The Pekin girls wrestling team has officially learned its postseason destination, as the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the 2025–26 State Wrestling Qualifying Meet assignments.
Pekin will compete in the Class 1A Region 8 regional tournament on Friday, January 30th, 2026, with wrestling scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. The regional will feature a strong field of programs from across the state as teams battle for a spot at the 2026 Iowa Girls State Wrestling Tournament.
The Region 8 field includes:
Alburnett, Anamosa, Baxter, BCLUW, Centerville, Center Point–Urbana, Don Bosco, Iowa Falls–Alden, Moravia, North Cedar, PCM, Pekin, Washington, West Delaware, West Marshall, and Williamsburg.
Pekin head coach Jeff Follman expressed excitement upon seeing the regional assignment and the opportunity ahead for his team.
“I’m glad to be back there again,” Follman said. “I haven’t really studied the weight classes yet to see how everything looks. I’m sure they’ll be studying it over the next few days, and I’m definitely excited.”
Follman said the next step will be evaluating each weight class alongside his wrestlers once the holiday break concludes.
“We’ll be studying it and talking with the girls at each weight about how they feel,” he said. “After Christmas, it’s time to get to work.”
With postseason assignments now set, the Panthers will shift their focus toward preparation and positioning themselves for a strong run at regionals as the season resumes following the holiday break.
Photography courtesy of Rylie Nelson.
