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Hawkins makes history, becomes first 4-time SICL girls champion
SICL meet produces 4 area champions
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
BELLE PLAINE — Girls wrestling still is a relatively new sport in the state of Iowa, so there has to be a first for everything in due time.
On Monday at the South Iowa Cedar League girls meet, Iowa Valley’s Raelene Hawkins cemented herself in the history books.
The 2025-26 season marks the fourth year the sport has been sanctioned by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.
The Class 1A 11th-ranked Hawkins became the first four-time conference champ in the SICL on the girls side.
“It’s really great,” Hawkins said. “I was kind of thinking about it last night and the few days before thinking I could really do this tonight.
“It’s awesome to be the first one and set the tone for this and for girls wrestling in general.”
Hawkins’ time on the mat Monday was not long. She pinned Sigourney-Keota’s Melanie Woodsmall in 50 seconds for the 170-pound title.
“I just kind of took whatever she gave me and was confident in my abilities,” Hawkins said. “When she gave it to me, I took the opportunity right away.”
Hawkins, an HLV student, has wrestled for the Tigers all four years of high school as part of a cooperative agreement between the schools.
The senior hopes to advance to state one more time representing Iowa Valley with regionals this Friday.
“The people here at Iowa Valley have been great,” Hawkins said. ”It’s my favorite thing to go to practice everyday with them.“
Iowa Valley’s other champion Monday night was Kodie Holcomb at 140. She won both of her matches by first-period falls.
Holcomb became a two-time conference champion as Iowa Valley finished second as a team with 171 points.
English Valleys’ Emily Sieren continued her excellent season with a title at 105, getting a fall in the second period against Iowa Valley’s Kenley Koenig.
“I wasn’t even thinking in the match,” Sieren said. “It was all instinct. I’ve practiced so much, and my club coaches have helped me turn my brain into a machine. I’m kind of on Autopilot out there.”
A conference title means a lot for Sieren, who looks to qualify for state for the first time Friday.
“It shows I’ve worked my butt off all season and I’ve put the effort and work in,” Sieren said.
The last area champion Monday night was BGM’s Amiah Lint at 120.
After an entertaining first period with Iowa Valley’s Eva Kriegel, Lint got the fall in the second period.
“Once it got to the second period we were both tired, so I just had to keep on pushing through,” Lint said.
Sigourney-Keota snatched the team title in the six-team field with 187 points. North Mahaska had the most individual champions with four.
Team Scores
1. Sigourney-Keota 187, 2. Iowa Valley 171, 3. Colfax-Mingo 157, 4. North Mahaska 136, 6. English Valleys 88, 6. BGM 64
SICL Champions
100 pounds — Addison Terpstra (North Mahaska)
105 — Emily Sieren (English Valleys)
110 — Aubrey Utterback (Sigourney-Keota)
115 — Kaylia Shipman (North Mahaska)
120 — Amiah Lint (BGM)
125 — Kia Montgomery (Sigourney-Keota)
130 — Brianna Freerksen (Colfax-Mingo)
135 — Macie Little (North Mahaska)
140 — Kodie Holcomb (Iowa Valley)
145 — Serenity Van Wyk (North Mahaska)
155 — Karley Greiner (Sigourney-Keota)
170 — Raelene Hawkins (Iowa Valley)
190 — Kennedy Phillips (Colfax-Mingo)
235 — Emmalyn Buchman (Colfax-Mingo)
