Hampshire Wins Illinois Girls Wrestling State Title Without an Individual Champion

Kaneland's Angelina Gochis and Lockport Township's Claudia Heeney each win third state titles

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The fifth annual Illinois Girls Wrestling State Championships saw an unusual outcome, as the Hampshire High School team claimed the team title without any individual champions. Kaneland's Angelina Gochis and Lockport Township's Claudia Heeney were the only wrestlers to win their third state titles.

Why it matters

Girls wrestling continues to grow in popularity in Illinois, with the state tournament now in its fifth year. Hampshire's team title without an individual champion highlights the depth of talent across the state, while Gochis and Heeney's three-peat victories cement their legacies as Illinois wrestling legends.

The details

Hampshire claimed the team title with 86 points, edging out Lockport Township (65.5 points) and Oak Forest (49 points). Gochis and Heeney were the only wrestlers to win their third state championships, with Gochis defeating Hampshire's Amelia Nidelea-Polanin 9-3 in the 115-pound final, and Heeney pinning Schaumburg's Sharon Olorunfemi in the 135-pound final. Other notable champions included Chloe Skiles of Roxana (106 pounds), Ariella Dobin of Glenbard North (125 pounds), and Phoenix Molina of Tolono Unity (235 pounds).

  • The Illinois Girls Wrestling State Championships were held over the weekend of March 1-2, 2026 in Bloomington.
  • Angelina Gochis and Claudia Heeney each won their third state titles, joining Angelina Cassioppi as the only four-time Illinois state champions.

The players

Angelina Gochis

A junior at Kaneland High School, Gochis won her third consecutive state title at 115 pounds, defeating Hampshire's Amelia Nidelea-Polanin 9-3 in the final. Gochis is aiming to join Angelina Cassioppi as the only four-time Illinois state champions.

Claudia Heeney

A senior at Lockport Township High School, Heeney won her third state title at 135 pounds, pinning Schaumburg's Sharon Olorunfemi in the final. Heeney was a freshman runner-up before winning the last three state championships.

Hampshire High School

The Hampshire High School girls wrestling team won the Illinois state team title without having any individual champions, highlighting the depth of talent across the state.

Chloe Skiles

A sophomore from Roxana High School, Skiles won her second consecutive state title at 106 pounds, pinning Leyden's Zoey Dodgers in 41 seconds.

Ariella Dobin

A junior from Glenbard North High School, Dobin won the 125-pound state title, defeating Oak Forest's Rain Scott 10-5 in the final.

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What they’re saying

“I was very happy to win and look forward to an opportunity to get a fourth state title, sharing that with one of my good friends, Angelina Cassioppi.”

— Angelina Gochis (Instagram)

“Amelia and I know each other well. We have practiced many years together and competed many times against each other. I felt going into the finals match she would do her best to not hand fight with me and try to get me to take a bad shot. So, my game plan was to just stay patient and very disciplined, getting to my scoring when there were opportunities to do so.”

— Angelina Gochis (Instagram)

“I felt some pressure to three-peat because most people expect me to always win but I was very confident because I've wrestled all those girls in the past and performed well against them. I was just taking one match at a time, controlling my anxious nerves and felt really confident prior to every match.”

— Angelina Gochis (Instagram)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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