By Rich Winter

605 Sports

Two years ago South Dakota girls wrestling gained legitimacy when the girls competed in a sanctioned state tournament. In that inaugural season 16-person brackets were a rarity because there just weren’t enough girls out for the sport

Fast forward two years and girls wrestling has seen exponential growth and a jump in the talent level in all weight classes. 

According to USA Wrestling South Dakota has three girls that are nationally ranked.

Spearfish’s Taylor Fierbach-Graveman is ranked No. 2 at 132. Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellman is ranked No. 29 at 132 and Canton senior Zoe Adam is ranked No. 2 (200).

So deep are the 2023 state tournament brackets that Spearfish senior and future University of Sioux Falls wrestler Maraia Kruske (30-3) is the No. 3 seed at 106. 

The Pierre girls won the first-ever state team title last year and there is no reason to think Matt Thorson’s squad won’t be on top of the podium again this year. The Pierre girls qualified all 10 of their wrestlers for the state tournament and have been the dominant team in South Dakota this season.

The 2023 field includes nine returning state champions. Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes’ Akane Metcalfe (106), Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Britney Rueb (113), Harrisburg’s Regina Stoeser (120), Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon's Peyton Hellman, Spearfish’s Fierbach-Graveman (132), Lead-Deadwood’s Trinity Zopp (154), Canton’s Carlee Laubach (170), Canton’s Zoe Adam (190) and Pierre’s Ciara McFarling (285)

Rueb and Stoeser are in the same weight class (120). The pair have wrestled twice this season with Rueb winning in sudden victory and 3-2 at the Harriburg girls tournament on Feb. 11.

Fierbach-Graveman, McFarling, Rueb, Hellman and Laubach will each be aiming for a third consecutive state title. 

Fierbach-Graveman has not lost a match against a South Dakota prep athlete and enters the tournament with the most wins in state history (127). 

The girls state tournament will take place Thursday and Friday with all matches being wrestled at the Monument in Rapid City.