Raiders return all 4 state qualifiers from last season

WILLIAMSBURG — Returning four state qualifiers from last season has the Williamsburg girls wrestling team ranked sixth in Class 1A by IAwrestle in the preseason poll.

Those four returning 2025 qualifiers are Hayden Wade (115 pounds), Keston Spratt (120), Cecelia Gryp (135) and Lilly Ness (155).

Valerie Altenhofen (140) was also a qualifier in 2024.

All five are also ranked in their weight classes last season. Spratt is ranked third, Ness fourth, Gryp seventh, Wade sixth and Altenhofen 12th.

Spratt, a junior and two-time qualifier, also finished last season as a medalist, coming in sixth.

With the season still in its early stages, several of the returning qualifiers may move up a weight, but those decisions are yet to be made.

Official practices got underway this week for girls wrestling, and the Raiders have their sights set on continuing to build on the foundation built the last three years as a program.

They hope to do so by working to build depth across their lineup, head coach Nathan Shank said.

Shank has been an assistant the last three seasons but will be stepping into the head coaching role this season.

Williamsburg opens its season Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Little Hawks tournament in Iowa City.