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Whiteland wins first state title; Moe, Bastaic become 4-time champs
INDIANAPOLIS – Before the first match began Friday inside Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Whiteland coach Justin Cooper had already crunched the numbers.
The top-ranked Whiteland Warriors ultimately controlled their own destiny during the 2026 IHSAA girls wrestling state finals with a tournament-best eight qualifiers participating.
“We thought if we could get six medals, four in the semis, that we could take care of business today,” Cooper said. “Our girls delivered. They wrestled lights out pretty much all day.”
The Warriors, ranked first in the state according to IndianaMat, upheld their Power Poll placement and made history in the process by claiming their school’s first-ever team state title.
Whiteland finished the state finals with two individual state champions crowned, six state-placers overall and four wrestlers finishing in the top three to amass 99.5 points ahead of runner-up Crown Point (78.5), third-place finisher Hobart (64.5) and last year’s team state champion Columbus East (63.0).
“We talked about how we’re really good in the lower weights, and for our girls down low, winning is contagious,” Cooper said. “It’s contagious and just goes throughout the whole team.”
Top-ranked sophomore Kaitlynn Fouty (27-0) kicked off Whiteland’s title-match run at 100 pounds, winning her first-career individual state championship by decision 5-3 over third-ranked senior Aaliyah Brown (33-3) of Center Grove.
Fouty, who is ranked 11th in the nation by FloWrestling, built on Whiteland’s 92.5-72.5 margin over third-ranked Crown Point, and did it on one leg.
Suffering a probable anterior cruciate ligament tear in her left knee six weeks ago, Fouty powered through with a 22-4 technical fall (2:22) in the opening round before collecting three consecutive decisions, including against second-ranked senior Claire May (32-2) of Roncalli in the quarterfinals, 3-2, and, 9-4, against fourth-ranked senior Joanna Cantu (36-5) of Hobart in the semifinals.
“Kaitlynn came in injured. She hasn’t practiced fully in six weeks, and she thought she could win it on one leg, and she did,” Cooper said. “A lot of perseverance and toughness right there.”
Fouty trailed her finals match 1-0 before a five-point swing in the third period put her ahead for good. Last year, she placed third at 105.
“It was very difficult, especially when you only have one leg to wrestle girls, but I just had to rest and just did it with one leg,” Fouty said. “It shows that people can overcome what they want. Keep going.”
Fouty, one of the program’s founding wrestlers along with her sister Kahlyn, inspired top-ranked Mikayla Perkins (40-1).
The nationally-ranked sophomore won her first individual state title at 120 with a late second-period takedown that set up her 13-8 decision against No. 2 Marissa Nicolas (39-2), a Rossville sophomore.
“Awesome match by Perkins. She faced a little bit of adversity in her match, then she came back in the third period and delivered,” Cooper said.
Fourth-ranked freshman Moriah Morphet (31-5) placed second at 115 for the Warriors, while fifth-ranked sophomore Marli Woods (39-7) took third at 130.
Sophomore Kahlyn Fouty (31-6) and junior Marin Wiggington (32-9) both finished sixth at 125 and 155, respectively.
“This is as cliché as it sounds, but it’s just another tournament for them,” Cooper remarked on his wrestlers’ approach to the state finals. “They wrestle all spring, all summer, so this is just another tournament for us.”
The Warriors placed fourth during the inaugural IHSAA girls wrestling state finals in 2025 before becoming the event’s second-ever team champion.
“It’s awesome, especially going forward because we have a good group of girls coming in, too, so we can build on this,” Cooper said. “Last year, we brought four freshmen to state, five underclassmen. We were very young last year, and we really didn’t set the goal of being a state champion. This year, the girls decided they wanted to be state champions. All of the girls that came last year medaled this year.”
Moe, Bastaic Join Four-Timers Club
Top-ranked seniors Kendall Moe (37-0) of Indianapolis Cathedral and Aleksandra Bastaic (41-0) of Highland both concluded their high school careers in historic fashion by securing their fourth straight individual state titles.
