First Sanctioned Girls Wrestling State Tournament

On February 2nd and the 3rd, six girls from the Raccoon River Wrestling Team competed in the first-ever girls-sanctioned state championship at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. This event was hosted by the Iowa Girls High School Athlete Union (IGHSAU). Over 400 girls and 50 teams competed. The six girls who competed for Raccoon River were Katie Biscoglia, Liv Halfpap, Calista Rodish, Naomi Templeman, Addison Herrick and Aleah Johnson. 

Katie Biscoglia, a freshman who attends Van Meter High School, wrestled with the Raccoon River team and competed in the 100-pound division at state. Biscoglia delivered a serious power half on the left side, helping get a 6-0 record during the semi-final match against her opponent. Biscoglia then advanced to the quarterfinals, where her record was 12-0, leading her into the final. She made history by winning a 5-2 record to Gable Hemann from Osage, making her the first girl in Iowa to become the official 100-pound girls wrestling state champ and ending the season with 46-0. “It feels amazing; I know that people will know who I am for a long time. When I’m older in 20 years, I can tell my kids that I was the first one; it’s something special that I get to have and share with my coaches, parents, and teammates,” Katie Biscoglia stated.

Another freshman on the Raccoon River wrestling team is Calista Rodish. Calista is currently at the Timberline school. She competed in the 120-pound division at state and placed on the podium, getting sixth overall in her bracket with a 4-3 record. Rodish lost to a weight-class champion but went on and got two wins from her consolation rounds. “A lot of emotions go through my head before and after a match, I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for a win or a loss, but in a match, my emotions aren’t there, I turn them off and just wrestle,” Calista Rodish stated. Rodish’s record was 9-0 during her division and a 6-1 record in her fifth round. Winning these two divisions helped Rodish advance to finals and placed sixth.

Naomi Templeman, a sophomore at Northwest High School, competed in the 140-pound at state. Though she did not place, she still put up a fight by getting a pin during her second round.  “Oh my gosh, I’m actually one of 6 girls on the team out of the 13 who competed to go to the state. I was one of 6 to go during my first year,” Templeman stated.