Overview of the Super 32 Challenge
The Defense Soap Super 32 Challenge is widely regarded as one of the nation’s toughest high school wrestling tournaments. Each year it draws the country’s top talent to Greensboro, North Carolina, making for deep brackets and high-caliber competition. The 2025 edition, taking place Oct. 18–19 in Greensboro, will feature nearly 200 nationally ranked wrestlers and dozens of state champions from across the U.S. For Wisconsin’s high school wrestling fans, all eyes will be on our contingent of grapplers looking to make their mark on this prestigious event. Both the boys’ and girls’ high school divisions will include standout Badger State wrestlers, and many of their matches can be followed live via FloWrestling’s broadcast and results pages.
Wisconsin Boys: Contenders and Names to Know
Wisconsin is sending a strong group of boys to the Super 32, spanning a range of weight classes from 106 lbs up to heavyweight. Several are state champions or podium finishers looking to test themselves against elite national competition. Here are some of the key Wisconsin boys wrestlers to watch:
Lightweights (106–120 lbs): At 106, freshman AJ Woerpel (Hortonville) comes in as the top-ranked Division 1 wrestler in Wisconsin at his weight. Woerpel is making his Super 32 debut as a 9th grader after an impressive youth career. He’ll be joined in the 106 bracket by sophomore Cash Vanderwerff (Burlington), who is ranked #9 in D1 at 106. Moving to 113 lbs, Division 2 Braiden Hale-Toomey (Reedsburg), a sophomore, is eager to build on a strong freshman season. Another 113 entry is Gregory Hellendrung (Chilton), a D2 wrestler ranked #6 (at 120 in-state) who has dropped down to 113 for this tournament. At 120 lbs, keep an eye on a talented trio of wrestlers: Collin Frey and Kolten Bollig of Evansville (both top-2 ranked in D2 at 120/126), and Zahn “Z-Pop” Beal of Arrowhead. Beal is notably the #1-ranked D1 126-pounder in Wisconsin as just a sophomore – last season he placed third at the WIAA state tournament as a freshman. Beal will wrestle down at 120 lbs here to challenge himself against other states’ best. This lightweight group is hungry to show that Wisconsin’s young lower-weight wrestlers can roll with the nation’s elite.
Middleweights (126–132 lbs): Wisconsin’s depth continues in the middle weights. Maximus Hay (Brown Deer), a senior, enters the 126 lbs bracket carrying a national ranking of #17 at that weight. Hay was a D1 state finalist last season and is the top-ranked 132-pounder in Wisconsin Division 1. Fellow 126-lb entries include D3 standouts Parker Spierings (Brillion), Reegan Roy (Wabeno), and D2’s William du Chemin (Wilmot Union), all of whom are returning state finalists. At 132 lbs, two more Wisconsin seniors will contend: Ethan Immel (Kewaskum), the D2 #1 at 138 and returning state champ, and McAllister Ramage (Lake Country Lutheran), D3’s #2 at 132, returning D2 state runner-up.
Upper Middleweights (138–157 lbs): In the 138–144 lb range, junior Braden Johnson (Cumberland) comes in as the top-ranked D3 138-pounder and will wrestle 138 lbs at Super 32. Moving up to 144 lbs, Wisconsin boasts two big names who have already committed to the home-state Badgers. Cade Aaberg (Oregon) and Hunter Stevens (Mount Horeb) are both ranked #1 in D1 and D2 at 150 lbs, respectively, but will be competing at 144 here. Aaberg and Stevens recently gave their verbal commitments to the University of Wisconsin’s wrestling program, adding extra buzz to their performances. In fact, Stevens earned the #20 spot in FloWrestling’s national rankings at 144 lbs and is seeded in the top 20 of a loaded bracket. Not far behind is Carson Neubert (Luxemburg-Casco), the D1 #2 at 144, who will also battle at 144 lbs. At 157 lbs, the headline name is Declan Koch (Neenah). Koch is a senior who is nationally ranked #11 at 157 lbs and recently committed to wrestle for the University of Northern Iowa in college. A Division 1 state runner-up last season, Koch is aiming for a podium finish at Super 32 before he heads to UNI. He’ll be joined at 157 by Division 3’s top two ranked 157-pounders – Collin Hamm (Weyauwega-Fremont) and Colton Klug (Brillion).
