CLASS 4A GIRLS WRESTLERS TO WATCH IN 2025-26
 

 
MOLLY BENES, BISHOP MIEGE
 
Preseason No. 2 at 170

Benes compiled a 32-7 record last winter and racked up 26 pins on her way to a third-place finish at 170 pounds at the Class 4A tournament. After dropping her quarterfinal match at state, she stormed back through the consolation side and capped her run with a dominant technical fall over Wellington’s Kaylee Horineck in the third-place bout. Benes owns a 62-31 career record with 50 career pins, and last season she finished as both the league and regional runner-up at 170. She is ranked No. 2 at 170 to start the season this year.  
 

  
PEYTON BRAZZLE, WAMEGO
 
Preseason No. 2 at 100

Brazzle is a two-time state qualifier, capturing a regional title her freshman season before finishing runner-up at regionals last year. After falling one win shy of placing at state at 100 pounds in a 28-13 freshman season, Brazzle made a strong bid for a state title last year as a sophomore. She pinned her first two state foes before running into Nemaha Central’s Renae Keim, who pinned her in their semifinal match. But Brazzle came back and added two more pins to her collection in the consolation bracket, taking third with her second pin of the tourney of Larned’s Teagan Walker. Brazzle finished with a 28-7 mark overall.
 

 
ABBY BRENN, WINFIELD
 
Preseason No. 1 at 190
 
Brenn, a senior, will take aim at her second state title this season after defeating Paola’s Ellie Baska 7-2 in last season’s Class 4A 190-pound final. The Viking standout finished 32-1 and atoned for some of the heartbreak of her final match as a sophomore, when Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail rival Aubrey Hunt of Wellington topped her 6-2 in their 4-1A championship match. Brenn joined her dad and coach, Andy, and older brother, Kody, as a state champion in a season in which she recorded 25 pins – matching her 2023-24 total – and lost only to Liberal’s Hayleen Martinez, the unbeaten 6A champion. With a 24-12 record as a freshman state qualifier and 33-2 mark as a sophomore, Brenn enters her final season within striking distance of 100 career victories.
 

 
ALYSSA CALOVICH, CHAPMAN
 
Preseason No. 3 at 120

Since making some serious noise when she won a state championship at 110 pounds as a freshman in 2023, Calovich has been looking to recapture that success at the state meet since. She went into the 2024 state meet undefeated but was dealing with an illness and promptly went 0-2. Last year, Calovich moved up to 120 pounds and cruised into the semifinals before running into a red-hot Mya Courtney of Frontenac, who had just upset regional champion Autumn Wilson of Tonganoxie. Courtney handed Calovich a 17-1 technical fall defeat and Calovich ended up placing fourth after a 10-0 loss to Burlington’s Olivia Lyons in the consolation finals. Calovich is 86-10 in her career.
 

 
SHAWNA CASE, PRAIRIE VIEW
 
Preseason No. 1 at 155

After placing fourth at 155 pounds as a sophomore in her first state appearance in 2024, Case made an impressive run to the championship match at 155 last year. It got off to a somewhat conspicuous start as she barely pulled out an 8-6 win over Abilene’s Iliana Garcia to start the tourney, but Case followed with first-period pins of her next two opponents to reach the finals. The task there was a tall order as Girard’s Kaylen McAtee came in undefeated and Case couldn’t pull off the upset, getting pinned in the first period by McAtee. She finished the season with a 37-8 record and now sits 91-36 in her career.
 

MYA COURTNEY, FRONTENAC
 
Preseason No. 3 at 120

A two-time state qualifier, Courtney is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which she posted a 33–8 record and finished as the state runner-up at 120 pounnds, pushing her career mark to 60–22. The Frontenac junior showed grit throughout the state tournament, opening with an ultimate tie-breaker win over El Dorado’s Hannah Gantz. She kept her momentum rolling with a tough battle against Tonganoxie standout Autumn Wilson, earning a second-period pin, and then dominated Chanute’s Alyssa Calovich with a technical fall in the semifinals before coming up short in the finals against Mulvane’s Leiannah Landreth. 
 

