Iola High School state champion Addie Wacker hopes to add a national title to her resume at Thursday’s U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
Wacker departed Iola Thursday, en route to the Fargodome, which will be the site of what is marketed as the largest wrestling tournament in the country with weigh-ins beginning Thursday morning.
Wacker is a celebrated folkstyle wrestler and the defending Kansas 4A state champion in the 130 lbs. weight class. She is a relative newcomer to freestyle wrestling.
In freestyle, there is no bottom position, meaning there are no points for escapes. This makes aggression from the standup vital. Freestyle also does not have a penalty for slamming an opponent.
In fact, slamming is encouraged. Judges award grapplers points for slams and a five-point slam, where a wrestler’s throw results in an opponent landing flat on his or her back, bringing an immediate stoppage in favor of the thrower.
Wacker will compete for Team Kansas in the 16U division. Last March, she became the first Iola High School female state champion after winning the 130 lbs. weight class. She was also the Class 4A Regional champion. In 2024, she won the first state medal in IHS female wrestling history after taking third place.
Along with her elite
wrestling background, Wacker has also earned varsity letters in volleyball and softball. She will enter her junior year this fall and will get plenty of touches as the Mustangs’ setter.
