The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced that Natalie Radecki of Newark, Delaware is the 2026 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). 

The Hall of Fame’s High School Excellence Awards are proudly sponsored by the Hyman Family, whose generous support and passion for the sport help ensure the continued recognition and development of wrestling’s next generation. 

“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame,” said Radecki. “It feels amazing to finally be recognized and I am grateful for those who have supported me. I am looking forward to attending and wrestling for Lehigh University next year, and like Tricia Saunders did, I hope to have a lasting impact on women’s wrestling.”

First presented in 2014, the award is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women’s wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. 

The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. 

The national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on Wednesday. The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. 

The TSHSEA and DSHSEA national winners will be honored during the 49th Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 5 and 6 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information, visit https://nwhof.org/news/2026-honors-weekend-information. 

“As the newest national winner of our Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, Natalie Radecki joins an inspiring group of young women who exemplify the values this award represents,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “Her willingness to compete on the boys team reflects a true desire to wrestle while her accomplishments, qualifying for the boys state tournament four times and becoming the first girl in state history to place twice, speak to her remarkable commitment and dedication. 

“Being named team captain is a testament to the respect she has earned from her teammates, while her advocacy efforts with Wrestle Like A Girl and her work to help secure a girls division at the Beast of the East tournament demonstrate her passion for growing opportunities in women’s wrestling,” he added. “Natalie’s achievements extend beyond the mat as well, as she has excelled academically, performed as a cello player, and given her time to serve others through volunteer work. She truly represents the best of what this award is meant to honor.” 

The daughter of Anthony and Caron Radecki, Natalie will continue her wrestling career at Lehigh University. 

She qualified for the Delaware boys state wrestling tournament four times and finished sixth in 2025 and 2026 to become the first girl in state history to place in the boys tournament twice. She was a team captain and finished her high school career with a 101-45 overall record, including 28-0 against girls and 73-45 against boys. 

Radecki won the U17 Pan American Championships and received the Golden Boot presented to the outstanding wrestler in 2025. She was a Junior Nationals champion in 2025 and a 16U Nationals runner-up in 2024 while placing second, third and sixth at the USA Wrestling Trials. She was a Beast of the East girls champion in 2023 and a runner-up in 2024. 

She lettered three years in cross country and earned all-county and all-state honors every year. She was a four-time member of the Founders Honor Roll and was named Outstanding Scholar Athlete of the junior class and student of the month in 2024. 

Radecki was treasurer of the Student Government Association three times while also being a member of the Race Amity Club. She was a member of the Senior Tri-M Music Honor Society and played the cello in the wind ensemble, the Caravel Cabaret, and the symphonic band. 

She worked with Wrestle Like A Girl to petition the state of Delaware to sanction girls wrestling and also advocated to get a girls division at the Beast of the East tournament. Radecki volunteered four years at White Clay Creek State Park, Lums Pond State Park and with Special Olympics while also volunteering at the One Journey event in 2023. She builds cat kennels for the Humane Society while also being a member of Amnesty International. 

Radecki becomes the first national winner from Delaware. California and Tennessee are tied for the most national winners with two each while Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and Washington have each had one winner.

Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports with participation growing by more 447 percent from 16,562 in 2018 to 74,064 in 2025. 

Forty-eight state high school athletic associations have voted to approve girls wrestling as an official sport, and 48 held official girls high school state wrestling championships in 2025-26. Hawaii was the first state to host a girls state championship in 1998 and Texas began its girls’ tournament in 1999. The number grew to six states by 2015. 

In 2025, the NCAA added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport. Women's wrestling advanced from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to become a national collegiate championship, featuring female athletes from all three divisions competing against one another. The NCAA held its first women's wrestling championship in March. The NAIA recognizes women’s wrestling as an official varsity sport and held their first official championship in 2023. 

There are over 200 intercollegiate women’s wrestling teams competing at the NCAA, NAIA, junior college and community college level.

The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. 

All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 

Year - Name, High School, Hometown, State, College Attending
2026 - Natalie Radecki, Newark, Delaware, Caravel Academy, Lehigh University
2025 - Piper Fowler, Cleveland, Tennessee, Cleveland High School, William Penn University
2024 - Nebi Tsarni, Watkins Mill High School, Montgomery Village, Maryland
2023 - Kira Pipkins, Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, New Jersey
2022 - Sofia Macaluso, Minisink High School, Otisville, New York (U20 World Silver Medalist)
2021 - Olivia Brown, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
2020 - Nanea Estrella, Lahainaluna High School, Makawao, Hawaii
2019 - Emily Shilson, Mounds View High School, North Oaks, Minnesota (Five-Time College National Champion, Junior World Champion)
2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California
2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho
2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee
2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington
2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California