 
ELIZABETH DICK, NICKERSON
 
Preseason No. 1 at 235
 
A two-time state qualifier, Dick, a senior, earned her first individual medal last season with a third-place finish at 235 pounds. Dick pinned her first two state opponents before dropping a 9-6 sudden-victory decision to Perry-Lecompton’s Meaa Allen in the semifinals. She pinned Baldwin’s Finnley Kellerman in the third-place match. Her 27-10 season record as a junior marked another season of significant improvement. Dick also finished third at regionals for the second straight year. As a sophomore, Dick went 18-16 with a 1-2 mark in her state debut. That came on the heels of 8-25 freshman season.
 

 
KILEY DILLOW, CHANUTE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 170

Dillow returns to the mat this season at 170 pounds, looking to extend her dominant run in Kansas wrestling as she tries for her third state title. Last year, Dillow went a perfect 47-0, capturing her second consecutive state championship at 170 pounds with a first-period pin over Tonganoxie’s Grace Stean in the finals. She also notched 24 pins during the season. A three-time state placer with two titles (2024 and 2025) and a third-place finish in 2023, Dillow owns a career record of 123-6 and 83 career falls. She enters this season as one of the top wrestlers in the state as she is ranked No. 1 at 170 pounds in all classifications. 
 

   
OLIVE DUBOIS, WELLSVILLE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 120

Dubois is making a case to go down as perhaps the best female wrestler in Wellsville history, recording at least 30 wins in each of her first three seasons and already with a trio of state medals. Dubois finished sixth at state in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, going 35-8 as a freshman and 31-10 as a sophomore with a combined 54 pins in those two seasons. She took things to another level last year, going 41-3 with 32 pins, working her way into the 125-pound state championship match with a tough 1-0 semifinal win over Pratt’s Gracelyn Hembree. A state title proved out of reach as Dubois fell 11-1 to four-time state champion Gabi Koppes of Clay Center. With a 106 wins, 86 pins and 230 takedowns in her career, Dubois could be the favorite for a title this season.
 

CALLIE ANNE FAIRBANK, INDEPENDENCE
 
Preseason No. 2 at 155

Fairbank made a strong impression last season, earning her first state medal with a fourth-place finish at 155 pounds in the Class 4A tournament. She finished the year with a 33-12 record, showing resilience after a quarterfinal loss by fighting through the consolation bracket to reach the third-place match, where she fell to Scott City’s Ashlyn Rose. She is currently the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 155 pounds going into this season.  
 

 
AUTUMN FELDKAMP, NEMAHA CENTRAL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 140

Feldkamp enjoyed a huge breakthrough season last winter, going from a 18-13 mark her freshman season to a 40-5 record as a sophomore. She captured Big East League and regional titles and had a whopping 34 pins in her 40 victories. After going 1-2 at state her freshman season, Feldkamp made her way onto the medal stand last year, placing fourth. She cruised into the semifinals where she was pinned by eventual state champion Destiny Gonzalez of Goodland.
 

 
GRACELYN HEMBREE, PRATT
 
Preseason No. 1 at 125
 
Hembree, a senior, collected her 100^th career victory and first state medal in last season’s Class 4A tournament. She posted a 35-2 record in her third season at 125 pounds, finishing runner-up to Clay Center’s four-time state champion Gabi Koppes at regionals and reaching the state semifinals, where Wellsville’s Olive Dubois edged her 1-0. A second-period pin of Smoky Valley’s Kenzlie Crain gave her third place. Hembree won a career-high 37 matches as a sophomore with a third-place regional finish and 2-2 record at 4-1A state, finishing one victory shy of the medal rounds. She was 29-11 as a freshman with a 1-2 record in her state debut. 
 

 
CARA HERBERT, LARNED
 
Preseason No. 2 at 135
 
Herbert returns for Larned at 135 pounds after a strong junior season that ended with a third-place finish in 4A. She posted a 48-6 record, scoring an 11-3 major decision over Santa Fe Trail’s Morgan Pickering in her final match after reaching the state semifinals. Herbert also reached the regional semifinals, where she lost to eventual state champion Morgan Hills of Colby. As a sophomore, Herbert won a 4-1A regional title at 120 pounds with four pins, then went 0-2 at state to complete a 37-11 season.
 

 
MORGAN HILLS, COLBY
 
Preseason No. 1 at 135

Hills dominated the final two matches of her sophomore season, earning back-to-back technical falls to capture the 135 state championship. She beat Santa Fe Trail’s Morgan Pickering 17-1 in the state semifinals and took a 17-2 win over Burlington’s Haylei Potter in the final to cap a 29-2 season. Hills’ only loss to an in-state opponent last season was against Dodge City’s Hailey Ramos. She placed fourth at state as a freshman in 2024. Hills is set to remain at 135 pounds for her junior season.
 

