Some of Gabrielle Koppes’ toughest battles on her path to Kansas history were internal. 

She battled through a torn calf and a fractured fibula on her way to a state championship as a junior and overcame all the mental stress attached to preserving an undefeated career record. 

“I’ve worked on my mindset the past few years,” she said. “I’ve kind of just realized that records are records, but when you step out on the mat, none of that really means anything. The score’s gonna start zero to zero, and you just have to wrestle hard for six minutes.”

Each time she stepped on the mat for Clay Center Community High School, Koppes walked off victorious. She wrapped up her high school career earlier this month by winning her fourth Kansas state title, running her record to 126-0 and becoming the state’s first girl to complete a four-year undefeated run. 

She’s the state’s third wrestler to finish high school undefeated, joining Blue Valley Northwest’s Zach Roberson (1996-99) and Salina South’s Bo Maynes (1995-98) to accomplish the feat. 

State history was never the goal in the beginning when Koppes started wrestling with her two older brothers at the age of 4. They would come home from practice and try out new holds on their younger sister. 

“I would get mad because I didn’t know what I was doing,” Koppes said. “So my parents were like, ‘just go with them to practice once and maybe learn a few things.’” 

She did and never stopped wrestling. Her 126-0 career record included 110 pins, four technical falls, six major decisions and two forfeits for a 96.8 percent bonus-point rate. 

“Gabi is truly a remarkable human being,” Clay Center Community coach Brandon Pigorsch said. “We are extremely proud of her and how she has battled through her journey of excellence. This couldn't have happened without a great group of coaches, teammates and family members. Throughout the whole process Gabi has been humble and strong in her faith.”

She has strengthened her mind along the way, too. Pigorsch said they worked on her mindset as she battled through injuries as a junior. They worked on positive visualization exercises where Koppes would envision hitting all her moves in a match before it started.

“I think last year she felt a lot of pressure,” he said. 

Pigorsch has seen Koppes become more confident in her wrestling, which was apparent in her final high school tournament. She registered three first-period pins before scoring an 11-1 major decision in the finals against Wellsville’s Olive Dubois. 

Koppes will continue her wrestling career at Baker University, where she also plans to compete in the pole vault and javelin events for the track team. 

Three Times Four

High school history was made in Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania with three more of the nation’s top wrestlers collecting their fourth state titles. 

Ohio’s Makennah Craft secured her fourth state title on March 9 to finish her career undefeated.  

It was the third OHSAA state title for the senior from Jackson High School. Craft won her first title when the state tournament was organized by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association before the state sanctioned girls wrestling.  

"Honestly, as soon as the match ended, I was over-the-moon excited but also didn't want this season to end," she said. "Winning the fourth state title was honestly a dream come true, but I hate to leave my high school and my amazing teammates and coach. I am beyond excited to see what the next chapter holds for me, though."

The fourth Pennsylvania title for Aubre Krazer came via a 20-5 technical fall. The Lehigh-bound senior was named the outstanding wrestler of the PIAA girls tournament after pinning her way to the finals. 

Krazer led 14-3 with 38 seconds remaining in the 130-pound title bout against Zoe Furman when her coaches challenged her to chase two more takedowns for a tech. She scored the second just before time expired. 

"I knew I didn't have a lot of time left, so when I got it within that last five seconds, I think I was pretty shocked," she said. 

In Iowa, Molly Allen became the state’s second four-time champion, finishing her career on the girls' side with a 103-0 record. She also qualified for the boys state tournament as a freshman. Allen dominated the Class 1A 125-pound bracket, registering three first-period technical falls and a 44-second pin. 

On The Rise 

Ohio high school sophomore Talea Guntrum currently isn’t listed in the national rankings. But that could change soon. 

The Steubenville native captured her second state title, scoring a fall in the finals. Her title came on the heels of a fifth-place finish in a college bracket at the Warrior Women’s Open, where Guntrum scored three first-period falls.   

“I don’t really have a lot of expectations going into bigger tournaments like that,” Guntrum said. “I just go out there and wrestle my match, and whatever happens happens.” 

Guntrum is a four-sport athlete who also participates in softball, volleyball and track. The other sports have helped fuel her fire for wrestling. 

“When I’m not wrestling and doing a different sport, I miss the sport way more. It’s not 24/7 wrestling, wrestling, wrestling,” she said. “Once September comes around I'm ready to wrestle again, I’m super excited for the season, and I’m all in.”     

Columbia Attracting HS Talent

Columbia University’s women’s program is still operating as a club, but some of the nation’s top high school wrestlers are showing interest in joining the Lions. 

Georgia state finalist Ivy Andersen, a senior from Mill Creek High School, plans to join the club team this fall. 

Andersen’s wrestling career began in Naples, Italy, where she competed in the Department of Defense’s European Championships, taking the title home her freshman year despite the division being dominated by boys. By her sophomore year, Andersen had taken initiative to bring the sport to more girls and recruited eight of them to join her. Her efforts and passion for growing women’s wrestling helped push the creation of the first ever DODEA European Girls Wrestling Championships this year, long after she moved on to the States. 

“My biggest dream since I started was to grow women’s wrestling,” Andersen said. “So I would love, since we’re still only a club team, to help coach Emma (Randall) and the girls invite more girls into the sport and the team and grow women’s wrestling.”

Randall’s team had nine graduating seniors last year.  

“We’re back to rebuilding and bringing in a fresh group of hard-working women who are interested in growing the sport,” Randall said. “And I think that’s something that’s really cool and unique to our program, is how inclusive and how hard we try to make sure there’s a space for everyone. 

“If we’re pioneering here at Columbia, that's just pushing the rest of the Ivy League forward. And I think it’s something that could be huge. There isn’t a Division 1 conference that has women’s wrestling right now, but the Ivy Leagues could be it.”