Wrestlers · Career complete
Alli Ragan
2x World silver medalist (60 kg, 2016 and 2017); 2x WCWA national champion for King; first head coach of Iowa State women's wrestling
Carbondale, IL · Carbondale Community HS · King University
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published September 3, 2026
Alli Ragan wrestled on the boys' team at Carbondale Community High School in Illinois, coached by her father Dennis Ragan. In December 2009, as a senior, she became the first girl in Illinois to reach 100 wins. She finished with a 130-29 career record and qualified for the boys' state tournament.
At King College in Bristol, Tennessee, she reached the WCWA final all four years, placing second in 2011 and 2012. In January 2013 she won the 136-pound title over Monica Ramirez of Lindenwood in two straight periods, 3-0 and 6-0, without giving up a point all tournament. In January 2014 she repeated with a 10-0 technical fall over Shai Mason of Jamestown, going 17-0 as King won its first team title.
She won Junior World bronze in 2011 and 2012 at 63 kg, the freestyle weight class of about 139 pounds. She made her first Senior World Team in 2013 and placed fifth at the 2014 World Championships. At the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City she lost the 58 kg final to Kelsey Campbell, 2-1 and 2-1. That December in Budapest she reached the 60 kg World final and took silver, losing 6-0 to Pei Xingru of China. In August 2017 in Paris she won a second silver, losing the final 13-0 to Risako Kawai of Japan. She won the 2017 Pan American title at 60 kg and Final X at 59 kg in 2018 and 2019. At the 2021 Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth Jenna Burkert of the Army World Class Athlete Program pinned her in the challenge tournament final at 57 kg, and she retired afterward.
She coached at Grand View and the Big Game Wrestling Club, then spent three years with the Cyclone Regional Training Center in Ames. In April 2026 Iowa State named her, now Alli St. John, the first head coach of its women's wrestling program, which begins competing in 2027-28.
She is Alli St. John now, the first head coach of Iowa State women's wrestling, building the roster in Ames for the program's first season in 2027-28.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Age group | Junior Nationals, Fargo, ND | 2nd | Also third in 2007, 2009 and 2010; weights not sourced | |
| 2009-10 | High school | Carbondale Community HS boys' varsity (IHSA) | 130-29 career. First girl in Illinois to reach 100 wins, December 2009; boys' state qualifier; coached by her father Dennis Ragan; senior-season weight class not sourced | ||
| 2010-11 | College | WCWA National Championships | 2nd | Freshman; also runner-up in 2012; finals opponents not sourced | |
| 2011 | Age group | Junior World Championships, Bucharest, Romania | 63 kg | 3rd | Def. Klaudia Pilipczuk (Poland) 1-0, 3-0 for bronze; first World medal for King |
| 2012 | Age group | Junior World Championships, Pattaya, Thailand | 63 kg | 3rd | Second straight Junior World bronze |
| 2012-13 | College | WCWA National Championships, Bristol, TN | 136 lb | 1st | Jan. 26, 2013; def. Monica Ramirez (Lindenwood) 3-0, 6-0 in two periods; three tech falls before the final; allowed no points |
| 2013-14 | College | WCWA National Championships, St. Louis, MO | 136 lb | 1st | 17-0. Def. Shai Mason (Jamestown) 10-0 tech fall; King's first WCWA team title and first NWCA National Duals title |
| 2014 | Senior | World Championships, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | 58 kg | 5th | Lost the bronze-medal match 4-4 on criteria; ninth at 59 kg in 2013 and 17th at 58 kg in 2015 |
| 2016 | Senior | U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Iowa City | 58 kg | 2nd | 3-2. April 9, 2016; top seed; beat Kayla Miracle 6-4 in the semifinal; lost the best-of-three final to Kelsey Campbell 2-1, 2-1 |
| 2016 | Senior | World Championships (non-Olympic weights), Budapest, Hungary | 60 kg | 2nd | Dec. 11, 2016; lost the final 6-0 to Pei Xingru (China) |
| 2017 | Senior | Pan American Championships, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil | 60 kg | 1st | May 5-7, 2017 |
| 2017 | Senior | World Championships, Paris, France | 60 kg | 2nd | 3-1. Aug. 24, 2017; tech fall over Gabriella Sleisz (Hungary) 10-0, dec. Luisa Niemesch (Germany) 4-0, pinned Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia) 4:43; lost the final 13-0 to Risako Kawai (Japan) |
| 2019 | Senior | Final X, Lincoln, NE | 59 kg | 1st | Swept Lauren Louive 10-0, 10-0 for a seventh straight World Team; also won Final X in 2018 over Jenna Burkert 4-0, 5-0 but withdrew before the 2018 Worlds |
| 2021 | Senior | U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Fort Worth, TX | 57 kg | 2nd, challenge tournament | April 2, 2021; dec. Xochitl Mota-Pettis 9-2 in the semifinal; pinned by Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) 2:12 in the challenge final; retired after the event |
What we could not confirm
Anything not on this page, a high school record, a final score, a season, was left out because no primary source stated it when this was written. If you have a bracket, a program, or a clipping, send it and the page gets the number.
