SWAT has four punch tickets to state

State bids were earned by girls high school wrestlers across the state of Iowa last Friday as regional meets were held.

The SWAT Valkyries had four wrestlers earn trips to the 2025 girls’ state wrestling tournament this week in Coralville at a Class 1A meet hosted by Red Oak High School. Earning trips to state were Jazz Christensen at 100, Destiny Fry at 120, Bailey Lillard at 145 and Ellen Gerlock at 190. Three of the four were champions and one was the runner-up.

Last year the program sent six to the state tournament with five wrestling due to an injury. This year, qualifying for the state meet changed from having the top four from each weight class qualify for state with 32-person brackets at state to the top two at each weight class going to state in 16-person brackets. Instead of one big class with everyone together, there is a Class 1A and a Class 2A. This year will be the third trip to state for Christensen and Gerlock. Fry and Lillard will be making their first state trip.

The state meet begins on Thursday with Class 1A matches in session 2 on the first day from 4:30-9 p.m. First round, quarterfinals and first round consolations, as well as second round consolations, are in the session.

On Friday, semifinals, third round consolations, consolation semifinals and seventh place matches take place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday night includes first, third and fifth place matches from 6-9 p.m.

“All season they (state qualifiers and team in general) have been very focused. That is going to be our focus in getting ready to go this week. You still have to wrestle your match, you still have to compete,” said SWAT head coach Tyler South. “We have tried to create a culture for the girls that they are going to face tough competition on the mat and in life and no matter the outcome you stay with it and stick with it and it will work out. All these qualifiers at one point have wrestled a ranked girl this year, and all of them have caused an upset too, so that shows me they have that drive to compete.”

Christensen won the 100-pound weight class and improved to 36-9 this season.Christensen had byes in the first two rounds and was the top seed in the weight class. Christensen pinned her quarterfinal and semifinal foes each in the first period in 1:13 and 1:29 to reach the finals. In the finals, she beat Jersey Hilgenberg from Oakland Riverside by pin in 3:14.

Lillard won the 145-pound weight class and improved to 27-4. Lillard was the top seed at the weight class and had byes in the first two rounds. She pinned her quarterfinal and semifinal foes in under one minute in 44 and 52 seconds, respectively, to reach the finals. In the finals, Lillard beat Kenzie Maeder from Southwest Valley by injury default. Lillard is ranked No. 8 in 1A at the weight class.

Ellen Gerlock won the 190-pound weight class and improved to 26-5. She is ranked No. 5 by IA Wrestle at the weight class in 1A. Gerlock had byes in the first two rounds and the quarterfinals and was the top-seed in the weight class. In the semifinals, Gerlock pinned her foe in 5:00, and in the finals pinned Mary Bowman from Logan-Magnolia/Woodbine in 5:52.

Fry was the runner-up in the 120-pound class and improved to 32-12. Fry had a bye until the quarterfinals and was the third seed. Fry pinned her quarterfinal foe in 1:47 and won a 24-12 major decision in the semifinals. In the finals, Fry lost to Veronica Schechinger from Riverside and won a second place match by pin over Sophie Joyce from Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine in 1:37.

Three wrestlers reached the third place match with one placing third and two placing fourth. Placing third was Nadia South at 110. Placing fourth was Stella Beattie at 170 and Megan Gerlock at 235.

Three Valkyries wrestled at the meet but did not place. Lilly Barber won one match and improved to 15-6 at 155. Adalynn Erlandson wrestled in two matches and finished the season 3-9. Lilliana Tafoya went 2-2 at the meet and finished the season 16-10.