Moe won the 115 crown to become the state’s fifth female wrestler to complete the feat after winning state titles at 98 pounds in 2023, 100 in 2024 and 105 in 2025.
Bastaic won the title at 155 and became the sixth female competitor to join the elite list.
The two-time Fargo runner-up and nationally-ranked wrestler won the 145-pound championship in 2025. She was the state champion at 140 in 2024 and 126 in 2023 during the previously held IHSGWA state finals.
“My drive is to be the best version of myself on and off the mat, so I just always want to better myself every single day no matter what,” Bastaic said. “If I have a hard day, I know I can depend on wrestling.”
Bastaic, who never lost a girls match in her high school career, leaned on her passion this past March when she was halted by an ACL tear, which sidelined her nearly six months.
“It was mostly mental more than physical because I was wrestling, and then my sport kind of got taken away. It’s what I love to do, so it was hard to bounce back from something you haven’t done in like six months,” Bastaic said. “I didn’t know if I was going to have to miss certain parts of the season. I didn’t know if I could even compete in the state tournament.”
Despite the setback, the former youth football player learned more about herself and the sport while working back to form. At state, she dominated with four consecutive pins.
Her fastest fall took 26 seconds, and in the title match, she pinned third-ranked senior Maylie Skinner (33-2) of Madison in 1:57.
Moe, a state champion for Hamilton Heights last year, became the tournament’s first wrestler to win a state title for two different schools.
The nationally-ranked competitor posted back-to-back pins in 1:23 and 1:17 before winning by major decision 9-0 in the semifinals and by technical fall 17-1 (2:24) in the finals against Whiteland’s Morphet.
“Since fourth grade, it’s been, I want to be a four-timer,” Moe said. “It was like, I want that as an athlete, as a girl.”
Marsh Next in Line
Pendleton Heights junior Maddie Marsh collected her third straight state title and is positioned to potentially join the four-timers club in 2027.
Marsh (23-0), who is ranked third in the nation by FloWrestling at 135, ran through the 140-pound state bracket with a pair of pins in 53 and 41 seconds and two technical falls, including a 15-0 (1:49) performance in the championship round.
Marsh won the battle of unbeatens under the lights against Franklin Community senior Jazlinn Diaz-Avalos (35-1), who was ranked second in the state as a four-time state qualifier and now four-time placer.
“I put so much work into this, and I just love to see how it all comes out in the end. Work pays off,” said Marsh, who trains with Red Cobra Wrestling in the offseason. “When I’m just out there having fun, and I know I’ve worked hard for this, then I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Marsh’s third individual state title made her the first three-time state champion, regardless of gender, at her school.
Twice as Nice
A trio of wrestlers became two-timers at the IHSAA state finals.
Top-ranked sophomore Ava Strayer (33-0) of Crown Point and second-ranked sophomore Ella Neibert (30-0) of Indian Creek won titles at 130 and 105, respectively.
NorthWood senior Naima Ghaffar (40-1), who was ranked first in the state, successfully defended her 135-pound title.
Strayer used an opening-round technical fall 16-0 (4:29) and three consecutive pins – her fastest in 45 seconds – to keep her championship streak going. The nationally-ranked wrestler won the 125 title in 2025.
Ghaffar, who is ranked fifth in the nation at 130, recorded three pins with her quickest at 57 seconds in the semifinals. A 10-5 decision in the title match against second-ranked senior Nevaeh Wilson (33-4) of Garrett secured her second crown.
Ghaffar placed second at 120 in 2024 and sixth at 113 in 2023.
“This has helped me grow, develop, and learn hard work. It gave me something to work towards, a goal. It gave me a purpose,” Ghaffar remarked on her title defense.
Neibert, who was the first-ever IHSAA individual state champion in 2025, became the first two-timer of the sanctioned tournament.
The 100-pound champion in 2025 won by fall in all four of her matches this year with her fastest at 33 seconds.
