The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced the state winners 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. 

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. 

“Each year, our Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award allows us to recognize young women who represent the very best of our sport,” said NWHOF Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “This award celebrates more than athletic achievement by also honoring leadership, character and a commitment to excellence on the mat, in the classroom and in their communities. As women’s wrestling continues its remarkable growth across the country, these student-athletes are helping lead the way and inspiring the next generation.” 

TSHSEA winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. 

The Central Region, Midwest Region, Northeast Region, Southeast Region and West Region winners will be announced on April 21 and the national winner will be announced on April 27. 

The state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on Thursday. 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 regional DSHSEA winners will be announced on April 22 and the national winner will be announced on April 28. 

The regional winners for the TSHSEA and the DSHSEA are selected from the state winners, and the national winner is chosen from the regional winners. 

The regions and the states that they are comprised of are: 

West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming 

Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin 

Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas 

Southeast (11) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia 

Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont 

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. 

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. 

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 Pegou, 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 

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

Year - Name, High School, Hometown, State, College Attending
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