Raccoon River Wrestling State Recap
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On February 7, 2025, the Raccoon River Wrestling (RRW) team won the State Tournament in class 2A, continuing their legacy and strengthening Girls Wrestling’s presence in Iowa High School sports.
RRW is only in its third year of existence, as Girls Wrestling did not become a high school-sanctioned sport until 2022. The young team is comprised of female athletes from Northwest, Waukee, Adel DeSoto Midburn (ADM), and Van Meter High Schools. They have been steadily improving throughout their existence, finishing 19th in their first year at State and jumping to a second-place tie the following year. This year, the team finished as the State Champions with 160 points, beating out their closest opponent, Ankeny High School, by a close 17 points.
Northwest Senior Naomi Templeman reflects, “[At the State Tournament] I wrestled my best and had fun with my teammates. It was the best feeling to achieve my own goals and see everyone else achieve theirs.”
Ten athletes, four from Northwest, qualified to compete at the state tournament, and nine of them ended up on the podium. After RRW’s performance at the State Tournament, the team became one of the top ten high school Girls Wrestling teams in the U.S., jumping from 17th to 8th nationally.
105- Katie Biscoglia
Katie Biscoglia, a junior from Van Meter High School, has been making history in the sport of wrestling since she first hit the mat her freshman year. During her freshman year, she became the first-ever State Champion, and later, as a sophomore, she became the first two-time State Champion, finishing both seasons undefeated in the 100-pound weight class. In her junior year, Biscoglia won her third state title, this time in the 105-pound weight class.
This year presented a new set of challenges for Biscoglia. Wrestling in the 105-pound weight class for the first time, she faced new opponents she had yet to compete against. At the Dan Gable Donnybrook wrestling tournament, Biscoglia lost for the first time in her high school career to Sandy Breeden from Liberty, Missouri.
“[I had to] step back and take a breath, but I was able to move past [the loss] pretty quickly… I’m really good at turning my nerves into excitement when I wrestle,” Biscoglia remarked.
Biscoglia did not let the loss shake her. She entered the State Tournament ranked first, looking to take home her third state title. She cruised through the first three rounds of the tournament, pinning all of her opponents within the first period. In the State Championship match, Biscoglia faced number seven-ranked Keira Hessenius, who proved to be a stronger opponent than her first matches. Nevertheless, Biscolgia walked away with her third state title after winning the match with an 18-2 technical fall in the third period.
Biscoglia’s performance helped lead her team to victory, securing their spot as the number one wrestling team in the state. This makes her the first three-time State Champion and sets her up to be the first-ever four-time champion.
In addition to setting records for the state of Iowa, Biscoglia has also set two new records for the team: the most near takedowns in a season, with 38, and the most wins in a season, with a cumulative record of 58 wins.
“There is so much more work I could put in to be better [for next season]. I am nowhere near as great as I could be. I will take a step back to be proud of what I’ve accomplished, and then I’m back to work,” stated Biscoglia.
130- Calista Rodish
Calista Rodish is a Junior at Waukee High School. She has been participating in Girls Wrestling ever since it was first sanctioned in 2022 and was recently named the State Runner-up in the 130-pound weight class. Rodish has been steadily improving her skills as a wrestler throughout her high school career.
After placing 6th in her freshman year, she came back as a sophomore to take 4th place, and by her junior year, she had moved into second place in the state. Rodish was the second seed going into the tournament and was able to pin her first three opponents easily.
The challenge came in the state finals match, where she would face the number one seed, Mackenzie Childers, a senior from Cedar Rapids and the only person Rodish had previously lost to in the season. Rodish lost by a technical fall in the second period but still secured her spot as state runner-up. By the end of the season, Rodish’s record was 44-2, with her only losses being to Childers.
140- Naomi Templeman
Northwest senior Naomi Templeman has been involved in RRW Wrestling since its conception three years ago. From being a sophomore JV athlete, placing 8th her junior year, and being the third-best athlete in the state in the 140-pound weight class as a senior, Templeman’s dedication to the sport has improved her greatly.
