2026 Meet the Girls State Wrestlers

With us on a Meet the State Rusher program on KWBG, we're going to talk to Audion qualifier Ryland Casey 39 and 11 on the year for the sophomore and we've just been kind of visiting about mindset and different things this year Ryland I guess.

Number one congratulations, tell me what that last match was like. I know last year we finished as a runner up this year, a little bit different with a second place finish. So tell me about just the, oh tell me everything from the last match. It was very nerve-wracking.

I was down by quite a few points already by the first period that I got in my mind during the match that I was done for. I was losing that match but I kept trying things until I figured out something that worked and was able to flip her over.

I think the one thing that's always funny in wrestling is when you guys say you try things. I know coaches probably go, oh my gosh what is she doing? But you're in this spot where you were kind of scrambling thinking if I'm going to go out let's try a couple of things.

What was the first thing you tried? The first thing I tried was just fighting on the bottom trying to get out but every time I tried to stand up she would try to put me in a cradle.

So I had to resort to not the best option by reaching back and getting her in a headlock but it was able to work in the end. What did it feel like when you hear the the the slap of the mat and you see everybody get excited everybody go crazy what went through your head?

At first I didn't think I won. I thought the period was over and until I looked over I seen everybody freaking out and just this relief and the happiness rushed over.

It's probably the toughest thing I always say in wrestling is because you need to know what's on the clock but you can't watch the clock because you're busy doing something. So how much time did you think was left?

Did you think there was like a second then we were done and then here we go?

I had no clue it was just just the thought of when I got her over I was so excited that everything just kind of left and I didn't know if I did something wrong or if the time was up but the last thing I expected was that I pinned her.

So what's that what's that hug like your second year now? I mean obviously the first one's a little bit more excitement but now going back to back what was that hug like afterward? This one was actually more since I got first.

I was just I was so excited to go run over that the refs trying to show off. Put your hand up. I'm trying to run away already. It was exciting.

What's this year's a little bit different I know you told me you've used the word mindset so I got a feeling that must be from coaches and from you a little bit but changing your mindset a little bit but what's this celebration been a little different this year?

I was just so happy and I went in thinking I was going to win. Okay which you should but then mid-match that all went downhill and I told myself I was losing and just after telling myself I was losing and coming back and winning it was very exciting.

All right so you got all the pats on the back last year you get a little bit this year too. You said though you start thinking about this year actually at the end of state last year you had a little bad taste in your mouth after state last year right?

Yeah it didn't it didn't go the best that I knew I wanted to come back and prove something that I was supposed to be at that state and it wasn't just by coincidence. You better wrestle this year? I think so.

Not just from things that you're doing on the mat but are you getting a better mindset when it comes to getting out? See now I'm going to start using the word too Rylan you're going to get me saying it but but is it a little bit better mindset going out there?

Yeah I feel a lot more confident in myself and I feel like it's it's been a lot of the team and the coaches that have helped my confidence a lot and so I always go out to my match thinking I'm going to win and then I'm not down with myself at the very beginning.

I know last year you said you were down there with all the girls and you were one of the first ones up obviously being at 100 and you're looking around what's this you're going to be like? What's it going to be like this year?

Kind of the same scenario really I mean you'll be a little bit lower on the bracket obviously you'd have to wrestle but still one of the first ones up but now you're a little more experienced down there.

Now I know what it feels like to stand out there and I'm I feel like I'm going to be ready when I go out.

You changed goals a little bit I know at the beginning of the year it's always I want to get to state and maybe you said you want to be at the podium at the beginning but now what are the goals because they got to change a little bit don't they?

I very much want to be on the podium we haven't had a girl on the podium and I would really like to be one of the first ones. And you'd have a chance to be one of the first ones because she'd have to go after you right? Yep. That would be okay that'd be all right.

So what do you want to do down there? I know we said get on the podium we got to have a little bit of fun though too right while we're down there doesn't that keep us a little bit loose but what do you want to do down there? I got the... What do you want to be out?

Tell me at the tournament you got to have a little bit of fun while you're down there too you got to be able to unwind you got to focus into I mean kind of everything this year is that what you're looking at? Yep.

No I think when you get down there sometimes I mean we obviously state wrestling it's going to be but you got to have a little fun while they're there too. What are these guys like when you when you're in between matches or before matches?

They're I try to get make them help me get my head away. I don't like to talk as much about my matches and I just I just want to have fun and think about the fun parts over the wrestling part in between. Like trying something that works. Yep. Rylan best of luck congratulations.

Thank you. You bet that's Rylan Casey again joining us. Ogden's 100 pound qualifier at the state tournament coming up down in Iowa City.

Joining us on the Meet the State Wrestler program on KWBG, we're going to talk to Grace Hammer. She's Ogden's qualifier at 190. Junior 35-8 on this season. First off, congratulations. I know it's got to feel awesome to make this your third year out of three opportunities.