Sources
- https://www.usawmembership.com/senior_national_teams?bio=933 · Carbondale Community HS on the boys' team; 130-29 career record; boys' state qualifier; Junior Nationals 2nd 2008 and 3rd 2007, 2009, 2010; born June 16, 1992 in Carbondale; coached by Dennis Ragan; 2013 and 2014 WCWA champion, 2nd 2011 and 2012; Senior Worlds 2013 9th at 59 kg, 2014 5th at 58 kg, 2015 17th at 58 kg, 2016 and 2017 silver at 60 kg; 2018 and 2019 Final X champion; U.S. Open champion 2013, 2014, 2019; 2017 Pan American champion; graduated King 2014
- https://thesouthern.com/sports/high-school/alli-ragan-gets-historic-100th-win/article_cd93c13e-f1db-11de-90bf-001cc4c002e0.html · Dec. 26, 2009: senior at 125 lb, first girl in Illinois to 100 wins, record 101-24 at the time; eliminated at sectionals as a junior and senior
- http://readme.readmedia.com/Alli-Ragan-Takes-Bronze-Medal-at-Junior-Worlds-in-Romania/2898907 · 2011 Junior Worlds bronze at 63 kg in Bucharest, def. Klaudia Pilipczuk (Poland) 1-0, 3-0; 2nd at 2011 WCWA Nationals as a freshman; coach Jason Moorman
- https://kingtornado.com/news/2013/1/25/1_25_2013_6008.aspx · 2013 WCWA Nationals in Bristol, TN, Jan. 25, 2013: top seed at 136, tech falls over Julie Johnsen (Waldorf) and Brittney Gladd (Cumberlands)
- https://www.kingtornado.com/news/2013/1/26/1_26_2013_6009.aspx · Jan. 26, 2013: WCWA title at 136 over Monica Ramirez (Lindenwood) 6-0; three tech falls before the final; no points allowed; King 3rd as a team
- https://kingtornado.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/alli-ragan/4128 · 2013-14: WCWA champion at 136 lb, def. Shai Mason (Jamestown) 10-0; 17-0 season with no points allowed; King's first WCWA and NWCA Duals titles; 2014 U.S. Open champion at 58 kg
- https://www.kingtornado.com/news/2014/1/24/1_24_2014_6047.aspx · 2014 WCWA Nationals at Missouri Baptist, St. Louis; day-one tech falls over Madeline Millsip (Simon Fraser), Sarah Holdman (Missouri Baptist), Kasey Kruczek (Campbellsville)
- https://www.kingtornado.com/news/2016/4/9/4_9_2016_6114.aspx · 2016 Olympic Trials, Iowa City, April 9, 2016: 58 kg top seed, tech falls over Tarkyia Mensah and Becka Leathers, 6-4 over Kayla Miracle, lost final to Kelsey Campbell 2-1, 2-1; 3-2, 2nd
- https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/5058721-alli-ragan-makes-60kg-world-finals · 2016 Budapest 60 kg run: def. Sarita (India) 8-4, Laura Morais (Canada) 6-3, Laura Mertens (Germany) 5-0, Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan) 14-4; final vs Pei Xingru (China) Dec. 11, 2016
- https://uww.org/article/deuces-wild-russian-pair-win-final-day-world-championships · Dec. 11, 2016, Budapest: Pei Xingru (China) def. Ragan 6-0 in the 60 kg final
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Pan_American_Wrestling_Championships · 2017 Pan American Championships, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, May 5-7: 60 kg gold Allison Ragan (USA), silver Nes Marie Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), bronze Laurence Beauregard (Canada)
