Denver Rallies Late to Win Iowa Girls Class 1A State Title in Coralville Thriller

Four finals wins — capped by a clutch head-to-head victory — lifted Denver past Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in a dramatic race for gold.

Denver’s Abigail Peterson (top) won her second straight 100-pound Iowa girls wrestling state championship on Feb. 6, 2026. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa was the setting for the fourth IGHSAU Wrestling State Championships, and second with two divisions (1A and 2A). The team and individual champions were crowned side-by-side on Friday night, with Denver staking claim to the 1A team title.

The Golden Spotlight And the Race for the Crown

The gold medal matches were of the standalone variety with all other placement matches contested earlier in the day. When the final whistle blew to conclude that round, Eddyville was ahead in the team standings with 105 points. Osage was in second with 97, followed by Denver in third, holding 92 points.

Eddyville had two on the final card, Osage one, with Denver’s four posing imminent danger.

Head-to-Head Meeting Decides the Champ

At 130 pounds, with Denver having gone two-for-two in their initial bouts, No. 21 Lilli Cooper represented her squad in the only head-to-head meeting with Eddyville of the round in Georgia Smith. Wins by No. 3 Abigail Peterson (100 pounds) and No. 19 Violet Diaz (110) had brought Denver within two points of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 105-103.

This would also mark Eddyville’s final chance to add to their tally as after Smith they had no one left on the docket. Denver had Kennedy Burk lurking at 190 pounds, but she was considered the underdog, so their best chance to claim the state title was now with Cooper in the role of favorite.   

Cooper wasted no time putting up a quick takedown. Smith escaped then hit Cooper with a powerful double leg and picked her up to gain the takedown and lead, 4-3. In the middle frame, Cooper added another takedown to reclaim the advantage.

In the third, Smith revisited that blast double but had a different ending as the return to the mat was a little sloppy, allowing for Cooper to roll through and spin behind for a third and final takedown in a 10-5 win. Cooper’s antics added four points to Denver’s count and gave them a two-point lead, 107-105, and that’s also how it would end.

Hemann Gets a Second Helping

Peterson and Diaz had their wins sandwiched around Osage’s only girl to appear, Ainsley Hemann (105 pounds). Hemann, a defending state champion, added title number two on a 6-3 comeback win over Wapello’s Kenadee Helscher after being down 3-1. Hemann’s win without bonus points pushed Osage’s final total to 101.

Denver's Golden Girls

Diaz put her second gold in the history book with a 13-3 major decision against Audubon’s Macy Rasmussen. Diaz used a big hip toss in the second to take control of the match, taking a 10-1 lead. Rasmussen didn’t fold and showed a lot of grit by riding Diaz out the entire third period.

Peterson went to an arm bar to turn Wilton’s Audrey Cummings in the opening round and returned to the well in the next stanza to put Cummings away at the 2:41 mark of the second period. Peterson was holding a 12-0 advantage when she stuck Cummings.

State Champions Meet at 140-Pounds

One of the most anticipated finals occurred at 140 pounds with two nationally ranked state champs squaring off. In one corner, there was, No. 15 Teagan Carritt (Logan Magnolia), who won states in 2025. In the other was two-time defending gold medalist, No. 16 Colbie Tenborg (Saydel).

It started out swell for Carritt when she countered a shot from Tenborg then came up to her feet to a trip for a takedown. Tenborg would escape and add a takedown on a spin behind in the second period. Tenborg built on that lead with another spin behind in the third to help secure title number three.

Another Two-Timer

East Buchanan’s No. 26 Brooklyn Graham won her second straight title and kept Denver from sweeping their final round matches when she won an overtime bout with Burk. It was a scoreless affair until Graham added three in the final overtime rounds to gain a 3-0 victory.

Girls With National Reps Get It Done

Four more girls who appear in the latest High School on SI Girls’ National Rankings secured 1A Wall Charts – No. 12 Chloe Sanders (135 pounds), No. 15 Greta Brus (155), No. 17 Gracie Pinckney (170 pounds), and Haley Armstrong (235).

