Incoming Iowa recruits Lilly Luft and Alivia White have been named Regional winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. The award is presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Luft and White are members of the Iowa Women’s Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023.
Luft and White are two of the five regional winners. The national winner will be chosen from the five regional winners that will be announced on May 2.
The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
Luft was named for the TSHSEA in the Midwest Region of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
From teamusa.org:
Lilly Luft of Charles City, Iowa, was a three-time Iowa state champion and four-time place-winner for Charles City Community High School. The daughter of Leonard and Wendy Luft, she will continue her wrestling career at the University of Iowa. Luft was 40-0 as a senior and had a career record of 125-6, setting the state record for most career wins by a female wrestler. She was the 2023 recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum’s Iowa High School Female Wrestler of the Year and was also named the Dan Gable Ms. Wrestler of the Year by Fareway Stores, Inc. in coordination with the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Luft was a finalist at the Super 32 tournament in 2022 while earning All-America honors at the 16U freestyle national championships and finishing fourth at the Cadet beach wrestling world championships in Romania in 2021.
She helped her family in the writing, lobbying and passing of Logan’s Law. Named in honor of her brother, Logan Luft, who was fatally injured in a Fourth of July ATV accident as a 15-year-old in 2017. Logan’s Law allows hunting and fishing license purchasers to declare as organ, eye and tissue donor. Lilly also volunteered at the Transplant Games of America, the LifeServe Blood Center, and the Iowa Donor Network. Luft also lettered in softball, track and volleyball in high school while also participating in Future Farmers of America and 4-H. Luft received The Clash – All-Scholar Athlete Achievement award and was named the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union Athlete of the Year in 2023.
White was named for the TSHSEA in the West Region of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
From teamusa.org:
Alivia White of Lake Stevens, Washington, was a three-time state champion for Marysville Pilchuck High School. She was unable to compete for a state title in 2021 as Washington did not hold a postseason tournament because of COVID. The daughter of Craig and Andrea White, she will continue her wrestling career at the University of Iowa. White was Washington State Interscholastic Association Scholar Athlete state champion in 2021 and also a Washington State Girls Triple Crown winner. She was the Marysville Pilchuck Outstanding Wrestler four years in a row and was team captain for three years. White also received the National Wrestling Coaches Association and United States Marine Corps High School Scholar All-American award.
She was National Honor Society president for two years and was a member of the Associated Student Body all four years. White was selected to represent her high school at Inter-High leadership conferences four times. White volunteered for Challenge Air, organizing and helping children with special needs get on small planes for flights, and was also a member of the Big Buddy program, helping elementary school students. She is also an active member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Congratulations to our two future Hawks for this great honor.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
