10 wrestlers to watch at this week's South Dakota girls state high school wrestling tournament
The South Dakota girls state wrestling tournament kicks off this Thursday and the same question is always asked around this time every year.
Which South Dakota high school wrestlers will make names for themselves at the Denny Sanford Premier Center?
We've selected 10 girls that we believe will meet or exceed expectations in Sioux Falls this week, whether they will be state champions for the first time or the fourth time, a first-time medalist or anything in between.
Alissa Ault, Sioux Falls Jefferson, Sophomore
Ault is one of three wrestlers on the Cavaliers roster, and the most seasoned. She finished fifth in the 285-weight class last year, beating West Central's Allison Foote in the fifth-place match. Ault returns to the state tournament with another year of experience under her belt and an even better shot at walking away with a state championship.
Rhiannen Heimdal, Harrisburg, Sophomore
Heimdal fell short of fifth place in the 154-weight class a year ago against Brookings' Maya Erickson but has shown some improvement since then. On Friday, Dec. 1 the Tigers participated in the Okoboji High School Tournament and Heimdal was one of five Harrisburg wrestlers who placed. She finished third and helped the Tigers place seventh out of 19 teams.
Brianna Johnson, Tea, Senior
Johnson has already been a historically great wrestler for Tea Area. In 2022 she was the only girl on the roster and became the first conference champion in the program's history that same year. Johnson placed third at last year's state tournament, beating Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda's Gia Miller in the third-place match, but this year she'll have her eyes set on another first for Tea Area girls' wrestling: a state championship.
Mary-Katherine Joseph, Brandon Valley, Senior
Joseph is the lone senior on the Lynx roster and with that comes expectation. She certainly has the experience to lead the team. Last year Joseph was in the fight for the 106-weight class championship and ended up placing third. This year she'll have another shot.
Kiara King, Canton, Senior
As one of five seniors on the Canton girls wrestling team, King will have a lot of responsibility heading into the tournament. After losing her championship match in 2022, King won third place in the 285-weight class last year, defeating Lincoln's Maria Larson in the third-place match. She should be a heavy favorite to finish in the top two this year.
Maria Larson, Lincoln, Senior
This could be the year for Larson. She's placed at the state tournament on three different occasions, but the championship has eluded her thus far. Larson is ranked fifth in her weight class and will be a real contender to fight for a state championship.
Natalia Long, Canton, Freshman
Long has showcased tremendous potential in her short time on the Canton girls' wrestling team. As an eighth grader, she finished third in the 154-weight class, defeating Lakota Tech's Jordan Waln by fall. Another year of experience could aid Long in her quest to win her first state championship.
Sara Schroeder, Canton, Senior
Schroeder is the lone returning state champion from the 2023 Canton wrestling team that featured three state champions. She won by fall over Sturgis Brown's Brooklyn Baird to claim the 113-weight class state championship and should be a favorite to repeat.
Kieonna Smith, Canton, Senior
Smith, another of Canton's seniors, will be looking to bounce back from a difficult finish in the state tournament a year ago. After having to forfeit in last year's fifth-place match against Sturgis Brown's Madison Snyder, Smith will look to finish her high school wrestling career out strong.
Regina Stoeser, Harrisburg, Sophomore
A sophomore is rarely a team captain in any sport, but Stoeser has earned that accolade with Harrisburg wrestling. The sophomore won the girls 120-weight class state championship over Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon's Britney Rueb last year.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Who to watch ahead of South Dakota high school girls wrestling tournament