Vinton-Shellsburg’s Sanders quickly attackd West Delaware’s Anna O’Rear and started to lock up a cradle but turned O’Rear to her back without completing it, so she focused on the upper torso securing seven points and never looking back in a 14-1 major decision. Davenport’s Brus had a strong early lead but then had to fend off a comeback attempt from East Buchanan’s Miley Walz.

The last two beat the buzzer to stick their foes. Mount Vernon’s Pinckney hit Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez (West Liberty) with a Bear Hug while trailing 3-0 right as a pin was called in the opposite final for Autum Elsbury (South Tama). Pinckney finished off Garcia-Vasquez with two ticks left in the second, 3:58.

By what we saw, Atlantic’s Armstrong achieved her fall against Rose Niewoehner (Crestwood) with one second on the clock in the middle round, 3:59. Armstrong was fresh off a big blast double when she was working an arm bar but was able to catch Niewoehner in a bad position and pull her over to her back then torqued it until she was granted the fall.

More Pinning Ways

AP/GC’s Grace Storjohann (125 pounds) got started on putting Aileen Aragon (West Liberty) away with a chicken wing then converted into an arm bar, which she ran to achieve the fall in 2:42. East Buchanan’s Tayla Stiefel used a chin whip to an eventual headlock to end Mount Vernon’s Adeline Whisner’s title bid in 1:05.

Decisions Do It, Too

Our last two champions earned their crowns by going the distance and wining simple decisions with no extra flare. At 115 pounds, Clara Bell (Wapello) put in solid work to gain an 8-0 major decision of Vinton-Shellsburg’s Kaelynn Roster. Don Bosco’s Erica Irvine helped keep Eddyville from hoisting the team trophy he she got by Kate Karuse, 6-1, at 120 pounds.

Team Scores (Top 10)

1-Denver 107

2-Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 105

3-Osage 101

4-Mount Vernon 91

5-East Buchanan 81.5

6-West Liberty 61

7-Assumption, Davenport 56.5

8-New Hampton/Turkey Valley 56

9-Vinton-Shellsburg 53

10-Saydel 52

Individual Results

1A-100

1st Place Match

Abigail Peterson (Denver) 37-0, Fr. over Audrey Cummings (Wilton) 39-6, Sr. (Fall 2:42)

3rd Place Match

Kielly Kasal (West Marshall) 42-10, Fr. over Jersey Hilgenberg (Riverside, Oakland) 38-7, So. (Fall 1:25)

5th Place Match

Kennedy Bachman (MFL MarMac) 42-5, Jr. over Molly Konechne (Central Lyon-George Little Rock) 25-3, Sr. (MD 9-1)

7th Place Match

Brynnlie Havig (Osage) 36-10, Fr. over Brystol Wiley (Van Buren County) 31-8, Fr. (Dec 14-9)

1A-105

1st Place Match

Ainsley Hemann (Osage) 38-1, So. over Kenadee Helscher (Wapello) 45-1, Sr. (Dec 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Sophia Carnes (Saydel) 33-9, So. over Kate Martin (Mount Vernon) 55-4, So. (Fall 3:03)

5th Place Match

Sophia Calpito (Charles City) 46-5, Jr. over Kara Kennedy (Crestwood) 39-8, Sr. (Fall 5:24)

7th Place Match

Terra Swedin (GTRA) 30-10, So. over Sophia Hazen (ATU, Tri Center) 41-6, Jr. (Fall 2:58)

1A-110

1st Place Match

Violet Diaz (Denver) 33-2, Jr. over Macy Rasmussen (Audubon) 53-4, So. (MD 13-4)

3rd Place Match

Cadence Christensen (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 46-3, Fr. over Kiersten Swart (Mount Vernon) 50-6, Sr. (MD 13-2)

5th Place Match

Saphira Olsen (Clear Lake) 39-16, Jr. over Amya Bass (Assumption, Davenport) 42-6, So. (Fall 1:16)

