Norwalk Girls Basketball Team Heading Back to State Tournament

Warriors secure second consecutive state tournament appearance after regional final win over Independence

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The Norwalk girls basketball team punched its ticket to the 2026 Class 4A State Tournament with a 61-44 regional final win over Independence. This marks the first time since 2006-2007 that the Warriors have secured back-to-back state tournament appearances.

Why it matters

Norwalk's return to the state tournament is an impressive accomplishment, as making the state tournament is a difficult feat to achieve, especially in consecutive seasons. The Warriors are looking to build on last year's state semifinal appearance and make a deeper run in the tournament.

The details

Norwalk dominated the game from the start, leading 18-5 after the first quarter and never trailing by single digits after the opening minutes. The Warriors forced 22 Independence turnovers and recorded 13 assists compared to the Mustangs' 5. Sophomore Braylyn Birmingham led all scorers with 26 points on 10-11 shooting.

  • The regional final win over Independence took place on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.
  • Norwalk last made the state tournament in the 2006-2007 season, making this their first back-to-back state tournament appearances since then.

The players

Braylyn Birmingham

Norwalk sophomore and Iowa's #2 scorer, who led all scorers with 26 points on 10-11 shooting.

Ava Carlson

Norwalk senior who scored 10 points in the regional final win.

Makenna Roeder

Norwalk player who had a team-high 8 rebounds.

Pearl Brown

Norwalk player who recorded a team-high 6 assists.

Kiersten TeBockhorst

Independence freshman who led the Mustangs in scoring with 12 points.

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What they’re saying

“I just knew with full confidence that we were going to come into this game and just play the game we know how to play.”

— Ava Carlson, Norwalk Senior (KNIA Sports)

“You can never take making back-to-back state tournaments, or the state tournament period, lightly because it's hard to do, and I'm just really happy to take this group back.”

— Joe Sigrist, Norwalk Head Coach (KNIA Sports)

What’s next

Norwalk has earned the #3 seed in the 4A tournament and will face #6 Central DeWitt in the first round on Tuesday, March 4th at 1:30 p.m. at the Casey's Center in Des Moines.

The takeaway

Norwalk's return to the state tournament is an impressive accomplishment, as the Warriors look to build on last year's semifinal appearance and make a deeper run in the tournament. The team's dominant regional final performance, led by standout sophomore Braylyn Birmingham, shows they have the talent and determination to compete for a state championship.