 
HARPER HOLMES, FRONTENAC
 
Preseason No. 1 at 110

Frontenac junior Harper Holmes enters the 2024–25 season looking to add another layer to an already remarkable résumé. A two-time state champion with two different programs, Holmes returns to the Raiders after capturing the 5A title for Pittsburg High School last season. Holmes dominated the 110-pound bracket in 2025, rolling into the championship match and finishing with a second-period pin over Sumner Academy’s Angie Mensah to secure a 35-1 season and her second career state crown. Now 70-5 in her career and ranked No. 1 at 110 pounds in all classifications, Holmes is back at Frontenac for her junior campaign after winning a state title for the Raiders as a freshman. 
 

 
ADALYNN HUTTO, COLUMBUS
 
Preseason No. 3 at 190

Hutto burst onto the scene last year with a 28-13 record and a fourth-place finish at 190 pounds in Class 4A as a freshman, showing she could compete with the state’s best. At the state tournament, she pinned her way into the semifinals before falling to Paola’s Ellie Baska, then battled back to reach the third-place match. Though she ultimately finished fourth after a loss to Fort Scott’s Ali Simhiser. The Columbus sophomore is currently ranked No. 3 in the preseason rankings at 190. 
 

 
RENAE KEIM, NEMAHA CENTRAL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 105

A torn ACL midway through her freshman season only delayed the success that Keim put on display last year when she became the first Nemaha Central wrestler – boy or girl -- to reach a state championship match in the program’s brief history (Nemaha Valley had two state champions in the 1970s-80s before eventually consolidating with Baileyville B&B). Keim was 21-2 at the time of her injury her freshman year, but she showed no lasting effects from the injury last year when she fashioned a 41-3 record that included 35 pins and three technical fall wins. Two of Keim’s three losses came to Abilene’s Josie Wilson, including in the state finals when Wilson pinned Keim, who had reached the finals with two pins and a technical fall win. 
 

 
FINLLEY KELLERMAN, BALDWIN
 
Preseason No. 2 at 235

Kellerman enters the 2025 season looking to build on memorable junior campaign that ended with a fourth-place finish at 235 pounds at the Class 4A state tournament. Kellerman went 30–11 last season and showed her toughness, reaching the state semifinals behind a pair of third-period pins. She eventually fell to McPherson’s Ciara Rawson, the eventual state champion, and later to Nickerson’s Elizabeth Dick in the third-place match. She is currently ranked No. 2 in the preseason at 235.  
 

 
HAYLIE MCDANIEL, SCOTT CITY
 
Preseason No. 5 at 110

McDaniel closed out her sophomore season in impressive fashion, reaching the 110 state semifinals after upsetting El Dorado’s Kegan Motter in the quarterfinals. McDaniel took a 10-2 loss to eventual champion Kenna Miles from Fort Scott in the semifinals and ultimately took fourth place. A Great West Activities Conference champion, McDaniel finished with a 34-15 record. She is ranked fifth in a loaded 105 weight class headed by Frontenac’s Harper Holmes, a two-time state champion.

 
KENNA MILES, FORT SCOTT
 
Preseason No. 2 at 110

Miles is back on the mat this season at 110 pounds, looking to capture her third state championship. Miles comes off a stellar junior year with a 41-1 record, earning the league runner-up spot and winning the Class 4A state title in dominant fashion. She defeated Jefferson West’s Sophie Waters by an 11-1 major decision in the championship match, adding 27 pins to her record. A two-time state champion already, Miles has compiled a career record of 110-10 with 74 career pins. She first won a state title in 2024 and finished fourth as a sophomore in 2023. As she enters her senior season, all eyes will be on Miles as she aims to make history with a third championship at 110 pounds, but could face tough competition from another two-time state champion in Frontenac’s Harper Holmes as the two could be in the same weight class. 
 