“I grew mentally throughout the season. In every match, I thought through what I was doing and wrestled with a flow. I believed I could beat girls who had beaten me before, and I did,” said Templeman
Templeman quickly pinned her first two opponents within the first period, getting her 100th career pin in the first round. However, she fell to number two-ranked Shaylee Sutherland, a senior from Spencer, in the quarter-finals.
Now in the consolation rounds, Templeman went on to pin her next two matches and win 3rd place with an impressive record of 51-5.
“Wrestling shaped me to be self-disciplined and teachable. I showed up every day for practice, whether I felt the motivation to or not. It is beneficial for girls to be strong, both mentally and physically, and wrestling is the best sport to challenge yourself and make you stronger. Wrestling has also given me some of my closest friends; we all go through the toughest sport together,” Templeman expressed.
As a senior, Templeman has left a lasting legacy on the team, not only as a leader and teammate but also with a new team record she set in the 2024-2025 season. She had the most pins ever in a season, 42 total by the end of the State Tournament. Templeman plans to continue her wrestling career at the West Point Wrestling Club, where they intend to establish a new team.
235- Reese Baxter
ADM senior Reese Baxter made her second appearance in the State Tournament. After a brief debut as a junior, where she went 1-2, Baxter returned to Coralville with more experience and a determination to succeed. Despite going in as the sixth seed, she wrestled hard. She showed incredible grit and perseverance to secure her spot on the podium in 3rd place.
“My experience at State was unlike any other year, it was really fun and relaxed this year. We all competed our best and had so much fun,” said Baxter. The positive and uplifting environment was felt by the whole team, keeping the tournament enjoyable rather than distressing.
After ending her first match with a pin, Baxter went on to face the number three seed, Aniyah Smith, where she lost in a close match by only one point. She did not let this deter her, and she went on to quickly pin her next two matches in the consolation bracket. Baxter found herself facing Smith once again. Despite losing to her earlier in the tournament, Baxter got her revenge and upset Smith with a second-period pin.
100- Cassidy McCallister
Cassidy McCallister is a sophomore at Waukee High School and is in her second year of wrestling with RRW. This year, she wrestled in the 100-pound weight class and finished 4th overall at the State Tournament.
“I had a lot of fun at state, the bonds in wrestling are like no other. I am friends with almost every girl I wrestle with. My team and I had a lot of fun together, and I especially enjoyed the first day because it was my birthday, and I made it to the semifinals,” explained McCallister
McCallister won her first two matches with a technical fall, dominating her opponents by 15 points. She then fell in the semifinal round to the number one seed, Siera Becker, a sophomore from Indianola. She went on to compete for third place in the consolation round, where she lost to the number eight seed, Piper Phillips, a freshman from Mason City.
This season marked an era of tremendous growth for McCallister. She went into the season as an unknown athlete, unranked and determined to improve. After the regular season, she went into the State Tournament, ranked 5th in the state and finished 4th overall with a record of 43-6. McCallister additionally set a new team record for most technical falls and takedowns in a season, ending with 16 tech falls and 136 takedowns.
Despite her incredible achievements, McCallister emphasizes the significance of teamwork rather than focusing solely on individual success. “My team is like a family. They have taught me to not care only about myself but for the whole team because it takes everyone to win a state championship. Everyone knows that, and we work hard for each other and not just ourselves,” explained McCallister.
Despite her incredible achievements, McCallister emphasizes the significance of teamwork rather than focusing solely on individual success. “My team is like a family. They have taught me to not care only about myself but for the whole team because it takes everyone to win a state championship. Everyone knows that, and we work hard for each other and not just ourselves,” explained McCallister.
McCallister plans to work hard in the off-season to come back stronger next year and continue improving as an athlete.
115- Natalie Keller
Natalie Keller is a Northwest High School sophomore wrestling for RRW at 115 pounds. After missing the podium by one win the previous year, Keller came into the tournament looking to improve. Ranked 5th in the tournament, Keller did exactly what she needed to do and finished in 5th place, bringing in points for her team.
