Taking a Quick Look at Class 2A Regional Wrestling Meets
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The postseason for girls wrestling is here and this season it will look a little different.
For the first time there are two classes for girls wrestling which begins postseason competition with regional meets in both classes on Friday.
Eight regionals will be held in both Class 2A and 1A on Friday with the top two qualifier at each weight advancing to the state tournament.
The state tournament is scheduled for February 6 and 7 at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Before the action gets rolling on Friday Your Prep Sports takes a quick look at the Class 2A regional meets featuring area teams.
City High Regional
When: Friday, 5 p.m.
Where: City High
Teams: City High; Bettendorf; Burlington; Davenport Schools; Fort Madison; Marion; North Scott; Pleasant Valley
What to watch: City High qualified three wrestlers for the inaugural IGHSAU state tournament two seasons ago and had a pair of qualifiers last season.
Both of City High’s qualifiers from last season are seeking return trips to state.
Junior 170-pounder Molly Carlson (26-7) is already a two-time state qualifier and juniors sophomore 120-pounder Eliza Mitchell (22-10) as returning qualifiers.
Freshman Stella Rait (21-14) could push for a top-two spot at 110-pounds and joins Martha Willard (15-7), Vivienne Heller (17-14), Nina Peterson, Izzy Brown (13-7) and Shaona Emmanuel (29-5) as Little Hawks all chasing their first trip to state.
Who to watch: City High junior Shaona Emmanuel narrowly missed a spot at state last season and enters the postseason not only seeking a trip to state but has her sights set on earning hardware in Coralville next month.
Emmanuel (29-5) ranked third at 155 pounds and is coming off an impressive performance at the MVC tournament last week in which she pinned her way to a second consecutive MVC title.
Weight class to watch: There may not be a more challenging bracket at a 2A regional meet on Friday than the 115-pound bracket at City High.
Pleasant Valley junior Abigail Meyrer is top-ranked and unbeaten at 39-0 and is already a two-time state medalist and won the 120-pound title as a freshman in 2023.
Meyrer headlines a list of four ranked wrestlers at 115 pounds a list that includes third-ranked Taylor Strief of Bettendorf, sixth-ranked Hannah Park of Davenport and City High sophomore Martha Willard who is ranked No. 11.
Ranked wrestlers
105: No. 3 Jacey Mason, Sr., Davenport
110: No. 5 Olivia Hernandez, Soph., Bettendorf
110: No. 7 Natalie Hedlund, Jr., Marion
115: No. 1 Abigail Meyrer, Jr., Pleasant Valley
115: No. 3 Taylor Strief, Jr., Bettendorf
115: No. 6 Hannah Park, Sr., Davenport
115: No. 11 Martha Willard, Soph., City High
120: No. 3 Nesa Selmani, Jr., Bettendorf
120: No. 10 Cadence Pastor, Soph. Marion
125: No. 6 Josie Logan, Soph., Marion
130: No. 5 Isabella Giza, Sr., Bettendorf
130: No. 6 Mara Smith, Jr., Fort Madison
140: No. 10 Kat Diprima, Soph., Fort Madison
155: No. 3 Shaona Emmanuel, Jr., City High
190: No. 3 Kiara Rodriguez, Sr., Burlington
235: No. 3 Sage Dzeladini, Soph., North Scott
235: No. 6 Alannah Peterson, Sr., Burlington
South Tama Regional
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Where: South Tama High School
Teams: West High, Carlisle; Indianola; Newton; Ottumwa; Pella; South Tama; Southeast Polk
What to watch: West High had one state qualifier two years ago and pushed that number to three last season.
The Trojans will be seeking to keep its qualifying string going on Friday at one of the most challenging regional final fields from top to bottom.
Senior 120-pounder Trinity Myers (26-12) was a state qualifier last season and headlines the list of Trojans seeking to secure a spot at the state meet.
Keep an eye on junior 140-pounder Sylvia Broffitt (21-20) who placed seventh at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet last Saturday.
Who to watch: Myers (26-12) was a state qualifier last season going 1-2 in her state meet debut.
Look for a strong performance from Myers on Friday as she attempts to secure a second consecutive trip to state.
Seventh-ranked Myers is the lone ranked wrestler in the 120-pound bracket and is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet last week.
Weight class to watch: One of the better individual matchups of the 2A regionals could materialize at 170 pounds in South Tama.