LILIAUNA NOLD, ROCK CREEK
 
Preseason No. 1 at 115

Class 4A was loaded with freshmen sensations a year ago and Nold certainly was right there with the best of them. She was one of eight undefeated wrestlers going into the state tournament, but her bid to capture the 115-pound title was derailed by Tonganoxie’s Stella Bradley, who handed the Mustang her first loss with a stunning second-period pin in the semifinals. Nold stormed back to take third with dominating victories in the consolation semifinals and finals, finishing the year with a stellar 39-1 record, 33 of the wins coming by pin. Nold is one of five returning state qualifiers and one of three returning state placers for the Mustangs this year as they look to build off last year’s fourth-place team finish. 
 

 
CAMREE OBERMEYER, CHAPMAN
 
Preseason No. 6 at 110

Obermeyer had an instant impact for the Irish last year with a dominant freshman campaign. She rolled through the regular season and regionals with an undefeated record, taking a 39-0 record into the state tournament. But after pinned her opening foe in 40 seconds to move to 40-0, Obermeyer saw her fortunes turn. Silver Lake’s Karley Holmes handed Obermeyer her first loss of the year with a back-and-forth 14-11 decision in the quarterfinals. Obermeyer recovered momentarily from the defeat with two straight wins to reach the consolation semifinals, but then dropped her last two matches at state to finish sixth and with a 42-3 record.
 

 
MACEY PARKS, BUHLER
 
Preseason No. 1 at 140
 
Parks rebounded from a regional hiccup to win her first state title last season, edging Chapman’s Taya Rowley 6-5 for the Class 4A 145-pound title. Parks, No. 1 in the 4A rankings entering regionals, finished fourth at that tournament, losing to No. 2 Miranda Webb of Pratt in the semifinals and No. 3 Cora Moon of Winfield in the third-place match. But she on her game at state, avenging the regional loss to Webb in the quarterfinals en route to the title. Parks’ 38-6 season followed a 35-13 sophomore campaign in which she won four consolation matches on the way to a fourth-place finish in 4-1A at 145. She made her state debut as a freshman at 140 pounds, winning one of three matches to wrap up a 29-16 season.
 

 
MORGAN PICKERING, SANTA FE TRAIL
 
Preseason No. 3 at 135

A three-time state qualifier for the Chargers, Pickering enjoyed her best showing at state last year. After going 1-2 at state as a freshman and 0-2 as a sophomore, Pickering finally made her way to the medal stand last year as a junior. Pickering pinned her first opponent and then took a 12-4 major decision in the quarterfinals before running into eventual state champion Morgan Hills of Colby in the semifinals, falling in a 17-1 technical fall loss. Pickert wound up placing fourth and finished with her second 30-plus win season, going 32-6. She also was 31-14 her freshman year and has a career record of 90-31. 
 

 
ALI SIMHISER, FORT SCOTT
 
Preseason No. 2 at 190

Simhiser had a standout junior season, finishing 38-4 with a league championship and a third-place finish at the 4A state tournament. After a tough quarterfinal loss, Simhiser battled through the backside of the bracket and claimed a 7-2 victory in the third place match over Columbus’ Adalynn Hutto to secure her state medal. She also played a key role in helping the Tigers reach a state runner-up team finish, and Fort Scott enters this season ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls. With 32 pins last year and 76 over her career, Simhiser has a career record of 87-32.

 

 
PAYGE VETSCH, JEFFERSON WEST
 
Preseason No. 2 at 130

Vetsch and younger sister Mya were first-time state qualifiers for the Tigers a year ago with Payge parlaying her berth into her first state medal. She pinned her first two opponents at the tourney, each in the second period, but then met up with Pratt’s undefeated Wendy Candia and couldn’t pull the upset, getting pinned by the Greenback, who went on to capture the state title. Vetsch finished with a fourth-place showing, ending the season with a 41-10 record and had a whopping 38 pins on the season. 
 

 
ADDILYN WACKER, IOLA
 
Preseason No. 1 at 130

Wacker enjoyed a very successful debut season last year as a freshman, going 29-9 with 12 pins. After a runner-up finish at the Pioneer League meet, Wacker captured a regional championship. She pinned her first state opponent before pulling out a 1-0 win over Goodland’s Danica Dautel in the quarterfinals. Halstead’s Kahlyn Davis ended her bid for a state title with an 11-2 win in the semifinals but Wacker rebounded to win her two matches on the backside, capping her first state appearance with a third-place finish.
 