7th Place Match

Emery Kramer (South Central Calhoun) 42-8, So. over Kiersten McRoberts (Osage) 33-10, So. (Fall 0:42)

1A-115

1st Place Match

Clara Ball (Wapello) 51-3, So. over Kaelynn Roster (Vinton-Shellsburg) 55-10, Jr. (MD 8-0)

3rd Place Match

Trista Guinn (GTRA) 37-6, Sr. over Emma Schmitt (Charles City) 42-11, Jr. (Fall 1:10)

5th Place Match

Lily Kolbet (Osage) 40-7, Fr. over Hailey Harvey (Riverside, Oakland) 43-4, So. (Fall 5:54)

7th Place Match

Adison Glosser (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 38-12, So. over Alanna Schatz (Crestwood) 47-19, So. (Fall 1:02)

1A-120

1st Place Match

Erica Irvine (Don Bosco) 33-2, Jr. over Kate Krause (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 46-4, Jr. (Dec 6-1)

3rd Place Match

Valentina West (Assumption, Davenport) 43-6, So. over Kiley Collins (West Liberty) 43-13, Sr. (Fall 3:17)

5th Place Match

Hannah Brandhorst (Woodward-Granger) 48-6, Jr. over Makenna Kurth (Waukon) 44-10, Jr. (Fall 1:10)

7th Place Match

Remington Wadsworth (South Winneshiek) 37-6, Fr. over Adley Sweeting (Highland, Riverside) 37-4, Fr. (Fall 2:44)

1A-125

1st Place Match

Grace Storjohann (AP/GC) 43-3, Sr. over Aileen Aragon (West Liberty) 47-2, So. (Fall 2:43)

3rd Place Match

Lauren Adams (Osage) 39-2, Fr. over Keston Spratt (Williamsburg) 39-11, Jr. (Fall 2:48)

5th Place Match

Madi McCall (Missouri Valley) 43-10, Fr. over Kylar Downey (Clarinda) 49-8, Jr. (Fall 3:57)

7th Place Match

Ava Streeter (Durant) 26-4, Sr. over Kendra Krause (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 41-14, Jr. (Fall 3:27)

1A-130

1st Place Match

Lilli Cooper (Denver) 37-0, So. over Georgia Smith (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 44-5, So. (Dec 10-5)

3rd Place Match

Cecelia Gryp (Williamsburg) 41-12, Jr. over Ayden Keefe (Osage) 37-13, So. (Fall 0:48)

5th Place Match

Sophie Glaser (New Hampton/Turkey Valley) 46-8, Jr. over Reece Logan (Spirit Lake) 40-10, Jr. (Fall 5:33)

7th Place Match

Sadie Smith (Kuemper Catholic) 38-10, Sr. over Carly Manternach (Cascade) 47-15, Sr. (Fall 4:58)

1A-135

1st Place Match

Chloe Sanders (Vinton-Shellsburg) 58-0, Sr. over Anna O`Rear (West Delaware) 46-3, Sr. (MD 14-1)

3rd Place Match

Lyni Gusick (Alburnett) 56-2, Sr. over Miley Kirkpatrick (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) 41-6, Sr. (Dec 2-1)

5th Place Match

Lily Weinreich (Clarinda) 54-2, So. over Sunshine Casey (Woodward-Granger) 49-9, Jr. (Dec 9-3)

7th Place Match

Maddy Jansen (South Winneshiek) 26-3, Sr. over Pieper Lester (Clear Lake) 44-8, Sr. (Fall 1:54)

1A-140

1st Place Match

Colbie Tenborg (Saydel) 29-2, Sr. over Teagan Carritt (Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine) 44-1, So. (Dec 9-3)

3rd Place Match

Lucy Konechne (Central Lyon-George Little Rock) 40-2, Jr. over Alexa Heflin (Garner-Hayfield/Ventura) 41-5, Jr. (Fall 5:55)