Top-ranked Autumn Elsbury (39-0) of South Tama and second-ranked Jazelle Smith (25-2) of Indianola appear poised for a one versus two finals showdown.
Elsbury is a two-time medalist that was runner-up at 170 pounds last season and won the opening regular season meeting with Smith by fall on December 7.
Ranked wrestlers
100: No. 1. Siera Becker, Soph., Indianola
105: No. 5 Kylee Adams, Soph., Newton
105: No. 6 Nora Ohnemus, Fr., Indianola
105: No. 7 Alyssa Wheeler, Fr., Carlisle
110: No. 9 London Vermillion, Fr., Southeast Polk
110: No. 10 Jordin Mayson, Fr., Ottumwa
115: No. 5 Jackee Rodriguez-Acosta, Jr., Southeast Polk
115: No. 12 Ava Hendricks, Soph., South Tama
120: No. 7 Trinity Myers, Sr., West High
125: No. 5 Addie Nelson, Jr., Southeast Polk
130: No. 7 Arabella Varvel, Jr., Southeast Polk
145: No. 2 Skylar Slade, Jr., Southeast Polk
145: No. 12 Paisley Bro, Soph., South Tama
155: No. 9 Abigail Chyma, Sr., South Tama
170: No. 1 Autumn Elsbury, Jr., South Tama
170: No. 2 Jazelle Smith, Jr., Indianola
170: No. 12 Sophie Reed, Jr., Southeast Polk
190: No. 7 Josie Bishop, Sr., Southeast Polk
190: No. 8 Sophia Mendibles, Jr., Ottumwa
190: No. 9 Mallori Stutsman, Jr., Carlisle
190: No. 10 Ashlyn VanManen, Jr., Newton
235: No. 7 Delilah Subsin, Jr., Ottumwa
235: No. 9 Kinley Jimenez, Soph., South Tama
Cedar Rapids Jefferson Regional
When: Friday, 5 p.m.
Where: Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School
Teams: Liberty High; Anamosa; Ankeny; Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Clinton; Linn-Mar; Muscatine; Cedar Rapids Prairie
What to watch: Over the past two seasons Liberty High has emerged as a program on the rise.
The Lightning qualified two wrestlers for the state tournament two seasons ago and pushed that total to three last season.
Liberty High is poised to raise that number again on Friday.
Juniors Taylor Cavanh and Evelyn Eggleston are both already two-time state qualifiers while sophomore Peyten Van Dyke is seeking a second trip to state after qualifying last season as a freshman at West High.
Cavanh (30-5) went 1-2 at the state meet last season at 100 pounds and has emerged as a medal contender at 105-pound this season and is coming off a Mississippi Valley Conference title last Saturday.
Junior Callum Wu (38-6) is ranked 10th at 145 pounds and is capable of making a state tournament appearance but will need to navigate a challenging bracket that features four ranked wrestlers.
Eva Pentecost (24-9) at 100, Evalynn Karam (20-6) at 110, Mia Ungs (23-15) at 115, Naoni Davisson (23-10) at 120, Harper Johnon (7-3) at 130 and Abigail Carr (13-11) at 235 are all Liberty High wrestlers to keep an eye on Friday.
Who to watch: Junior Evelyn Eggleston is already a two-time state qualifier that has her sights set on a state tournament medal this season.
Eggleston (16-2) went 2-2 at the state meet at 135 pounds last season and enters the postseason ranked sixth at 140 pounds after missing a chunk of the season with an injury.
Eggleston will be part of a 140-pound bracket that could feature a trio of top-seven ranked wrestlers including top-ranked sophomore Hayden Bratland (36-1) of Ankeny.
Weight class to watch: Make no mistake, whoever emerges from the 155-pound bracket at Cedar Rapids Jefferson will have more than earned a trip to state.
The 155-pound bracket could feature three of the top five ranked wrestlers led by top-ranked Ankeny senior Haylee McGrew.
Last year’s 155-pound runner-up McGrew (28-0) headlines the loaded 155-pound field.
Fourth-ranked Liberty High sophomore Peyten Van Dyke (19-4) will be in the mix along with fifth-ranked Elsie Lewis (31-6) of Muscatine.
