Sell-out crowd kicks off girls state wrestling
Hours before anyone stepped foot inside the Xtream Arena in Coralville for the 2024 IGHSAU State Wrestling Championships, they already knew that a sell-out crowd would be there to welcome them.
The opening session of the event sold out, as athletes from around Iowa began their chase towards history and medals.
Eleven returning state champions were among those in the field, with the finals and other placing matches scheduled for Friday.
Decorah used key points throughout the two sessions to build a 15-point advantage over Cedar Falls in the team standings. Raccoon River-Northwest is third followed by Ankeny, Bettendorf and Waverly-Shell Rock.
One of those, Abigail Meyrer of Pleasant Valley, was knocked off in the quarterfinals by Apryl Halsor of Cedar Falls. Halsor scored a fall to advance, ending Meyrer’s hopes of a repeat after going 48-1 last year.
Two Decorah wrestlers punched tickets into the semifinals, including Naomi Simon. The unbeaten three-time state champion earned three first period falls to improve to 128-0 in her career.
Joining Simon in the final four will be Chloe Sheffield, as she claimed two falls and a major decision.
Other returning state champions still alive include Katie Biscoglia of Raccoon River-Northwest, Molly Allen of Riverside Oakland, Jasmine Luedtke from Ottumwa, Maeley Elsbury from South Tama County, Kara Djoumessi of Waverly-Shell Rock, Skylar Slade of Southeast Polk and Olivia Huckfelt from Spencer.
Sophomores Biscoglia and Slade both posted three falls each, as Biscoglia moved to 94-0 in her career and Slade to 95-0.
Among those who fell like Meyrer were two-time unbeaten champion Jillian Worthen of Union LaPorte City, as she dropped an 11-10 decision to Destiny Brown from Ridge View in the quarters. Mackenzie Childers of Cedar Rapids Prairie was also knocked off in the quarters after suffering an injury.
--Dana Becker I @SBLiveIA
