SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Spearfish Spartans Girls Wrestling team enters the 2025 season with something every program hopes for—experience, momentum, and belief. After finishing last season with five state placers, the Spartans return all five of those podium finishers, giving Head Coach Joel Martin a seasoned core to build around as the program looks to climb even higher in the South Dakota girls wrestling landscape.
Among the returning placers are standouts Haven Baker, Candice Matsuda, Mathilde Matsuda, Makita Raysor, and Marlee Heltzel, each of whom proved they can compete with the state’s best. With another year of maturity, offseason work, and confidence under their belts, the expectation isn’t just to return to the podium—but to move up it.
And the depth doesn’t end there.
Coach Martin shared that the Spartans have three more athletes capable of breaking through this season—senior Kimberlyn Heisler and Junior Morgan Little, both were one match away from placing a year ago.
“They all had tough matchups in a tough region last year,” Martin said. “They have worked hard in the offseason and have a good shot at placing this year as long as we stay healthy.”
Martin is also excited for the future of senior Sydney Badwound, someone he thinks could find herself on the state podium this year as well.
Focused, Hungry, and Grounded
There’s no talk of guarantees inside the Spearfish wrestling room—just growth, grit, and steady improvement. The team knows that staying healthy, developing at the right pace, and winning late-season swing matches will determine how far they go.
Martin emphasized that consistency and timing matter more than early hype.
The goal? Peak when it counts.
The Spartans will have their first match on Thursday, December 4 before heading on the road to Sidney, Montana the next day.