Upper Weights (165–215 lbs): Wisconsin’s upper-weight wrestlers bring an impressive résumé into Super 32. At 165 lbs, senior Liam Crook (Kaukauna) is one of the most accomplished athletes in the entire field. Crook is a two-time defending WIAA Division 1 state champion – he won the 165-lb state title in 2024 and the 175-lb title in 2025, going 50-1 last season. Now a senior committed to the University of Virginia, Crook comes in nationally ranked #5 at 165 lbs and will be among the favorites to contend for a belt. D2 freshman phenom Easton Kammerud (Mount Horeb), ranked #3 at D2, is looking to continue the momentum from a successful summer, where he finished as an All-American at Fargo. Another top ranked grappler at 165 is Murphy Beyer (Freedom), a junior ranked #6 in D2 who will gain valuable experience here. At 175 lbs, fans should watch for Eli Leonard (Mount Horeb). Leonard was the Division 1 state runner-up at 175 last season (falling in a close final to Crook) and has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers program. FloWrestling lists Leonard as the #8 nationally ranked wrestler at 175 lbs. He is seeded among the top contenders in what will be a brutal 175 bracket.
Finally, in the heavyweights (285 lbs), Wisconsin brings two big guns: Cael Leisgang (Seymour) and Makhi Rodgers (Brown Deer). Leisgang (a D2 senior) and Rodgers (a D1 senior) are each ranked #1 in their division at 285. Rodgers, in particular, has turned heads as a dominant heavyweight; he’s the defending D1 state champion at 285 and holds the #5 seed in the Super 32 bracket for his weight. Both will be aiming to navigate the typically unpredictable Super 32 heavyweight field and secure a spot on the podium.
Overall, the boys’ contingent from Wisconsin includes over a dozen state champions or state medalists. Many of them are also recognized on the national stage – Maximus Hay (Brown Deer) is ranked #17 in the country at 126 lbs, Declan Koch (Neenah) #11 at 157, Liam Crook (Kaukauna) #5 at 165, and Eli Leonard (Mount Horeb) #8 at 175. With multiple nationally ranked athletes and five wrestlers already committed to Division I college programs, Wisconsin’s boys have a real opportunity to make noise in Greensboro.
Performances to watch:
Crook and Leonard potentially clashing with other top-10 national talents at 165/175, Hay trying to bring home hardware at 126, and how the Badger-state freshmen like Woerpel fare in elite national action. Each win at Super 32 is hard-earned, and these wrestlers will undoubtedly draw on their state-level experience.
Wisconsin Girls: Rising Stars on the Big Stage
Wisconsin’s girls wrestling scene has been growing rapidly, and this year a strong cohort of female wrestlers will represent the state at Super 32. The girls’ high school division in Greensboro features 12 weight classes (95 up to 200+ lbs), and Wisconsin has qualifiers in many of them. Notably, several of these young women are nationally ranked or have achieved high placements at the state level, making them contenders to watch closely. Here’s a look at the Wisconsin girls in the Super 32 field and their credentials:
Lightweights (100–112 lbs): In the 100-pound bracket, sophomore Cassidy O’Connell (Regis-Altoona) carries the flag for Wisconsin. O’Connell enters Super 32 as the No. 1 ranked 100-pounder in Wisconsin (girls division) and is seeded 6th in her weight class for this tournament. She also holds a national ranking of #8 at 95 lbs, reflecting her success on the national stage. Last season, Cassidy placed 4th at the WIAA girls’ state tournament (100 lbs) as a freshman. Also in the lightweight mix is Ayda Miller (St. Croix Central), a sophomore competing at 100 lbs who is ranked #6 in WI at 107. Moving to 106 lbs, look out for Alexa Thomas (Badger). Thomas, a 10th-grader, was the 107-pound third-place finisher at state last year and is currently the top-ranked 107 in Wisconsin. She isn’t nationally ranked yet, but her track record (2025 state 3rd and multiple freestyle podiums) suggests she could surprise some bigger names. Wisconsin will also have representation at 112 lbs: sisters Elaine Hay (Brown Deer, sophomore) and Olivia Hay (Brown Deer, freshman) are entered at 112. Elaine and Olivia are relatively new to the high school scene (Olivia is a freshman), but coming from a wrestling family (their brother Maximus is a top boys competitor), they bring strong fundamentals. While they may be underdogs at an event of this caliber, simply competing at Super 32 will be invaluable experience for their careers.