Mm-hmm. It's very exciting. What's been working for you this year before we get to the state qualifying meet? What's been working? Because you've had a good year, Grace. I mean, 35 wins, you don't just get handed 35 wins. It's been a good year.

Yeah, listening to my coaches and like, actually knowing what I'm going to do before I get on the mat is a lot helpful than it was in the past years because I just didn't really have a plan and that helped a lot having a plan and knowing what I was going to do before I get on the mat was really helpful.

So preparation, you think, has been a little bit bigger this year. What about from last year to this year? Why are you better wrestler this year?

Because let's be honest, when you look at you from last year to this year, there's definitely, you know, I don't want to say a giant leap, but there's been a lot of improvement.

I've had a lot of better mindset and I have been able to figure out like that even though that I lose, it doesn't define who I am and that I'm still a good wrestler no matter what if I lose or win. You've had some big matches on big stages too this year.

Has that helped out a little bit? Yeah, it brought my confidence way up. Just the opponents that you faced or how you did against those opponents? Both. Okay, biggest match of the year was what? Probably the boom girl that has beat me seven times.

And you know that number right off the top of your head? Yeah. Hasn't been talked about though. Definitely not. Definitely not. What was what was big just because she had gotten you a few times? Notice I'm saying a few times I didn't say seven.

It was big because it was just knowing that I've had to face her seven times and she's beat me seven times because she had a better mentality than me. And then I found out that I had a better mentality than her this year. And then that just really helped.

And you kind of took off after that. I mean that was a big deal not just because you broke the streak but you also then afterward you kept doing stuff. I mean you could have won that match Grace and then lost in a championship match the next week.

And I mean things kind of went up from there. Did you gain more confidence out of that you think?

Yeah, I wrestled at a duel and I was going through my matches and I found one I wrestled one match and it was against a girl who placed fourth at state and I was just like that's okay I can beat her.

So it gave you maybe even I mean you have confidence but that sounds like that maybe even dropped you a little bit higher. Yeah. Obviously we want to get first at state qualifying meet. Did not happen.

You got a chance to throw yourself a little pity party you told me but then what? And then I just said I got state that's all that matters. You're going and you get to keep going because there's a lot of girls I know that we're just saying we're still going. Yeah.

So obviously you've been here before this is not the first time. Is that help? Does that I mean from last year to this year even from your freshman year to now why does that help?

It's because I know what I'm gonna do and like I know how stressful it gets so I know what I need to do to calm my nerves. Is it that big of a deal when you first walk out there?

Can you think back to your freshman year when you first went out on the mats for the first time to get a jog in or whatever? My first year it was terrible. I was so scared and it was just I made it seem like it was a bigger deal than actually. Than it was.

So now what do you think it's gonna be like? It's just another meet. Just another meet but I get to sleep there. You get to stay overnight yeah that's a big thing. Goals for this year Grace.

I know we've talked about goals I remember your freshman year about what okay what would we like to do. Sounds like we have some pretty obtainable goals though this year. What do you want to do down there? I want to win two matches and at least get on the podium.

That'd be a big deal for you Why is it such a big deal? Just so people know my name. I think they know your name already Grace. Has it been a fun season? Have you had a good time this year? It has been an amazing season.

Just like the teams and like our team being like one family instead of two and that's been really helpful. I bet that's been fun this year. Grace first off congratulations second best of luck. Thank you. You bet.

Grace Hammer again joining us from Augin their qualifier at 190 on Meet the State Wrestler.

And with us on the Meet the State Wrestler program on KWBG, we're going to talk to the head man himself. Scott McLeod joining us is the Bulldogs with the two qualifiers this year with Grace and Ryland. And he just heard from both of them.

And I think, Coach, number one, congratulations. It always feels good to get somebody down there, to get a couple of people down there feels even better. It's still that time of the year where anything can happen. And so to get them down there, you got to feel pretty good.

Thanks, Ryan. Yeah, it's amazing to have Ryland and Grace qualify for state. Actually, Ryland, two times state qualifier, and Grace now three times state qualifier. It's nothing short than amazing. So I love it.

When you went into Saturday, I know you told me, listen, these were two that, yeah, they were going to be there. And still, anything can happen, though. So that always is in the back of your mind a little bit.

But it sounds like they had opportunities where things maybe could have went the wrong way. And they didn't let that happen. Yeah, you kind of know when you go to the tournament who's going to show up and who's not.

From the minute they showed up Saturday morning, they were locked in and focused. They were going to tear somebody's head off. So yeah, but anything can happen. There's stranger things have happened down there. But not for those two. I knew they were going to take it all.

