph., East Buchanan
- Jasmine Luedtke, fr., Ottumwa
- Adyson Lundquist, soph., Southwest Valley
- Avery Meier, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock
- Sydney Park, jr., Davenport Assumption
- Bella Porcelli, fr., Southeast Polk
- Alexis Ross, soph., Fort Dodge
Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitterat@codygoodwin.
USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals – Final Results
USA WRESTLING GIRLS FOLKSTYLE NATIONALS
At Coralville, Iowa, March 28
Cover photo by Cam Kramer
16U results
[Read more…] about USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals – Final ResultsCOLLEGIATE RECORD: Tara Davis Sets Outdoor LJ Standard
By Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA
Tara Davis is synonymous with collegiate history now.
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Jim Powers – Coordinator of Athletic Communications
St. Louis – For the second consecutive day, Alyssa Callans tossed a no-hitter to lead the Maryville softball team to a 5-0 win over Wisconsin-Parkside Sunday afternoon at the Maryville Athletic Complex. Callans was perfect on the day in striking out 14 Rangers and not allowing any Parkside base runners to help the Saints win the weekend three-game series.
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By: Arielle Orsuto
Emily Zaler became the first-ever full-time female coach with the Denver Broncos in 2020 when she was promoted from the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
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by: Brandi West
Speedo, the world’s leading swimwear brand, has today announced the signing of British Paralympic swimmer Alice Tai MBE.
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