“This season has caused me to grow immensely, both physically and mentally. I was challenged and faced many barriers that I had to overcome, even though I would have much rather given up. At the beginning of the season, I lacked confidence, but through many losses, I learned that even with all the hard work I’ve put in, without confidence, it was worth nothing. If I wanted to win, I had to first believe I could win,” Keller reflected.
Keller won her first match but fell to the number four seed sophomore Libby Stocks from Waterloo West. She had to fight her way through the consolation rounds, going 3-1 to work herself back for 5th and ending her season with a 39-11 record.
Keller explained, “I didn’t think or feel any different than I have in any other match. Between matches, I tried not to let myself get overwhelmed or feel anything that could affect my wrestling. It wasn’t until after I wrestled my last match and got my hand raised that a giant sense of relief rushed over me, and I finally allowed myself to be proud of what I had achieved.”
Keller aims to continue growing her confidence as an athlete, pushing herself to be uncomfortable and always striving to be better than she was the day before.
120- Izzy Duncan
Izzy Duncan is a sophomore at Van Meter High School. After a short freshman appearance at the State Tournament, Duncan returned to Coralville as a much-improved sophomore, finishing 7th place overall in the 120-pound weight class with a 46-15 season record.
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Duncan won her first match but then lost 7-0 to the number two seed, Aveah Smith from Lewis Central. She worked through three consolation matches to secure her place at 7th and win her first state medal. Her hard work paid off, and she set a new team record for the most reversals, with a season total of 22.
125- Ellie Hancock
This was Northwest sophomore Ellie Hancock’s second appearance at the State Tournament. Going into the tournament ranked 9th overall, Hancock was not favored to land on the podium. With the odds against her, she managed to fight her way into 7th place in the 125-pound weight class.
“I’ve gotten much stronger and better as an athlete throughout this season, but I’ve also gotten mentally tougher, and I’ve been able to get through hard things at school and practice,” explained Hancock.
After winning her first match, Hancock then had to go head to head with the number one seed Emerson Gregg, a senior from Lewis Central, a match that put her into the consolation rounds. Despite this loss, Hancock remained resilient and paved her way through consolations into her place on the podium.
135- Edie Collins
Edie Collins is a new sophomore at Northwest High School. She just recently moved into the district from Charles City but has been making her mark on Northwest’s Girls Wrestling program, nevertheless. In her first State Tournament in Iowa, Collins finished in 7th place, winning three of her five matches.
“I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to at state, but my teammates made it super fun, and it was awesome to get to see them succeed,” explained Collins.
Although she wishes that she had done better, Collins made some remarkable achievements this season. She is a four-sport athlete, competing at a varsity level in volleyball, wrestling, track and field and softball. Despite her disappointment, finishing 7th in the state with a 46-11 record is an impressive feat.
“Wrestling is the best sport when it comes to pushing yourself mentally and physically, and I think my team has really been there to support me. We stand and have each other’s back, and I think that is really amazing,” Collins reflected.
Collins plans to work hard in her other three sports, come back to the State Tournament and place higher than she did this year.
155- Bella Bruins
Bella Bruins is a Van Meter Junior who qualified to compete in the State Tournament in the 155-pound weight class. Athletics is important to Bruins, as she is not only involved in wrestling but has also participated in soccer, track and field and cross country during her time in high school.
Coming into the tournament, Bruins was the number five seed in the state and was looking at a podium finish. However, her State Tournament run came to an abrupt end after a shocking upset in the first round to number twelve seed Gracey Smith from Clear Lake. Facing the number four seed, Shaona Emmanuel, in the consolation bracket, her State performance came to a close with a quick pin in the first period.
RRW coaching staff
In addition to incredibly successful athletes, RRW wrestling also has a very accomplished coaching staff. Led by head coach, James Biscoglia, the RRW coaches have worked hard to lead their athletes and motivate them for successThis year, they were recognized as the 2025 Central District Class 2A Coaching Staff of the Year.
Grace Reinhart
While she did not qualify to compete at the State Tournament this year, Northwest senior Grace Reinhart made history this February when she became the first female wrestler to commit to competing at a higher level. She will be wrestling for Luther College in the fall of 2025.
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