TONGANOXIE — Autumn Wilson had imagined the moment long before it finally arrived. 

She watched from afar as her cousins — Gardner-Edgerton’s Madelyn Riedinger and Oskaloosa’s Allison King — climbed to the top of the wrestling podium. A year or so later, inside the bright lights of the Class 4A state tournament, the Tonganoxie senior finally stood there herself. 

“It was pretty special,” Wilson said. “I have two cousins that have both won it and I have just looked up to them and I want to be up there with those two. Finally getting there and reach that spot just made me very happy.”  

That long-awaited state championship was the crowning achievement of a career that has helped define Tonganoxie girls wrestling — and one of many reasons Wilson has been named the CapFed® True Blue® Student of the Week. 

Wilson leaves Tonganoxie as the most accomplished wrestler in program history. A four-time state qualifier and three-time state placer, she finished her career with a state title, a third-place finish and a fifth-place medal — along with the most wins the program has ever seen with 145. But her journey to the top wasn’t a straight path. 

After qualifying for state as a freshman, Wilson struggled under the pressure, going 1-2 in the tournament. 

“My coach told me multiple times at state that I looked like a ghost,” Wilson said.  

She responded with steady growth — third as a sophomore, fifth as a junior — before using that final setback as motivation. 

“That state tournament my junior year really fueled me a lot this year,” Wilson said. “I just wanted to do better than I did and wanted to go out there and perform my best.”  

She did just that, capping her career with a state championship while also playing a key role in Tonganoxie’s team success, including a state team title during her junior season. 

“This program has been amazing to be a part of,” Wilson said. “We have a great group of coaches, a bunch of great girls who just want to be great.”  
 

Tonganoxie coach Adam Ludwin said Wilson’s impact goes far beyond wins and medals. 

“From the start of her career to the end, she has been a leader and a light to this program,” Ludwin said. “Even as a freshman she had a great season. I think the lights of the state tournament kind of got to her in her freshman year. I think after that first trip to the show she figured it all out.  

“She was the most coachable, excited girl I have got to coach ever. She had a smile on and off the mat and was the best teammate and copilot anyone could ask for. She played a huge part in this program stat wise and role model wise. All the little girls in club look up to her. She set her mark very high in the Tongie history books and will be hard to beat.” 

But Wilson’s story doesn’t end on the mat. 

A 4.03 GPA student and National Honor Society member, Wilson has built a well-rounded resume — balancing athletics with leadership roles across multiple organizations. 

In FFA, she has grown from a curious freshman into the chapter president, serving previously as a Greenhand officer and two years as treasurer. A four-time state qualifier and degree recipient at every level, she also manages the greenhouse and plays a key role in leading one of the school’s most active programs. 

“My freshman year I could barely talk to people I didn’t know, but now I can sit in front of people and talk all day,” Wilson said. “I am a better leader and communicator through FFA.”  

 

FFA advisor Kaysi Overdick said Wilson’s energy and leadership never wavered — even during wrestling season. 

“Autumn takes every challenge in life with a positive attitude and determination,” Overdick said. “She can genuinely accomplish anything she puts her mind to. Autumn serves as our FFA Chapter President, which is a hard task within itself with how large and busy the chapter is, but it can be even more challenging while you are competing to be a state champion at the same time.  

“During the season, I never saw a smile leave her face, even after those tough matches. She never missed an FFA meeting or event, she would even come exhausted after a long practice and still had a great attitude. She is so passionate in what she does and thoroughly enjoys it.” 

Wilson has also made her mark in FBLA, where she is a two-time state qualifier and national qualifier, and in band, where she serves as a section leader, music manager and program manager while playing bass clarinet. 

“Band is obviously a lot of fun,” Wilson said. “I love the concert music. Marching on the field is my favorite part.”  

Her schedule often stretches late into the night — wrestling practice followed by pep band for the basketball games— but she has learned how to manage it all. 

“It is difficult to kind of balance everything,” Wilson said. “I just need to make sure I know my priorities and communicate with people.”  

That balance has also included four years of cross country, adding yet another layer to her already full plate. 

In every space she enters, Wilson has become a leader. 

“Autumn has been instrumental in mentoring younger students,” FBLA advisor Craig Martin said. “She creates a supportive environment that helps everyone grow.”  

Whether on the mat, in the classroom, or leading her peers, Wilson’s impact has been defined by consistency, positivity and drive. 

Next up, she plans to attend Fort Hays State, where she hopes to continue wrestling while pursuing a future in agronomy, with a minor in ag business — a path shaped by her time in FFA. 

And even as her high school career comes to a close, wrestling will remain a part of her life. 

“Wrestling has been a part of my life for a long time, whether it is watching my brothers or doing it myself,” Wilson said. “I know that no matter what I am not going to stop. I ref and I am still going to do that when I go to college. I want to come back and be a coach and then hopefully one day be a parent of a wrestler. I am always going to be involved with it.”