Clear Lake senior Olivia Fausnaugh put her name in the record books last week by being the first Clear Lake High School girl to qualify for State. The inaugeral Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Tournament begins Thursday. Fausnaugh began competing in the sport last year with the boys team, but when the IGHSAU sanctioned the sport for the 2022-23 school year, she said she knew she wanted to commit to it fully. “Coming into the season I had a goal of competing at State,” she said. Fausnaugh is seeded 20th in the bracket of 32 155-pound competitors. She will take on 13th ranked Maddie Pulis, of Fort Dodge, when action begins Thursday at the Xtreme Arena in Coralville. “Maddie is a good friend, so she’s a bit hard to prepare for,” said Fausnaugh. “I lost to her previously, but I’ll give it my best.” There is no class division at State, so Fausnaugh said she knows the competition will be fierce as wrestlers from all sizes of schools battle for titles. “I think girls from my team will take a van and a big group of my family will be there cheering, so I’m pretty excited.” Fausnaugh is pictured being congratulated on her Regional placement by Coach Ray McQueen. -Mid-America Publishing photo by John Jensen.
