IWCOA Girls State Wrestling 2021

Ames High athletics and the Ames Community School District would like to congratulate seven members of the Ames High wrestling team on a historic weekend at the 2021 Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) Girls State Championships. The seven students who competed were the first athletes to ever wrestle at the girl’s state championships. The tournament took place on January 22 and 23 at the new Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Members of the team are Jaeydn Heeren, Piper Bartmess, Alexis Winkey, Alicia Nicolas, Leah Stagg, Maegan Schoppe, and Savannah Williams. Ames High is led by head coach Andy Fecht and assistant coach Dwayne Myers.

Alexis Winkey became the first Little Cyclone to win a match when she pinned her opening-round opponent. That was the first of four falls for Winkey over her two-day run. The freshman finished in the top-16 in the 126-pound weight class. Winkey is following in her father’s footsteps. Brandon Winkey won the 140-pound state title for Ames High in 2000.

In addition to Winkey’s success, Ames High won three other matches at the tournament. Alicia Nicolas, Jaeydn Heeren, and Savannah Williams all recorded pins for the Little Cyclones on Friday. Ames High finished 49th in the tournament with 24 team points.

The sport of girls wrestling is exploding in popularity. This year, 457 athletes competed in the state tournament. That number is up from 67 just five years ago.

Ames High athletics and the Ames Community School District would again like to congratulate the seven students who wrestled and made history. We are proud of you and can’t wait to see your future success on the mat and in the classroom.