Middleweights (118–132 lbs): Ella Schachtner (New Richmond) will wrestle at 118 lbs as only an 8th grader – notably, Super 32 allows middle schoolers in the high school division if qualified, and Ella earned her spot through early entry competition. At 124 lbs, senior Kylee Kurszewski (Neenah) is one of Wisconsin’s most seasoned competitors. Kurszewski is a returning state finalist – she took 2nd at 114 lbs in the 2025 girls’ state championships, falling just short against a nationally-ranked opponent from Lena. Now ranked #2 in Wisconsin at 126, Kylee will test herself against a deep 124-lb Super 32 bracket. According to FloWrestling’s entry list, she is nationally ranked #23 at 125 lbs, indicating she’s on the radar beyond our state. Another senior standout, Dealya Collins (Mineral Point), is set to compete at 132 lbs. Collins has been a consistent force in Wisconsin girls’ wrestling – she is a two-time state runner-up (2024 at 120 and 2025 at 126) and is hungry for a breakthrough win on a big stage. Nationally, Dealya is ranked #21 at 130 lbs, and she comes in as the 14th seed in the 132 bracket. Given her freestyle pedigree (she was a Junior Nationals All-American in Fargo, placing 8th in 2023), Collins could be poised to turn some heads in Greensboro. Joining her at 132 will be a pair of underclassmen from Wisconsin: Faye Schachtner (New Richmond), a freshman ranked #4 in WI at 126, and Kit Alsaker (Waunakee), a sophomore ranked #5 in WI at 132. While Faye and Kit are not yet as accomplished as Collins, they have both shown promise at state-level tournaments and could pull off upsets if underestimated.
Upper Weights (138–148 lbs): Perhaps Wisconsin’s strongest chances on the girls’ side lie in the 138 and 148 lb divisions, thanks to two familiar rivals. At 138 lbs, we have a dynamic duo: Riley Hanrahan (Black River Falls) and Carley Ceshker (Badger). These two met in last year’s WIAA state final at 138, where Hanrahan prevailed to win the title as a junior, handing Ceshker her first high school loss of the season. Riley Hanrahan comes into Super 32 ranked #2 nationally at 140 lbs and earned the 3rd seed in the 138 bracket. She was undefeated (28-0) last season en route to that state championship, and her aggressive style and top-game prowess have drawn national notice. Carley Ceshker, for her part, is a senior with an outstanding résumé: a two-time state champion (won titles at 126 in 2023 and 138 in 2024) and last year’s state runner-up at 138. Ceshker is currently ranked #3 nationally at 135 lbs, right behind Hanrahan in the national rankings, and holds the 12th seed at Super 32. The Hanrahan vs. Ceshker rivalry could very well renew in Greensboro if both navigate the bracket—having two of the nation’s top-3 ranked girls at essentially the same weight is a testament to Wisconsin’s strength. Both will be eyeing a podium finish or even a belt, but they’ll have to get through other nationally-ranked foes first. Finally, at 148 lbs, sophomore Layla Risler (Mondovi/Eleva-Strum) will take the mat as Wisconsin’s representative. Risler is the top-ranked 152-pound girl in Wisconsin and was a state finalist at 145 last season (runner-up in Division 2). She enters Super 32 as the #7 seed at 148 and brings a tenacious style—Layla was the first girl in her school’s history to qualify for state and ended up finishing second as a freshman, so she’s no stranger to exceeding expectations. A strong run here could put her on the national map.
In summary, the Wisconsin girls’ team at Super 32 features multiple state champions and placers, several of whom are already nationally ranked. Wrestlers like O’Connell, Collins, Hanrahan, and Ceshker have cracked the national rankings (Cassidy O’Connell is #8 at 95; Dealya Collins #21 at 130; Riley Hanrahan #2 at 140; Carley Ceshker #3 at 135) and will be looking to validate those rankings with deep runs in Greensboro. Even those without a number next to their name nationally are battle-tested: Thomas, Kurszewski, and Risler have all medaled at state or national folkstyle events.
Performances to watch:
The potential rematch of Riley Hanrahan vs. Carley Ceshker on a big stage – could we see the Wisconsin girls go 1-2 in a Super 32 bracket? Regardless, the experience gained from wrestling elite opponents will benefit all of these athletes as they prepare for the upcoming high school season.
Event Info and How to Follow
The Super 32 Challenge kicks off this weekend (Oct. 18–19) with both the boys’ and girls’ high school divisions running simultaneously in Greensboro, NC. Wisconsin Grappler fans can expect frequent updates on social media and the WisconsinGrappler.com site throughout the tournament. For those wanting to follow live action, FloWrestling is streaming the event in its entirety and providing live scoring – the broadcast starts on the morning of Oct. 18 and runs through the finals on Oct. 19. FloWrestling has also published preview content, including lists of all nationally ranked entrants (where several Wisconsin names appear) and a college commitments guide highlighting committed seniors like Crook, Leonard, and Stevens. Additionally, Trackwrestling (via FloArena) will have up-to-date brackets, match scores, and results for every match – wrestling fans can find the “2025 Defense Soap Super 32 Challenge” event on Trackwrestling to follow along in real time.
With a significant number of Wisconsin entrants this year, it’s an exciting opportunity for our state’s wrestlers to shine against the nation’s best. Finally, keep an eye out for Zach from Wisconsin Grappler, who will be at the event all weekend long.
