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2020-21 WWF Season Review

By Gabby Lord-Klein, 08/20/21, 6:00AM CDT

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featured photo of Brett Back at 16U Nationals (2nd in Greco, 3rd in freestyle) by Jenni Peterson

It has been an incredible year for Wrestling, Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation. USA Wrestling worked diligently to bring competitions back last fall through extensive return-to-mat guidelines and ended the summer season at Fargo with a record number of participants. 

During the 2020-21 membership season, the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation was involved in running the following events: 

  • October 17-18, 2020, TOA Club Duals
  • December 29-30, 2020, Holiday Classic 
  • February 21, 2021, WWF Girls Folkstyle State 
  • March 5-7, 2021, WWF Kids Folkstyle State
  • March 13-14, 2021, Dominate in the Dells
  • April 23-25, 2021, UWW Cadet and U15 World Team Trials
  • May 8-9, 2021, WWF FS/Greco State
  • May 15-16, 2021, Northern Plains
  • June 25-26, 2021, USA Kid's FS/GR Nationals


In addition to those run with the help of the WWF, Wisconsin wrestlers competed in events across various states nationwide. Reaching back to October 2020, this included Senior Nationals (Iowa), UWW Junior and U23 Nationals (Nebraska), numerous card-style events, Captains’ Cup (Iowa), U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Texas), Folkstyle Nationals (Iowa), USAW’s High School Recruiting Showcase (Iowa), Women’s Nationals (World Team Trials, Texas), National Duals (Indiana & Oklahoma), plus Junior and 16U Nationals (North Dakota). 

Macey Kilty (62 kg) and Kylie Welker (76 kg) were runners-up at Olympic Team Trials. Alyssa Lampe placed 3rd, claiming a position on the Senior National Team at 50 kg. 

Seven teams from Wisconsin competed at National Duals in June: 14U Greco (9th), 16U Greco (8th), 14U Men’s Freestyle (8th), 16U Men’s Freestyle (9th), Junior Men’s Freestyle (5th), Junior Greco (6th) and Junior Women’s Freestyle (8th).

Wisconsin had 45 All-Americans, including five champions and six runners up, at Junior and 16U Nationals (Fargo). Champions: 16U MFS & GR: Koy Hopke (220), 16U Greco: Haakon Peterson (88), Junior MFS: Ben Kawczynski (285), Junior WFS: Kylie Welker (164). Finalists: 16U MFS: Haakon Peterson (88), Junior WFS: Hanna Errthum (132), 16U GR: Brett Back (145), Junior GR: Jared Stricker (170), Cale Anderson (152) and Caden Young (160).

Kylie Welker (76 kg WFS) and Keegan O’Toole (74 kg MFS) won gold medals at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia this week. 

Three Wisconsinites earned the right to represent the United States at the 2021 U15 Pan Am Championships: Aeoden Sinclair and Haakon Peterson won freestyle and Greco titles at U15 Nationals in April (Wisconsin Dells), while Faith Bartoszek won the U15 division at Women’s Nationals at the beginning of May (Texas). The trio will compete in Mexico City in October. 

Team USA will bring three more Wisconsin wrestlers to Belgade, Serbia, in November for the U23 World Championships. Alston Nutter (67 kg) and Benji Peak (72 kg) won U23 World Team Trials in Greco, and Kylie Welker earned the 76 kg spot on the women’s freestyle team. 

Caleb Noble (14U/71lbs) and Koy Hopke (16U/225lbs) won USA Wrestling’s prestigious Triple Crown. Noble locked up the award after back-to-back championship performances in freestyle and Greco at Kids Nationals in the Dells, and Hopke with back-to-back wins in freestyle and Greco at 16U Nationals in Fargo.

WWF team members Matty Bianchi (Two Rivers) and Rose Ann Marshall (Stoughton) were selected as Wisconsin’s recipients of the Dave Schultz and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Awards presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

As part of the freestyle and Greco season, the WWF/Team Wisconsin provided training camp opportunities leading up to and through the spring season that culminated at Fargo. The women’s program provided an additional three camps this season through a winter training series run by national team coaches and former WWF competitors. These opportunities brought together Team Wisconsin as they geared up for national performances. 

Wisconsin’s July year-to-date membership number is 6,106. This is a -30% decrease from 8,745 members in 2020, which is consistent with the national average of total USA Wrestling memberships (-27%) and is attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021-22 membership season begins September 1, 2021. There are 1,528 Leaders and 138 Clubs statewide. 

The Wisconsin Wrestling Federation would like to extend a congratulations and thank you to all wrestlers, coaches, staff, volunteers, officials, parents and membership community on an outstanding 2020-2021 season.  

MISSION: The Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, guided by USA Wrestling, provides quality opportunities for its members to achieve their full human and athletic potential. Wisconsin Wrestling Federation will strive to be USA Wrestling’s best state organization.

Check out the WWF blog page for recent headlines and join the conversation by following the WWF on Twitter @WIWrestlingFed and Facebook @ Wisconsin Wrestling Federation