WILTON, Iowa–As a seventh grader, Hannah Rogers saw that girls could wrestle successfully too. When the younger student, Joslyn Holladay, pinned the boy she competed against, Hannah knew she wanted to wrestle too. Hannah and her parents welcomed both the physical and mental challenges wrestling would provide, and she soon joined her local team. Now as a sophomore, Hannah has the honor of representing Wilton as its first girls’ wrestling state champion.
After competing in the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Girls State Tournament as a first-year student in 2021 but not placing in the top eight, Hannah set a goal of making it to the podium this year. When the season started, and she found herself wrestling with more confidence, she aimed for a more ambitious achievement, to finish the season as a state champion. She said, “This year, entering the state tournament, ranked third in the state, I knew I had one job, to prove everyone wrong–to prove to everyone that I was number one and that I was the best because it’s all your mentality, and how bad you want it.”
Hannah had an exciting two days at the state tournament. After having a bye in the first round, Hannah won the second round easily by pinning her opponent in only 19 seconds. In her third-round matchup, Hannah gained the upper hand on her opponent by pinning her with only 39 seconds to spare in the third period. Hannah achieved another come-from-behind victory in the quarter-finals, getting a pin near the end of the second period. The semifinal match appeared intimidating because Hannah faced the number one seed wrestler, a girl she had lost against the previous year. However, Hannah fought valiantly, eventually defeating her.
Energized by the difficult victory, Hannah knew she had what it took to win the tournament: “I had beaten the number one seed–I had beaten the girl deemed unbeatable. I knew the girl I was wrestling was a senior and that she had been wrestling for way longer than me, but it didn’t matter because the work I had put in had gotten me this far, and it was going to take me all the way, no matter how long it took.” It only took Hannah one period to beat her final opponent, who she pinned with three seconds left on the clock.
Wilton’s Hannah Rogers became the school’s first girls wrestling state champion at the state tournament on Jan. 22. Photo courtesy of Hannah Rogers.
Hannah felt elated by her win. “The feeling of winning a title with that much honor was pure joy and happiness–I was emotional because I am passionate about the sport; I love it with all my heart,” she shared.
She also welcomed the announcement that the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union will sanction girls’ wrestling as an official sport in the 2022-2023 school year. “I hope that this inspires so many girls to come out and try wrestling!” she beamed.
After a highly successful season, her coach, Gabe Boorn, felt very proud of her achievements. “The way she wrestled with confidence, intensity, and kept her composure throughout her state tournament run was admirable,” he observed. “We are excited to see what the next two years will bring for her, and hopefully, her success will encourage more girls within our hallways to join the team!”
