By Rich Winter

605 Sports

With the ever growing sport of girls wrestling and the return of some serious firepower the 2024-25 girls wrestling season in South Dakota should be nothing short of spectacular. 

Lakota Tech senior Giada Scherich made history last winter when she won a state title (138 - the first state champion in school history). Scherich, along with a strong Lakota Tech girls team, will be fun to follow this season.

Multi-time state champions that fans will miss in the early part of the season are Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann and Harrisburg’s Regina Stoeser. Both athletes were injured early in the summer at a tournament in Las Vegas. Hellmann will be looking to become South Dakota’s first five-time champion while Stoeser will be looking for a fourth consecutive title next spring. 

Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Britney Rueb has won three consecutive state titles. 

Other returning state champions:

(100) - Finley Evjen, Canton, eighth-grader

(114) - Alexis Bryant McCook Central/Montrose

(120) - Britney Rueb, Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon, junior

(126) - Regina Stoeser, Harrisburg, junior

(138) - Peyton Hellmann, Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon, senior

(145) - Johanna Steinlicht, Brookings, senior

(152) - Abbigail Lewis, Pierre, sophomore

Returning state place-winners:

100 - Olivia Anderson, Watertown, freshman; Liza Krueger, Groton Area, freshman; Shaylee Speck, Pierre, sophomore; Kendall Clayton, Brandon Valley, sophomore; Annalee Pierson, Sturgis, eighth-grader; Mataya Jacobs, Rapid City Central, freshman; Kyra Vandenberg, Belle Fourche, sophomore. 

107 - Irini Poka, Rapid City Central, sophomore; Brooklyn Randall, Watertown, eighth-grader; Brandy Marshall, Lakota Tech, junior. 

114 - Dani Ringstmeyer, Pierre, senior; Hadley Bryant, Harrisburg, eighth-grader; Jocelyn Thoms, Lennox, freshman; Langston Huffman, Rapid City Central, eighth-grader; Frankie Kranz, Mitchell, sophomore; Madelyn Schlup, Spearfish, senior. 

120 - Quinn Butler, Lemmon/McIntosh, junior; Candice Matsuda, Spearfish, junior; Anna Henstein, Rapid City Central, sophomore; Danny Borja, Mitchell, junior; Kanyn Padden, Harding County, sophomore; Lainey Haines, Tea Area, freshman. 

126 - Sophia Knittel, Ipswich/Bowdle, eighth-grader; Cateri Yellow Hawk, Sully Buttes, junior; Brooklyn Baird, Sturgis, junior; Lexie Hillmer, Pierre, freshman; Mathilde Matsuda, Spearfish, junior; Jessica Waln, Lakota Tech, senior; Hadlee Kracht, Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon. 

132 - Summer Guthmiller, Sioux Valley, senior; Reese Olson, Beresford, Alcester/Hudson, sophomore; Kezrey Benning, Pierre, junior; Tahnie Yellow Hawk, Sully Buttes, sophomore; Jasmine Maas, Aberdeen Central, senior. 

138 - Jaidynn Giedd, Kingsbury County, eighth-grader, Jasmine Perez, Mobridge-Pollock, junior; Tiara Faehnrich, Hill City, senior; Teagan Vining, St. Thomas More, senior. 

145 - Ireland Templeton, Pierre, senior; Sarah Rickenbach, Hot Springs, sophomore; Sammie Reill, Harrisburg, senior; Lin Paw Jone, Aberdeen Central, freshman, Kenzie King, Canton, junior; Hailey Fortney, West Central, sophomore; Maddie Feiock, Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda. 

152 - Marieda Kalahar, Rapid City Stevens, senior; Reganne Miles, Doland, senior; Emerson Skuodos, Harrisburg, junior; April Peterson, Watertown, senior; Daisy Munoz, Hill City, junior. 

165 - Rhiannen Heimdal, Harrisburg, junior; Sandra Moves Camp, Lakota Tech, junior; Natalie Long, Canton, sophomore; Ashley Tolsma, Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon, senior. 

185 - Allison Konrad, Watertown, junior; Jessica Hite, Custer, sophomore; Lillian Hamner, Brandon Valley, junior; Marlee Heltzel, Spearfish, freshman; Tallie Brehm, Rapid City Stevens, junior; Lily Nelson, Aberdeen Central, junior. 

250 - Alissa Ault, Sioux Falls Jefferson, junior; Unique Clairmont, Todd County, junior; Eden Hach, Watertown, sophomore; Nina Howard, Aberdeen Central, eighth-grader.