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Washington Evening Journal
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Miller captains girls’ wrestling team
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Girls’ wrestling just continues to grow, and grow, and grow.
The area’s programs seem to not only be getting bigger, but better as well, and that was apparent with another huge year in area girls action.
Mid-Prairie and Van Buren County help headline the 2026 All-Union girls wrestling team team, as Golden Hawk senior Sophie Miller captains the squad and VBC coach Jason DeHart earns the coaching honors for this winter’s list.
Coach: Jason DeHart, Van Buren County
It was a monster year for one of the up-and-coming powers of the Union area, the VBC girls’ wrestling team under Coach DeHart.
A young Warrior squad showed its team strength with a first-place finish in the 2026 Southeast Iowa Super Conference tournament, then sent a pair of wrestlers to the state tournament, scoring 5.5 team points on the weekend.
Captain: Sophie Miller, senior, Mid-Prairie
In just one full year of wrestling, senior Miller became an absolute star for the Golden Hawks, not only making the state tournament, but finishing better than every other wrestler in the Union coverage area.
Miller’s third-place finish at 145 pounds showed she was a multi-sport force to be reckoned with, and she’ll leave a lasting legacy with the Golden Hawk program.
100: Brystol Wiley, freshman Van Buren County
A key member of the SEISC-champion Warriors, Wiley stood tall this winter, battling the freshman jitters to climb all the way up onto the state podium.
Wiley placed eighth at state this year for VBC, and promises to be a centerpiece for a Warrior program loaded with potential.
105: Armoney Adams, sophomore Van Buren County
VBC’s 105-pound sophomore scratched and clawed her way to the top this season.
One of the best wrestlers all winter long in the Union coverage area, Adams helped her squad win the conference crown, then made her debut at XTreme Arena as part of the 2026 Iowa girls’ state wrestling tournament.
110: Lexa Nelson, senior, Pekin
Pekin’s senior class proved to be a special one, especially in the last two years, as the Panthers became a power in the area in the growing sport of girls’ wrestling.
Nelson was one of three Pekin wrestlers to win over 30 matches this winter, and one of three to make it to the 2026 state tournament.
115: Adley Sweeting, freshman, Highland
Another strong area freshman, Highland’s Sweeting was one of the absolute best all year long, winning 37 matches and flying to a state tournament bid in her first year of high school.
Sweeting also made her debut on the podium for the Huskies, taking eighth in the 120-pound bracket.
120: Sadie Clarahan, junior, Sigourney-Keota
It was a crowded group at 120 this year, and junior Sadie Clarahan got to experience the toughness of 120-pounders in the area, battling through it all to earn a shot at state.
Clarahan didn’t get a victory on the big stage, but set herself up nicely for her senior year, where the Cobras will look to defend the South Iowa Cedar League title and build on this winter’s success.
125: Lila Miller, senior, Pekin
Pekin senior Lila Miller had her hand raised 32 times this winter as one of the best in both the SEISC and Southeast Iowa as a whole.
Miller finished her career out with a return trip to the state tournament in Coralville. She and the rest of the Panther senior class will be one of the toughest to replace in area sports.
130: Kia Montgomery, junior, Sigourney-Keota
Another strong Cobra junior, Kia Montgomery made her return to state this year, competing in the 125-pound bracket at state.
Montgomery, a member of the SICL-title winning squad, won a ridiculous 48 matches this winter and went 1-2 at the state tournament.
135: Hadley Noe, junior, Van Buren County
The one non-state qualifier from Van Buren County to make the team, Noe was a big part of the Warrior wrestling squad all year long.
Noe’s biggest moment this year came at the 2026 SEISC championship meet, when she won a nail-biter to become the conference champion at 135, a win that aided her Warrior squad to the team title.
140: Maiya Singbeil, sophomore, Highland
One of three Highland state qualifiers, Singbeil continued to rack up success for a group of Highland underclassmen who seem to be taking over girls sports in the SEISC.
Singbeil went 1-2 at the 2026 state tournament, earning her first pin on the big stage.
145: Hailey Pedrick, senior, Pekin
The 145-pound weight class was absolutely stacked in Southeast Iowa this year, yet Pedrick stood out, winning 37 matches to lead all Pekin wrestlers.
Pedrick was one of just two Union area wrestlers to win her first two matches at state, making the semifinal round, but finishing in sixth in a competitive 145-pound bracket.
155: Karley Greiner, sophomore, Sigourney-Keota
Although she failed to make it back to the state tournament this winter, the Cobra sophomore had another strong year, including a SICL championship, which helped SK push itself into first place as a team.
Greiner, who does double-duty for the Keota basketball team and SK wrestling team, will look to continue her promising career next season as the Cobras look to be a force in 2026-27.
170: Samantha Lyons, junior, Fairfield
Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons came into this season as the only state place-winner in Fairfield girls wrestling history, and she once again finished on the podium with a sixth-place finish.
One of the few area wrestlers to have stood on the podium twice, Lyons will now enter her senior year as one of the favorites to do it again when the winter season rolls back around.
190: Ellie Callahan, senior, Mid-Prairie
A member of Mid-Prairie’s tough senior class, Ellie Callahan won 35 matches this year and made yet another trip to the state tournament in Coralville.
Callahan was one of two Golden Hawks to stand on the podium this winter, finishing her career out with a sixth-place finish at 190 pounds.
235: Kendra Allison, senior
Allison was a key member of a Fairfield girls’ wrestling program that became one of the squads to watch in the Southeast Conference this winter.
Allison went 1-2 over the 2026 state tournament, her second-straight trip to the big stage to end her high school wrestling career.