 
ALEXIS WALL, CIRCLE
 
Preseason No. 4 at 110
 
A state champion in Class 4-1A at 100 pounds as a freshman, Wall took second in 4A at 105 last season to Abilene newcomer Jade Wilson. Wall posted a 33-3 record on the heels of her 26-3 championship campaign, dropping a 17-5 major decision to Wilson in the regional final and an 18-4 major in their state final. Wall’s other loss also came to Wilson at the Clearwater Invitational. Wall collected titles at Pratt, Minneapolis, Abilene (where she defeated Wilson), Nickerson, Andover and Circle last season. She earned her state title two seasons ago with a 4-2 sudden victory over Abilene’s Charlie Elliott. 
 

 
SOPHIE WATERS, JEFFERSON WEST
 
Preseason No. 3 at 110

Making her first state tournament appearance, Waters pinned her way to the Class 4A state finals at 115 pounds last year, including a second-period fall of Silver Lake’s Karley Holmes in the semifinals after Holmes had upset undefeated Cambree Obermeyer of Chapman in the quarterfinals. Bidding to become West’s first girls state champion, Waters came up short against Fort Scott’s Kenna Miles, who won her second straight state title with an 11-1 victory over Waters. Waters, who ended with a 36-6 record with a total of 32 pins.
 

 
MIRANDA WEBB, PRATT
 
Preseason No. 1 at 145
 
A three-time state qualifier, Webb earned her first individual state medal last season with a third-place finish at 145 pounds. Webb knocked off top-ranked Macey Parks of Buhler on the way to a regional title, but Parks sent Webb to the consolation bracket with a 4-1 decision in the state quarters. Webb then posted four straight victories to post a career-best state finish, pinning Tonganoxie’s Mackenzie Colgrove for third to cap a 25-4 season. Webb competed at 120 pounds her freshman and sophomore seasons, finishing 31-12 her first season with a 2-2 mark at state, then posting a 32-9 record as a sophomore, winning one of three state matches. 
 

 
CAELLEN WESCOAT, FORT SCOTT
 
Preseason No. 3 at 105

Wescoat had a successful sophomore year for Fort Scott, finishing 26-2 and earning a 4A state third-place medal. She reached the semifinals with two pins before falling to Circle’s Alexis Wall, then bounced back to pin Baldwin’s Canyon Burtis for third. Wescoat has compiled an impressive career record of 54-10 with 43 pins and totaled 20 pins last season alone. She is one of four returning state medalists for the Tigers who won finished as the 4A runner-up last season. Tigers are ranked No. 1 to start this season.  
 

AUTUMN WILSON, TONGANOXIE
 
Preseason No. 4 at 120

A two-time state medalist, Wilson placed fifth at 120 pounds a year ago, grinding through the consolation bracket after a quarterfinal loss and finishing strong with a pin over El Dorado’s Hannah Gantz in the fifth-place match to finish her season with a 36-8 record. She also helped the Chieftains to a state championship in 2025. As a sophomore, Wilson took third at state at 110, and she’ll return to 120 pounds this season, entering the year preseason ranked No. 4. 
 

 
JADE WILSON, ABILENE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 105

Coming into the season with the highest expectations placed on Jade and twin sister Josie, the Wilson sisters delivered as each finished as state champions. Jade was dominating at 105 pounds, finishing her season with a 36-2 record, her losses coming to Newton’s Brooklyn Treaster, who won the Class 5A state title at 105, and Circle’s Alexis Wall, the 2024 4A champion at 100 pounds. She had also beaten both during the season, topping Wall twice before getting a third match with the T-Bird in the state finals. Wilson made it three wins over Wall with a dominating 18-4 win in the finals to clinch the state title moments after Josie had won her title at 100.
 

 
JOSIE WILSON, ABILENE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 100

As good as twin sister Jade was in capturing the 105-pound state title last year as a freshman, Josie was even better. While Jade finished 36-2, Josie was perfect in her debut season, going 39-0 with 33 pins. Included in those victories was a 15-0 technical fall win over Junction City’s Jaidyn Alvarado, who captured the Class 6A title at 100 pounds with the loss to Wilson her only one of the season. At state, Wilson pinned all four of her opponents, opening the meet with a 34-second pin. Meeting up with Nemaha Central’s Renae Keim in the finals, who had suffered only two losses – one to Wilson at the Holton Invitational – Wilson saw her Thunder rival get the first takedown of the match. But Wilson quickly reversed and pinned Keim in the first period to cap her 39-0 campaign.