2026 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award Regional Winners

Region - Name, Hometown, State, High School, College Attending
Central Region – Kiley Dillow, Chanute, Kansas, Chanute High School, Fort Hays State University 
Midwest Region – Taylor Whiting, Oconto, Wisconsin, Lena High School, University of Iowa 
Northeast Region – Natalie Radecki, Newark, Delaware, Caravel Academy, Lehigh University 
Southeast Region – Willow White, Miami, Florida, Law Enforcement Officers Memorial High School 
West Region – Zorina Johnson, Portland, Oregon, Ida B. Wells High School, Lehigh University

2026 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners 

State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending
Alabama - Mackenzie Schultz, Enterprise High School, Daleville, Life University
Alaska - Malila Miller, Service High School, Anchorage
Arizona - Everest Leydecker, Valiant College Preparatory, Phoenix, University of Iowa
Arkansas - Dalani Hornbuckle, Rogers High School, Rogers, Carl Albert State College
California - Stevie Joyce Martin, Granada High School, Castro Valley, Lehigh University
Colorado - Timberly Martinez, Pomona High School, Lakewood, University of Western Colorado
Connecticut - Jillian Blake, Trumbull High School, Trumbull, Sacred Heart University
Delaware - Natalie Radecki, Caravel Academy, Newark, Lehigh University
Department of Defense - Kaelyn Ronnau, Kaiserslautern High School, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Florida - Willow White, Law Enforcement Officers Memorial High School, Miami
Georgia - Elle Kaufmann, The Lovett School, Atlanta
Hawaii - Serah Yogi, Pearl City High School, Mililiani, Colorado Mesa University
Idaho - Kyler Scott, Century High School, Pocatello
Illinois - Claudia Heeney, Lockport High School, Orland Park, Menlo College
Indiana - Aleksandra Bastaic, Highland High School, Highland
Iowa - Anastasia Simon, Decorah High School, Decorah
Kansas - Kiley Dillow, Chanute High School, Chanute, Fort Hays State University
Kentucky - Tatum Millet, Oldham County High School, LaGrange
Louisiana - Olivia Maxie, Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Baton Rouge
Maine - Hannah Perro, Noble High School, Lebanon
Maryland - Sonia Pegoue, Walter Johnson High School, Kensington
Massachusetts - Samantha Bertini, Ludlow High School, Ludlow, McKendree University
Michigan - Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell High School, Plainwell
Minnesota - Caley Graber, Northfield High School, Northfield, McKendree University
Mississippi - Addy Mollendor, Ocean Springs High School, Ocean Springs, Colby Community College
Missouri - Jayden Keller, Brookfield High School, Brookfield, William Jewell College
Montana - Bella Downing, Flathead High School, Columbia Falls, Ottawa University
Nebraska - Jordyn Campbell, Yutan High School, Gretna
Nevada - Mika Yoffee, SLAM! Nevada, Las Vegas
New Hampshire - Madison Beauregard, Concord High School, Concord, Arcadia University
New Jersey - Saharia Quamina, Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield
New Mexico - Eloise Woolsey, V. Sue Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho, Colorado Mesa University
New York - Charlie Wylie, Port Jervis High School, Montague
North Carolina - Faith Bane, New Bern High School, New Bern, Life University
North Dakota - Aleiya Cullinan, Bismarck Legacy High School, Bismarck, Bismarck State College
Ohio - Deionna Borders, Berea-Midpark High School, Berea
Oklahoma - Millie Azlin, Bixby High School, Bixby, Oklahoma State University
Oregon - Zorina Johnson, Ida B. Wells High School, Portland, Lehigh University
Pennsylvania - Julia Horger, Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, Bensalem
Rhode Island - Yasmin Bido, E-Cubed Academy, Providence
South Carolina - Bianca Connell, Mauldin High School, Easley
South Dakota - Regina Stoeser, Harrisburg High School, Sioux Falls, Fort Hays State University
Tennessee - Audrey Levendusky, Montgomery Central High School, Clarksville, King University
Texas - Cydney Davis, El Paso Bel Air High School, El Paso,
Utah - Taya Crookston, Ridgeline High School, North Smithfield
Vermont - Maisa Allen, Otter Valley Union High School, Brandon
Virginia - Sophia Slaughter, Orange County High School, Orange
Washington - Adalyne Montiel, Toppenish High School, Toppenish
West Virginia - Morganne Miller, East Hardy High School, Wardensville
Wisconsin - Taylor Whiting, Lena High School, Oconto, University of Iowa
Wyoming - Kaylie Julander, Kemmerer High School, Kemmerer