How Naiya Delos Santos Became One of America’s Elite Young Female Wrestlers

The Taylor County sophomore blends elite technique, mental toughness, and faith to rise into the national rankings — with a state title now firmly in sight.

Nationally ranked Taylor County High School sophomore Naiya Delos Santos, last year's state runner-up in the 100-pound weight class, seeks to pin a state title to her list of accomplishments on the mat. / Taylor County High School Athletics

“Stay low! Stay Low!”

Staying Low Has Pushed Naiya Delos Santos to New Highs

That command continually rang out over the mats at a recent tournament in Louisville. But it couldn’t have applied to Taylor County High School wrestler Naiya Delos Santos. It didn’t. God blessed Delos Santos with a low center of gravity, nearly perfect for the grappling inclined.

I met with the demure wrestler while she was in between bouts at the Mestengo Invitational.

One of the Top Wrestlers in The 100-Pound Class

Delos Santos wrestles in the 100-pound weight class and has asserted herself as one of the top wrestlers in that class, nationally. But it took a little time, skill-development wise and physically.

“In eighth grade, I was 84 pounds, and now I'm filling out my weight class at 100,” Delos Santos said. “I’ve grown, and my brother has helped me a lot, to grow in my sport and love the sport.”

At the Kentucky high school state championships in 2024, the Taylor County standout wrestled varsity as an eighth-grader (allowed by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association) for John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown. She lost early, but wrestled her way back to a third-place finish at the inaugural state tournament, a sequence of events that required mental resiliency and a focus on singularity of purpose.

“The most challenging aspect for me is the mentality, the mental part of it,” she admitted, saying that is the most critical component to the grappler’s skill set. “So we can train all we can, but if your mind isn't right, it won’t matter.”

Her Coach Says Delos Santos Has Tireless Work Ethic

Spencer Adams, the head coach at Taylor County, and a coaching force in Kentucky wrestling, said Delos Santos is a well-rounded teenager, and that grounding, along with unending determination, have been significant factors in her success.

“She's a hard worker in all areas of life,” Adams said. “I mean, she's got, like a 4.0 GPA, and a tireless work ethic on the mat. She's at every community service, volunteer work project that we do as a team. And we do quite a few. She's always there volunteering her time, giving back to others.”

That attitude and value system have definitely translated into Delos Santos crushing it on the mat. Currently ranked No. 23 in the nation in her weight class by High School On SI — other rankings have Delos Santos as low as No. 11 — her diligence and firm foundation are paying dividends. For the talented sophomore, it’s about the whole person and not just the skill set or mat prowess.

“To see her ranked as high as she is in the nation, that's just the tip of the iceberg of who she is as a person,” Adams said. “There's so much more than just wrestling when it comes to Naiya. She's just an all-around outstanding human being.”

Delos Santos, right, grapples with Woodford County's Bijou Brown at the Mestengo Invitational in Louisville Jan. 17, 2026. The Taylor County sophomore has developed her technical skill set during the past two years and regularly competes in national tournaments. / Chris Adams

However, Delos Santos’ skill set is something to note. At the Mestengo Invitational, her sound technique garnered points quickly. Where it was taking other competitors two to three periods to score five to six points, Delos Santos was collecting 10 to 19 in one period, and then defeating them by fall before you could absorb her mat dominance.

'Lightning Quick" With Excellent Technique

“She's lightning quick and her technique is very good, especially for a sophomore in high school,” Adams said. “She's just got excellent technique. Some of the best technique that I've coached in high school, anyway. Boy or girl. So, she's up there. She's a top three of high schoolers I've ever coached in terms of technique.”

That technique has served the industrious Delos Santos well this year, nationally, and in high school competition.

“She's 18-2 on the year, and she's about to wrestle tonight, so she'll probably be 19-2 after…and that's with national level events,” Adams stated. “She took third at Ironman, and that's the toughest in-season tournament in the country. She placed third there. That's the highest that any girl has placed there from Kentucky. Ever. And then she took second at the Wonder Woman tournament.”

Delos Santos notched a couple more match victories after the interview with Adams and is unofficially 21-2.

Adams doesn’t take credit for any part of Delos Santos’ achievements, but takes pride in spotlighting his top girl wrestler.

“She's put the time in, so it's not really surprising. She goes all over the country to wrestle. She goes to different national tournaments, she goes to different clubs. I can't really claim her as a coaching success. I'm giving her the credit. She's put in the work.”

Delos Santos Found Wrestling While Participating in Jiu-Jitsu

Delos Santos has been wrestling for seven years but unintentionally discovered wrestling through a coach, while participating in jiu-jitsu with her brother Christian, a Kentucky high school state champion and wrestler on the Bellarmine University (Louisville) team.

“We started with jiu jitsu at first, and then we transferred to wrestling,” she explained. “One of our old coaches came up and told us we should try. We did No-Gi, which is almost kind of like wrestling, similar, and we’re like, ‘We can try it.”

It was obviously a good decision as brother and sister are making their marks in the sport.

A Big Obstacle Remains

And Naiya would like to make a mark at the high school level. Her 2025-26 goal is to claim a state title. But there is an obstacle in the form of her most challenging high school bout to date.

“My toughest match, Emma Moore,” she said.

Moore, who wrestles for Walton-Verona High School, isn't nationally ranked, but defeated Naiya in a 7-0 decision in the 2024-25 state championship match. However, Moore only placed seventh at the Ironman Tournament. So, next month in Lexington will basically define the high school season for both wrestlers.

It’s a given that Delos Santos is aiming for a different outcome this February, but she will lean on more than just her mental strength, tenacity and technique to attain a state championship.

Faith Is Also a Key Ingredient

“I always try to make God the center of my wrestling. Wrestling for God, and not for myself,” she emphatically stated.

Along with God and Christ as her spiritual mentors, and the support of her parents, Delos Santos, who would like to wrestle at Iowa in college, said her wrestling mentors have been Christian and Adams.

“…Spencer, my coach, my brother. My brother has always been there for me, helping me through wrestling season. Recently, he’s put me through privates and helped me through that, especially with the national aspect of it.”

Come what may in Lexington, for Delos Santos, it’s not about staying low, but about keeping your head held high no matter the circumstances.