Decorah girls wrestling crowned state team champion, completing its business trip

CORALVILLE — Consider the business trip complete.

Decorah girls wrestling can finally take a moment to enjoy the glory after being crowned state team champion by a wide margin on Friday.

The team, as always, was led by senior 170-pounder Naomi Simon. She became Iowa's first four-time girls state champion, completing an undefeated career before she attends the University of Iowa and wrestles for the Hawkeyes. Alongside Simon, the Vikings had four place-winners in Chloe Sheffield (second, 100 pounds), Anastasia Simon (third, 145 pounds), Lauren Lazum (eighth, 155 pounds) and Kamryn Steines (sixth at 190 pounds).

Decorah largely had the championship locked up before the finals session, leading by 38 points. The Vikings finished with 141 points, 45 more than runner-up East Buchanan.

Of course, the story is about Simon. A perfect 130-0 record as she moves on to her college career. She wrote one of the biggest chapters in the short history of Iowa high school girls wrestling.

As soon as the final whistle was blown, Simon unstrapped her anklet and took off her headgear. Acknowledging the crowd, tears streamed down her face. The business-like attitude we had seen throughout her time in Coralville on Thursday and Friday vanished for that moment as she paraded across the mats with her hands wide, showing appreciation for the community that meant so much to her.

Simon had done this three times before. The reason Decorah got it done this time around was the talent growing around her. Coach Gene Adams said her presence in the locker room throughout this season brought out the best in everyone, and that's how the Vikings placed four others around Simon to thrash the competition.

"Just the fact that everybody found or had the opportunity to contribute to the team is special," Adams said.

This was the second girls tournament sanctioned by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. Last year, Kiara Djoummessi (Simon's future teammate at Iowa) and Waverly-Shell Rock rose above the Vikings on the final day. The Go-Hawks and several other teams looked to be involved in a competitive team race entering the tournament, but the Vikings left little doubt about No. 1.

"We out-showed everybody," Simon said.

Team results from the Iowa girls state wrestling championships

• 1. Decorah - 141 points

• 2. East Buchanan and Raccoon River Wrestling (tie)- 96 points

• 4. Waverly-Shell Rock - 93 points

• 5. Lewis Central - 89 points

• 6. Bettendorf - 86.5 points

• 7. Ankeny - 86 points

• 8. Spencer - 84 points

• 9. Cedar Falls - 80 points

• 10. Vinton-Shellsburg - 75 points

Individual state champions

Earlier Friday, it was upset after upset . In the finals, however, the best of the best showed out.

Six state champions from last season repeated in Xtream Arena, with eight new champions coming into the fold. Sigourney-Keota's Reanah Utterback had previously won an IWCOA state title, so this is not her first go-around in finishing atop the podium. That leaves half of our champions as first-timers here in Coralville.

• 100 pounds: Katie Biscoglia (Raccoon River-Northwest, soph.) over Chloe Sheffield (Decorah) (Dec 5-1)

• 105: Layla Phillips (Mason City, sr.) over Kacy Miller (Western Iowa) (Dec 9-4)

• 110: Jasmine Luedtke (Ottumwa, sr.) over Gable Hemann (Osage) (Dec 8-1)

• 115: Reanah Utterback (Sigourney-Keota, jr.) over Silvia Garcia-Vasquez (West Liberty) (Fall 5:05)

• 120: Camille Schult (Waverly-Shell Rock, fr.) over Leah Chandler (Chariton) (Fall 3:33)

• 125: Molly Allen (Riverside, Oakland, jr.) over Destiny Brown (Ridge View) (MD 12-2)

• 130: Colbie Tenborg (Saydel, soph.) over Adison Musser (Anamosa) (MD 13-2)

• 135: Bella Miller (Dubuque Wahlert, fr.) over Espie Almazan (Lewis Central) (Dec 5-2)

• 140: Kiara Djoumessi (Waverly-Shell Rock, sr.) over Shaylee Sutherland (Spencer) (SV-1 4-2)

• 145: Mahri Manz (Lewis Central, jr.) over Greta Brus (Davenport) (SV-1 5-3)

• 155: Nicole Olson (Missouri Valley, sr.) over Haylee McGrew (Ankeny) (Fall 3:44)

• 170: Naomi Simon (Decorah, sr.) over Autumn Elsbury (South Tama County) (MD 15-2)

• 190: Libby Dix (Mount Vernon, jr) over Jana Terwee (West Lyon) (Fall 5:59)

• 235: Olivia Huckfelt (Spencer, sr.) over Breanna Peach (Iowa Valley, Marengo) (Fall 1:30)

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Decorah girls wrestling wins Iowa girls state championship