North Dakota Girls’ State Showcased in the FargoDome

Girl wrestlers in North Dakota showcased their talents at the Girls Wrestling High School State Championships over the weekend. While North Dakota’s efforts to officially sanction high school girls’ wrestling are ongoing, the fifth unofficial state championships were extra special this season.

Wrestling was held in the FargoDome—a venue that’s no stranger to young wrestlers with big dreams. This is a feat that had been sought after for years. At the conclusion of the Boys’ State Duals Tournament, the girls were given the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Fifty-one North Dakota girls between seventh and twelfth grade were able to display their hard work in pursuit of a state title. The girls were divided into eleven weight-based brackets and wrestled in a round-robin format. Regardless of numbers, each athlete was able to come away with a handful of matches. Hands were raised, tears were shed, but most importantly, experience and exposure had been gained.

The eleven individual champions hailed from eight different programs including Central Cass, Hettinger/Scranton, Devils Lake, West Fargo Sheyenne, West Fargo, Grand Forks Central, Harvey-Wells County, and Mandan. Central Cass High School came out on top of the team standings with eight individual placers, highlighted by their three state champions: Norah Scherweit (81-99lbs), Grace Lemar (118-125lbs), and Catie Sinner (191-208lbs).

Individual Champions
81-99lbs: Norah Scherweit of Central Cass
98-103lbs: Jennifer Verdin of Hettinger/Scranton
101-107lbs: Jenna Gerhardt of Devils Lake
104-116lbs: Morgan Strandberg of West Fargo Sheyenne
116-124lbs: Ellie Roseland of Hettinger/Scranton
118-125lbs: Grace Lemar of Central Cass
127-136lbs: Alana Schafer of West Fargo
143-155lbs: Allyssa Johnson of Grand Forks Central
160-166lbs: Haleigh Lematta of Harvey-Wells County
170-187lbs: Summer Fike of Mandan
191-208lbs: Catie Sinner of Central Cass