5th Place Match

Katelyn Brandhorst (Woodward-Granger) 48-9, Sr. over Ceanna White (BCLUW-SH) 47-14, Jr. (Fall 4:38)

7th Place Match

Macie Little (North Mahaska) 45-4, Jr. over Josie Dean (Columbus Catholic, Waterloo) 28-9, So. (Fall 0:55)

1A-145

1st Place Match

Tayla Stiefel (East Buchanan) 54-4, Sr. over Adeline Whisner (Mount Vernon) 38-11, Sr. (Fall 1:05)

3rd Place Match

Sophie Miller (Mid-Prairie) 29-5, Sr. over Paytn Haack (Emmetsburg) 46-8, Fr. (Fall 2:18)

5th Place Match

Kenzie Maeder (Southwest Valley) 51-5, Sr. over Hailey Pedrick (Pekin) 37-6, Sr. (Dec 7-3)

7th Place Match

Jamie Jones (Sumner-Fredericksburg) 38-10, Sr. over Kelly Throndson (New Hampton/Turkey Valley) 40-11, Sr. (Dec 10-3)

1A-155

1st Place Match

Greta Brus (Assumption, Davenport) 42-0, Sr. over Miley Walz (East Buchanan) 50-6, Sr. (Dec 13-6)

3rd Place Match

Eliana Kooi (West Lyon) 47-5, Sr. over Marlee Pittet (Western Iowa) 43-6, Sr. (Fall 1:05)

5th Place Match

Kiersyn Duncombe (Louisa-Muscatine) 45-12, Fr. over Taya Hollingsworth (BCLUW-SH) 54-5, Sr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Kaylee Kintzel (Mount Vernon) 44-20, Sr. over Zoey Uhlenhopp (AP/GC) 35-15, Sr. (Fall 1:45)

1A-170

1st Place Match

Gracie Pinckney (Mount Vernon) 48-6, Sr. over Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez (West Liberty) 47-3, Jr. (Fall 3:58)

3rd Place Match

Danica Diedrick (Humboldt) 38-4, Jr. over Kayma Burleson (Clear Lake) 43-9, Jr. (Fall 4:39)

5th Place Match

Izzy Taylor (Anamosa) 33-11, Sr. over Samantha Lyons (Fairfield) 30-4, Jr. (Fall 1:58)

7th Place Match

Mary Bowman (Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine) 45-8, Sr. over Ellie Hutton (Interstate 35) 30-11, Sr. (Fall 5:04)

1A-190

1st Place Match

Brooklyn Graham (East Buchanan) 43-0, Sr. over Kennedy Burk (Denver) 28-3, Jr. (TB-1 3-0)

3rd Place Match

Ava Trende (New Hampton/Turkey Valley) 44-10, So. over Maren Subbert (Hampton-Dumont-CAL) 40-4, Jr. (Fall 5:00)

5th Place Match

Kenley Korthals (Central Lyon-George Little Rock) 35-5, So. over Ellie Callahan (Mid-Prairie) 35-7, Sr. (Dec 7-6)

7th Place Match

Chloe Sexton (Highland, Riverside) 24-11, Jr. over Kennedy Phillips (Colfax-Mingo) 43-10, Fr. (Fall 2:27)

1A-235

1st Place Match

Haley Armstrong (Atlantic) 38-0, Sr. over Rose Niewoehner (Crestwood) 43-7, Sr. (Fall 2:00)

3rd Place Match

Kaylee Dejong (Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley) 33-3, Sr. over O`livia Seay (Wahlert Catholic) 22-8, Sr. (Fall 0:24)

5th Place Match

Skylar Wegener (Northeast) 45-2, Sr. over Kaidance Hall (New Hampton/Turkey Valley) 37-8, So. (Fall 1:18)

7th Place Match

Emmalyn Buchman (Colfax-Mingo) 43-5, Sr. over Lainee Waggener (Center Point-Urbana) 29-18, So. (Fall 1:56)