Well, let's start with Ryland. Obviously, Championship match didn't start off the way that she wanted to. You guys, I don't want to say you said, let's just see what happens. Because that always sounds like you're not prepared. It feels to me like you were prepared.

Just maybe things didn't go to start how they should. But boy, they ended up in a darn good spot. You know, she went out there pretty timid. And I know she likes feeling on her opponent. But she left her legs wide open. And that gal took her down at will. And you know what?

You can see a little bit of fear in her eyes. Second period comes. She looks at the corner. And she goes, what do I do? And I said, go on top. She went on top. She broke that girl down, slapped in that double chicken wing, put her to her back, match over.

And basically, she tried to run off the mat. And the ref tried to grab her and bring her back to raise her hand. And she ran over to the corner and jumped into my arms. And one of the greatest moments I've had coaching.

With her opportunities this year, I mean, I told her earlier, it feels like she's been on the mat more. Because I mean, you can go out there and get chand-raised, right? You and I can do that. But to be on the mat and actually get, I don't care if you're wrestling 30 seconds.

I don't care if you're going the full three. You still got to be out there. It feels like she's been on the mat more this year that's given her more mat time. And man, that's invaluable. It is. And this year, in year one, we did the bare minimum. And we bumped it up year two.

Year three, we did a little bit more. In year four, we wanted at least 45 matches per girl, if not more. And that's just the more mat time they get, either win or loss, they're on their mat. They're learning new stuff. They're trying different things.

And I think the more matches we get, the better we are at the end of the season. And next year, we'll be in here at 55, would be my hope. Well, and you told me something, too. You wanted more duels. I do.

You wanted more opportunities to get out there where it was not just a tournament, where maybe if the tournament, if your bracket has four or five girls in it, you're like, well, that's a couple matches.

Duels, you know, if there's four teams there, we got a pretty good chance of getting four matches in. You got a bunch of duels in this year, coach. We did. And they did really good in duels. They ended up 14 and 2, which is amazing.

Just like the matches in year two, we weren't ready to duel. We knew we were ready in year three. In year four, I wanted to make sure we had enough duels. Because in year five, I want that state duel. I want to go down to that state duel tournament. And I want a place.

And I think I've got the girls that can do it. Rylan, obviously, we talked about 39 and 11. She's already told me she wants to be the first one on the podium. Grace has said the same thing. So let's start with Rylan. Look at her bracket for me a little bit.

Tell me what you're thinking. I know we worry about one match at a time. But do you think she's in a decent spot this year? Yep. Yep. And I'm going to do the whole coach-coaché thing. Yep. One match at a time. We'll take it when it comes.

But I think she has a legit shot to place high. But it depends on her mindset. And she's ready to go. But she's always got the mindset. And she's always ready to go. I feel like that's a million-dollar word.

If we would use that today, McLeod, we could just retire because we'd have it. Let's talk about Grace. And obviously, three-time qualifier, when you get that opportunity to be down there, you're going to learn something. I don't care if you go down there and you lose everyone.

You're going to learn something. So what has Grace maybe learned, do you think, from her freshman year being down there to now this junior year? Her freshman year, she did. She came in her eyes wide open. And she hadn't seen something like this. And she panicked a little bit.

We went up against Independence, who was a fully functioning senior at that point, going up against my freshman. We just weren't mature enough physically to beat her. In year two, when we went down there, she knew what to expect. She got her first win.

She got a pin against Humboldt. Then we went into the blood rounds. And she's going to hate this. But we were up 14 to 2 with 30 seconds left. All we had to do was last 30 seconds. And she was our first place winner. And it didn't really work out our way.

So I know it kind of put a fire in her belly this year. Ryland's going to place. Grace is going to place too. Grace kind of has the same, except a little bit opposite bracket wise when it comes to Ryland. You think she can do that damage? I do. I do.

When Grace is locked in, she's a totally different beast. Last year, she kind of went all over the place. And we weren't real sure where she was from moment one to moment two this year. She is so calm and collected. Before she goes on the mat, she scares me.

Because I look at Austin and said, oh, she's going to rip that girl's head off. And 99% of the time, I'm correct. She's ready for the slobber knocker. Ready for the slobber knocker. That's what I thought you were going to tell me. All right, so what's it like for you?

Any different for you and Austin being able to go down now? I mean, this is, we like to say this because it means it happens all the time. But OK, we're used to this now. What about you guys down there? It is old hat right now in year four. But Austin and I want the same thing.

We want a title or we want a place winner. We're going to get it. I have full confidence in my girls that they're going to come through. And I know they will. Congratulations again. Always good to talk to you. Found a way to get slobber knocker in, so it was a perfect interview.

Thanks, Ryan. I appreciate it. Scott McLeod again joining us. Ogden Girls Wrestling as our Meet the State Wrestler Program continues on KWBG.