After months of practice, matches, duals, and districts, three qualifying athletes made their way to Colombia for one last battle. Each wrestler had a goal and a challenge, along with individual and team titles to aspire to.
Senior Naomi Yoder and juniors Lillianna Perez and Izzy Schierholz were the three WHS state qualifiers. Yoder placed third at district, Perez placed fourth and Schierholz placed second.
Yoder had a record of 36-9 finishing off her season , Perez had a record of 33-15 finishing off her season, and Schierholz had a record of 35-7 finishing off her season.
Head girls coach, Aspen Griffin has been in this position for four years, pushing the girls to prepare throughout the full season and for state.
“Preparation for state went beyond just physical training. We focused on refining technique, improving conditioning, and building strong mental toughness. We emphasized work ethic, consistency, and confidence—reminding the girls to trust their training and believe in themselves. We also talked a lot about mindset, helping them understand that they belonged on that stage and had earned the opportunity through their hard work,” Griffin said.
Yoder finished 1-2 at state, being a two-time state qualifier.
“State didn’t play out how I wanted it to because my bracket was stacked and I didn’t wrestle offensively,” Yoder said. She has wrapped up her wrestling career forever as a senior, being an “outstanding leader for the Wildcats,” according to the coaches.
Schierholz said Yoder would be missed.
“It’s gonna be different because we were close, and we’d both be overweight together and dying. It’ll be sad without her,” Schierholz said.
Yoder also carried many accomplishments and achievements in her four years of wrestling, taking home many medals and being a part of a team that’s more like a family.
“State didn’t play out great at all. I didn’t feel good but I tried to push through it and in my second match I had the girl pinned and the ref didn’t call it, I also didn’t have a good mindset at all,” she said. Schierholz ended state with a 0-2 record as a two-time state qualifier, with another year to take on and finalize her goals in one last try.
Schierholz has wrestled for three and a half years, she first began in middle school, but was unable to find a connection and quit. Again, she tried her freshman year and found more than a connection to the sport, but she now carries a passion and love in her every move.
Perez finished her state tournament 1-2 in her first trip to state.
The outcome of the tournament doesn’t quite mean as much as the performance each girl puts into their matches. The tournament serves as a final highlight of the high school wrestling season and brings across wrestlers from across the state to the same match.
