Illinois Heads to Keck With 91 Girls Ready for a National Test
By Illinois Matwomen
Illinois brings both numbers and variety to the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals. The entry list checked October 30 includes 91 Illinois girls: 59 in the high school division, 13 in grades 6–8, 16 in grades 3–5 and three in grades 1–2.
From experienced high school competitors to elementary-school wrestlers taking on a national field, this weekend offers an early look at Illinois wrestling across several generations.
WHAT IS KECK PRESEASON NATIONALS?
USA Wrestling’s national folkstyle event brings together youth and high school wrestlers from around the country. The 2026 tournament runs October 29–November 1 at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in West Des Moines, Iowa, moving from its longtime home at the Iowa Events Center.
The tournament honors Brian Keck, who spent 12 years helping build Preseason Nationals before his death in 2019. His work helped create a place where young wrestlers could test themselves against opponents beyond their home states.
USA Wrestling identifies the event as its first national competition of the 2026–27 season. For girls in grades 1–8, it also serves as the opening step toward the organization’s youth Triple Crown.
The published schedule places high school girls competition on Saturday and Sunday, with all three girls youth divisions competing Sunday. USA Bracketing carries brackets and results, live and archived coverage is also available.
ILLINOIS HAS REACHED THE TOP BEFORE
Illinois athletes have already shown what winning this tournament looks like.
Angelina Cassioppi captured the 2022 high school girls national championship at 112 pounds. Valerie Hamilton joined her atop the podium that year, winning the 138-pound championship.
More recently, Angelina Gochis won the 2025 high school national title at 120 pounds, finishing her tournament with a pin over Daelin Cody in the championship match.
Those titles belong to different years and different athletes, but they establish a meaningful standard for the Illinois contingent arriving this weekend. Keck offers an opportunity to turn strong in-state results into success against a national field.