NOTES: Merrillville’s second-ranked senior Charisma Lawrence (38-1) had the upset of the night with a late takedown against top-ranked Ava Allen (34-1) of Silver Creek in the 145 finals to win 3-2 … first-time state champions freshman Corabella Wesley (42-0) of Hobart at 125, senior Erin Cauble (31-0) of Harrison (West Lafayette) at 190 and freshman Annabelle Redman (34-3) of Columbus East at 170 all won their titles by fall … Indian Creek senior Libby Dowty’s 110-pound title adds to her two cross-country state crowns in the past three years … 235-pound state champion Aubrey Bartkowiak (29-0) of Attica had the tournament’s quickest pin at 22 seconds.
Second Annual IHSAA Girls Wrestling State Finals
Corteva Coliseum, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis
January 16, 2026
Top 10 Final Standings
1. Whiteland Community 99.5 First State Championship in any sport
2. Crown Point 78.5
3. Hobart 64.5
4. Columbus East 63
5. Indian Creek 58
6. Garrett 57.5
7. Merrillville 42.5
8. Plymouth 40
9. NorthWood 39
10. Mooresville 37
Championship Round Results
100: Kaitlynn Fouty (12) Whiteland Community (27-0) def. Aaliyah Brown (12) Center Grove (33-3) by decision 5-3
105: Ella Neibert (10) Indian Creek (30-0) def. Sophia Carper (9) Jimtown (30-4) by Fall (4:37)
110: Libby Dowty (12) Indian Creek (20-2) def. AnnMarie Shuler (12) Seymour (37-2) by Fall (3:17)
115: Kendall Moe (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (37-0) def. Moriah Morphet (9) Whiteland Community (31-5) Technical Fall 17-1 (2:24) Four-time state champ
120: Mikayla Perkins (10) Whiteland Community (40-1) def. Marissa Nicolas (10) Rossville (39-2) by decision 13-8
125: Corabella Wesley (9) Hobart (42-0) def. Angel Smith (11) Plymouth (25-3) by Fall (3:12)
130: Ava Strayer (10) Crown Point (33-0) def. Caroline Balica (11) Plymouth (22-2) by Fall (1:54)
135: Naima Ghaffar (12) NorthWood (40-1) def. Nevaeh Wilson (12) Garrett (33-4) by decision 10-5
140: Maddie Marsh (11) Pendleton Heights (23-0) def. Jazlinn Diaz-Avalos (12) Franklin Community (35-1) by Technical Fall 15-0 (1:49)
145: Charisma Lawrence (12) Merrillville (37-1) def. Ava Allen (12) Silver Creek (34-0) by decision 3-2
155: Aleksandra Bastaic (12) Highland (41-0) def. Maylie Skinner (12) Madison Consolidated (33-2) by Fall (1:57) Four-time state champ
170: Annabelle Redman (9) Columbus East (34-3) def. Jayda Miller (10) Crown Point (36-7) by Fall (3:24)
190: Erin Cauble (12) Harrison (West Lafayette) (31-0) def. Claira Gramlin (12) Lebanon (26-5) by Fall (1:45)
235: Aubrey Bartkowiak (12) Attica (29-0) def. Racheal Adolphe (10) North Central (Indianapolis) (24-2) by Fall (4:48)
Highland’s Aleksandra Bastaic honored with Mental Attitude Award
Senior Aleksandra Bastaic of Highland High School was recognized by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award for Girls Wrestling.
The Executive Committee selects a senior who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have the best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.
Aleksandra was elected as team captain by her teammates all four years and completed her high school career tonight as just the sixth four-time wrestling state champion in state history after winning the 155 pound class today. She also played football for two years for the Trojans and was a thrower on the track and field team.
Academically, she owns a 4.1 GPA and will graduate in the top 10 percent of her class this spring. She also serves as Vice President of Service with the National Honor Society and also initiated her school’s first Unified Bocce Ball Team.
She is the daughter of Goran and Lauren Bastaic of Highland, Indiana. She is undecided on her college choice but is interested in Kinesiology or Physical Therapy. Aleksandra becomes the fourth Highland High School recipient of an IHSAA mental attitude award and the first since 1987 when Mike Stuckert earned the honor in Class 5A Football.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the proud corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented $1,000 to Highland High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Aleksandra Bastaic.