The 2024–25 season marked another defining chapter for wrestling in Wisconsin! From the 16U Freestyle team’s underdog run to a national duals title, to 40 All-Americans emerging from Fargo and new levels of participation in the State Series, the year reflected the strength of Wisconsin’s collective efforts in the sport of wrestling. Together, athletes, coaches, and clubs continued to build unity across all styles, enhance opportunities for youth wrestlers and strengthen a culture that distinguishes Wisconsin on the national stage.

2025 National Teams 
National Duals: Wisconsin continues to set itself apart on the national stage. Eight teams finished in the top 10 at USA Wrestling’s National Duals. 

The 16U freestyle program made history this year as they claimed the title over Ohio in the national championship final in Herriman, Utah. 16U Greco made a huge leap in year over year performance and finished a hard-fought runners up. This was a huge jump for the teams which placed 5th and 9th in 2024. 

Wresters from the 14U team competed in both styles. Greco finished in 6th, followed by a 4th place performance in freestyle. The trip to Pennsylvania included some unique stops with opportunities to train at The Ohio State and Lehigh University, and a chance to see the iconic Rocky Monument in Philadelphia after Greco wrapped up.

The trio of women’s freestyle teams competed in Indiana together for the first time and placed all three age groups in the top six. The 16U finished national runners up two straight years, the Juniors secured third after a gritty run through the championship bracket, and the 14U squad held strong for sixth.

The Junior National Duals hosted in Milwaukee for the first of four years saw three Wisconsin teams take the mat. Greco placed 3rd int he bronze/copper pool. There were two teams in freestyle teams on home turf. Red powered to a 4th-place finish, while Blue delivered an impressive 11th out of 43 teams competing. 

Fargo: The week-long string of events at the 2025 Junior Nationals saw an impressive 40 Wisconsin wrestlers earn All-American status, including National titles for Harlow Skenandore in 16U women's freestyle and Hunter Vander Heiden in Junior Greco. Kellen Wolbert and Sullivan were runners-up in Junior Freestyle. Achieving top ten placements were 16U Women’s Freestyle, 16U Greco and Junior Men’s Freestyle.

Training Opportunities 
In 2024-25, the WWF invested in training opportunities in all three Olympic styles, providing athletes access to consistent coaching, skill development, and team-building touch points with the national team throughout the year.

The women’s freestyle program carried forward its year-round camp series, hosting camps from September - May. National Team coaches led athletes through camps that featured technical development and breakout discussions on nutrition, season planning, preparing college profiles, and more. 

Greco-Roman camps were brought back this spring with 5 camps ran as a series based on a curriculum developed in the fall by national team coaches and Greco leaders. The camps were well attended, and program coaches Tyler Dow and Ty Pelot both recognized the impact with both skill development and team camaraderie. 

In men’s freestyle, head coaches Pat Spray (Juniors) and Newton Smerchek (16U) each led clinics timed with the Sparta and Mukwonago freestyle/Greco events. These sessions spotlighted the Olympic style and created valuable opportunities for athletes to connect directly with program coaches while gaining a deeper understanding of the pathways available in freestyle. 

2025 WWF Events
The 2025 WWF State Series included Kids Team State, the Kids Folkstyle State Qualifiers, Kids Folkstyle State Championships, True Beginners Freestyle & Greco State, and the Freestyle and Greco State Championships.

The Kids State Qualifiers saw a 4% overall increase in participation, with each event run for the first time on USA Wrestling’s new bracketing system as Wisconsin leans into their leadership. The Kids Folkstyle State Championships brought three action-packed days of wrestling to Madison with 2,595 wrestlers who punched their ticket by placing in the top three at one of the eight qualifiers. Among the highlights was the presence of USA Wrestling President and Olympic legend Bruce Baumgartner, who visited Wisconsin to take in the championship atmosphere.

This year also marked the 15th anniversary of the girls' division at Kids State, which showcased 763 competitors. The championship environment in Madison continues to set the gold standard, with upgrades in 2025 that included new standing signage to help direct attendees to weigh-ins, check scales and venue access points.

The Freestyle and Greco State Championships returned to the Wisconsin Dells to serve as a cornerstone of the national team selection process. Nearly 500 athletes competed at the True Beginners Freestyle and Greco State, and the WWF partnered with USA Wrestling to host Dominate in the Dells.

Kids Team State moved to the JustaGame SportsDome in 2025 and once again saw a record number of teams competing. A highly anticipated addition this season was the introduction of two girls-only divisions, which was well-received as girls wrestling continues its rapid growth across Wisconsin.

Membership 
USA Wrestling membership in Wisconsin increased by 5% from 2024 and once again set a new record with a total of 15,417 members. This included 12,567 athlete memberships, 2,850 wrestling leaders, 183 clubs and 134 sanctioned events. The increase in numbers represents the strength of wrestling, a unified vision guided by USA Wrestling, and our continued efforts to provide quality opportunities for wrestlers at all levels in the sport.

Team USA Highlights
Wisconsin wrestlers once again excelled at events serving as part of USA Wrestling’s team selection process. This included 21 All-Americans at Women’s Nationals and 27 All-Americans at the U.S. Open events. 

Juliana LaSavage won gold at the U15 Pan Ams, while Connor Mirasola captured gold at both the U20 and U23 Pan Ams. Cole Mirasola added U20 Pan Am gold, and in August the twins followed with U20 World bronze medals. Kylie Welker earned a second-straight senior world bronze medal and Macey Kilty added another top 5 finish to her resume. Team USA women’s freestyle placed 4th overall. Alston Nutter competed in his first Senior World Championships, and Payton Jacobson placed 7th in Greco-Roman. This week will see Wisconsin wrestlers compete in all styles at the U23 World Championships—Max Ramberg and Payton Jacobson in Greco, Kylie Welker in women’s freestyle and Mitchell Mesenbrink in freestyle. Competition begins in Serbia on October 20.

Wisconsin’s younger age groups also shined on the national stage. At Kids Folkstyle Nationals, champions included Cameron Allen, Ari McKenna, John Reimer, Everett Zeitler, Elias Green, and Marissa Zeitler. From Junior & 16U Folkstyle Nationals, champions were Carson Neubert, Brooke Huffman, Nathan Hines, and Logan Kuck. In the freestyle and Greco divisions, Cameron Allen, Everett Zeitler, and Dylan Sardina claimed national titles—with Allen securing USA Wrestling’s prestigious Triple Crown.

Thank You!
A huge thank you to our wrestlers, coaches, volunteers, officials, parents, and the entire membership for being the driving force behind the WWF and USA Wrestling! As we kick off another thrilling year, we’re more motivated than ever to build on this success, growth, and excellence in all areas of the sport. Together, Wisconsin Wrestling will continue to shine with its culture of teamwork, competition, and unparalleled camaraderie.

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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.