Ranked wrestlers
100: No. 9 Elizabeth Burns, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie
105: No. 2 Akemah McClendon, Jr., Clinton
105: No. 8 Lauren Watson, Soph., Ankeny
110: No. 1 Kate Seery, Jr., Linn-Mar
110: No. 2 Nora Bockes, Jr., Ankeny
110: No. 6 Amiyah Burdine, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson
120: No. 5 Ally Jelinek, Sr., Linn-Mar
120: No. 6 Trudy Haag, Jr., Ankeny
125: No. 4 Elyse Engebretson, Sr., Ankeny
125: No. 8 Ava Hofer, Sr., Linn-Mar
125: No. 10 Kaitlyn Raue, Soph., Liberty High
130: No. 1 Mackenzie Childers, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie
130: No. 11 Brielle Parke, Soph., Linn-Mar
135 No. 11 Madelyn Postma, Soph., Ankeny
135: No. 12 Josephine Budederi, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson
140: No. 1 Hayden Bratland, Soph., Ankeny
140: No. 6 Evelyn Eggleston, Jr., Liberty High
140: No. 7 Addison Appelhans, Sr., Anamosa
145: No. 5 Luisa Meade, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie
145: No. 6 Jammie Krah, Fr., Ankeny
145: No. 10 Callum Wu, Jr., Liberty High
145: No. 11 Theresa Gonpue, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson
155: No. 1 Haylee McGrew, Sr., Ankeny
155: No. 4 Peyten Van Dyke, Soph., Liberty High
155: No. 5 Elsie Lewis, Sr., Muscatine
170: No. 11 Isabella Taylor, Jr., Anamosa
190: No. 4 Cambrie McLoyd, Jr., Clinton
190: No. 11 Aysia Moser, Soph., Ankeny
235: No. 10 Kaylie Staples, Fr., Ankeny
235: No. 12 Emelia Reyes, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie
Independence Regional
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Where: Independence High School
Teams: Clear Creek Amana; Cedar Falls; Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Dubuque Hempstead; Dubuque Senior; Western Dubuque; Independence; West Delaware
What to watch: Clear Creek Amana has qualified three wrestlers for the state meet each of the past two seasons and will look to keep that streak alive on Friday at a strong 2A regional field.
A pair of sophomores lead the way for Clear Creek Amana in 100-pounder Emma Staebler and 155-pounder Jordan Hunt.
Staebler (11-13) is coming off a runner-up finish at the WAMAC Conference meet last Friday while Hunt is seeking a second consecutive state tournament appearance.
Who to watch: Sophomore Jordan Hunt (23-11) was a state qualifier last season at 170 pounds and is seeking a return to Coralville this season.
Hunt finished fifth at the WAMAC Conference meet last week with a loss to a ranked wrestler along the way.
Look for Hunt to be in the mix in an open 155-pound field that features one ranked wrestler in Cedar Falls senior Jocelyn Schwartz.
Weight class to watch: Two brackets at the Independence regional could feature three ranked wrestlers but the 115-pound field may be the most challenging.
Second-ranked Cedar Falls junior Lauren Whitt is a two-time state medalist that finished fourth a year ago and leads a bracket that could also feature seventh-ranked Stella Houselog of Dubuque Hempstead and No. 10 Olivia Hallam of Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
Ranked wrestlers
100: No. 4 Natalie Blake, Sr., Cedar Falls
105: No. 12 Choe Utsler, Sr., Cedar Falls
115: No. 2 Lauren Whitt, Jr., Cedar Falls
115: No. 7 Stella Houselog, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead
115: No. 10 Olivia Hallam, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
120: No. 1 Apryl Halsor, Sr., Cedar Falls
120: No. 9 Morgan Krall, Jr., Independence
125: No. 7 Anna O’Rear, Jr., West Delaware
125: No. 9 Jordin Derr, Sr., Independence
125: No. 12 Lana Schafer, Jr., Cedar Falls
130: No. 4 Kylee Shoop, Sr., West Delaware
130: No. 9 Jobie Conway, Soph., Cedar Falls
135: No. 1 Bella Miller, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead
135: No. 8 Lainey Schreck, Sr., Cedar Falls
140: No. 5 Meredith Kaump, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
140: No. 12 Ayla Osterkamp, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead
145: No. 7 Macie Graves, Sr., Cedar Falls
145: No. 9 Karise Benson, Jr., Dubuque Senior
155: No. 8 Jocelyn Schwartz, Sr., Cedar Falls
170: No. 10 Anna Johnson, Sr., Cedar Falls
190: No. 2 Briar Ludeman, Jr., Cedar Falls
190: No. 5 Joscelyn Stricker, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
235: No. 1 Ella Brown, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
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