Part 2: The Countdown Continues – Nos. 40-31
Four returning IKWF state champions. Four state runners-up. Two third-place finishers. A national champion, multiple national runners-up and an IESA state qualifier.
Illinois Matwomen’s Top 50 countdown continues with another ten wrestlers whose accomplishments deserve attention as the 2026/2027 season approaches. Every girl in this installment finished in the top three at the 2026 IKWF Girls State Championships. Together, their records show several different paths to that level: repeated championships, progress through the podium, successful moves into older divisions and results that extend beyond Illinois.
Last week, we opened the five-part series with Nos. 50-41, concluding with Swayze Campbell. This week begins where that article left off, with Penelope Hall at No. 40, and continues through Delaney Maloney at No. 31. By the end of this installment, twenty wrestlers will have been recognized, with thirty still to come.
The criteria remain consistent. IKWF State results provide the foundation, with championships, repeat success and recent accomplishments receiving substantial credit. Results in older divisions carry greater weight, beginning with Senior, followed by Novice, Intermediate and Bantam. The 2026 season receives a modest edge over earlier years. IESA accomplishments and national results add context, while freestyle achievements help complete the picture of a wrestler’s work across the year.
That approach becomes particularly relevant in this group. Three wrestlers arrive with consecutive Intermediate titles, while several others have taken earlier Intermediate success into the Novice state final. Another brings a USA Wrestling national championship alongside an improving IKWF record. Their accomplishments have different strengths, and the order reflects an assessment of the complete record.