- https://www.themat.com/news/2017/august/24/ragan-wins-silver-anthony-is-fifth-and-usa-second-among-women-at-worlds · Aug. 24, 2017, Paris: 60 kg silver; 10-0 over Gabriella Sleisz (Hungary), 4-0 over Luisa Niemesch (Germany), pin over Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia) 4:43, lost 13-0 to Risako Kawai (Japan); fifth World Championships
- https://www.themat.com/news/2018/june/06/final-x-preview-for-59-kg-women · Junior World bronze 2011 (Bucharest) and 2012 (Pattaya); 2013 World University Games silver; Senior Worlds 2013 9th, 2014 5th (lost bronze match 4-4 on criteria), 2015 17th, 2016 and 2017 silver; four Junior Nationals placements; four WCWA finals, two titles; lost 2016 Olympic Trials final to Kelsey Campbell
- https://www.themat.com/news/2018/october/05/ragan-withdraws-from-worlds-and-burkert-to-compete-at-59-kg · Oct. 5, 2018: withdrew from the Budapest World Championships at 59 kg; Jenna Burkert replaced her; Final X 2018 wins 4-0 and 5-0
- https://thesouthern.com/sports/sports-carbondales-ragan-earns-seventh-straight-berth-in-wrestling-world-championships/article_5e70315f-0677-538d-a759-0fe56e2470d5.html · 2019 Final X, Lincoln: swept Lauren Louive 10-0, 10-0 at 59 kg for a seventh straight World Team berth; Hawkeye WC and Sunkist Kids; father Dennis Ragan is Carbondale's coach
- https://www.themat.com/news/features/2021/april/02/ott-session-two-results · April 2, 2021, Fort Worth, 57 kg: dec. Xochitl Mota-Pettis 9-2 in the challenge semifinal; pinned by Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) 2:12 in the challenge final
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2021/05/04/alli-ragan-joins-grand-view-lady-vikings-womens-wrestling-coaching-staff-naia/4942577001/ · May 4, 2021: retired after the 2021 Olympic Trials; joined Grand View as a graduate assistant and Big Game Wrestling Club; six-time Senior World Team member; left Hawkeye WC in 2020 for Arizona State and Sunkist Kids
- https://nwhof.org/blog/dg-inductees/alli-ragan/ · Carbondale Community High 130-29 and boys' state qualifier; 2020 Glen Brand Hall of Fame inductee, first woman; Sunkist Kids
- https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/4/16/national-wrestling-coaches-association-alli-st-john-named-first-head-coach-of-isu-womens-wrestling-program.aspx · April 16, 2026: Alli St. John (Ragan) named first head coach of Iowa State women's wrestling, debut season 2027-28; Big Game WC coach 2021-23; Grand View assistant 2021-22; master's from Grand View 2022; three years with the Cyclone RTC; Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame 2024; lives in Ames with husband Derek and daughter Stevie
- https://cyclones.com/sports/wwrestling/roster/coaches/alli-st-john/2501 · Iowa State coach bio, same content; the page's hire date reads 'April 16, 2016', a typo for 2026
Your turn
Every program in the country that has a women's team, with the coach's published email, is in the college directory.
The newsletter
One email. The rules, the gear, the college path.
For wrestlers, parents, and coaches. Same standard as the site: every number sourced, no filler, unsubscribe any time.