On Feb. 6 in the fluorescent green gym at Jackson High School, 11 wrestlers from the GP Women’s wrestling team fought their way on to the road-to-state. To make it to State, wrestlers are required to place fourth or higher in their bracket, with fifth being an alternate. With three girls taking fourth, two girls taking third, three in second, and three in first, the podiums were stacked with navy and white. 

Starting wrestling in her freshmen year of high school with no prior experience in the sport, Elly Shreve pushed herself to find success as a captain of the team. “I’m a lot more nervous [for districts] than I was last year. I know the schools that are going and I’m just trying to remember that I am a lot stronger than I think I am. I have put in the work and time into this sport and I’m constantly reminding myself that I am worthy and I’m able to go out there and get the job done. I would absolutely love to place, I really hope I do. I’m just trying to act like it’s a normal match. It’s just another day. It’s just another tournament. It’s just another match,” Shreve said. 

Marissa Denke, placing third at the prior state tournament, is finishing season number four after starting in middle school. “I think I’m going to win districts. I have two pretty good opponents for state, but I think if I beat them, which I plan on doing, then I think I can win state. I’ve been putting my whole mind and heart into wrestling and working hard. I love the sport and the girls that are in there. I’m not scared anymore for competition, but the times I was, Sammy was always there for me. She was always making sure that I was ready for my match and fighting with me and she’d be like ‘Marissa you’re not nervous.’ She would always hype me up, even in practice,” Denke said. 

Between the swim season where she made it to state and the track season where she is a thrower, captain Brooke Vandehey spends winter wrestling. “I’m confident in my ability to keep going. When I get in the mindset, I want to tear a girl’s head off. I just look crazy when I’m wrestling so I kind of take that in. I think I’m gonna get to the finals at districts. I’ve been going to bed really early and then I’m gonna wake up really early so I can go to morning practice and fine tune some things. I also take Epsom salt baths so I can just really calm down,” Vandehey said. 

Along with Denke, her practice partner, Samantha Wilner was apart of the team who placed at the 2025 state tournament. “I don’t want to disappoint myself or anybody else. I’m really hoping to place first [at districts], and that’s my goal. [Placing at state last year] is fueling me because I know that I can do it because I did it last year, but it’s also kind of nerve wracking because I feel like I have that standard of placing this year when I don’t even know how I was able to get to the second day last year. I’m hanging out with people that make me happy and kind of take my mind off of the stress of districts and state,” Wilner said. 

Second place, 105- Lily Palatnikov 

First place, 110- Cameron Erdmann 

Third place, 120- Reagan Harrod 

First place, 130- Elly Shreve 

Fourth place, 130- Lilah George 

Third place, 140- Brooke Vandehey 

Second place, 145- Marissa Denke 

Second place, 170- Samantha Wilner 

Fourth place, 170- Anna Wood 

Fourth place, 190- Lily Haug 

First place, 235- Isabelle Mendoza