Wrestlers · Career complete
Cassy Herkelman
One of the first two girls to qualify for Iowa's state tournament, as a Cedar Falls freshman in 2011; 2x WCWA All-American for McKendree
Cedar Falls, IA · Cedar Falls HS · McKendree
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published September 23, 2026
Cassy Herkelman wrestled for Cedar Falls High School in Iowa. In February 2011, as a freshman, she qualified for the state tournament in Des Moines at 112 pounds in Class 3A. She and Megan Black of Ottumwa were the first two girls to qualify for Iowa's state tournament.
Her first-round opponent, a wrestler from Linn-Mar, defaulted rather than wrestle her, citing religious reasons. She became the first girl to advance at the Iowa state tournament, and the story made national news. She lost her next two matches, including a 5-1 quarterfinal to Matt Victor of Indianola.
As a sophomore she placed third at districts in 2012, just short of a return trip to state.
She went on to McKendree University in Illinois. In 2014-15 she went 17-7, placed third at the first Bearcat Open and placed fifth at 143 pounds at the WCWA Championships. In 2015-16 she went 23-9, was runner-up at the Bearcat Open and placed seventh at 136 pounds at the WCWA Championships. That made her a two-time WCWA All-American.
She then coached as Cassy Jakoubek. She coached the girls' team at Denver, Iowa, in 2019-20. In 2020-21 she became head coach of the Cedar Falls girls' program, at the school she had wrestled for ten years earlier. Iowa girls now wrestle at a state tournament of their own.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | High school | Iowa state tournament, Class 3A, Des Moines | 112 lb | Qualifier | 1-2. With Megan Black of Ottumwa, one of the first two girls to qualify. Her first-round opponent from Linn-Mar defaulted, making her the first girl to advance at state. She lost 5-1 to Matt Victor (Indianola) in the quarterfinal and lost her next match. |
| 2011-12 | High school | District tournament | 3rd | Just short of a return trip to state. | |
| 2014-15 | College | Bearcat Open | 3rd | The first Bearcat Open, in her 17-7 season for McKendree. | |
| 2014-15 | College | WCWA Championships | 143 lb | 5th | Her first All-American finish. |
| 2015-16 | College | Bearcat Open | 2nd | In a 23-9 season. | |
| 2015-16 | College | WCWA Championships | 136 lb | 7th | Her second All-American finish. |
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 to the operator, Joe Spisak, at joe@spisak.co and the page gets the number.
Sources
- https://www.kcrg.com/2021/01/23/former-high-school-wrestler-goes-from-girls-trailblazer-to-tournament-coach/ · KCRG, January 2021. As a Cedar Falls freshman ten years earlier she qualified for the boys' state tournament, won her first match by forfeit and lost her other two, was a two-time All-American at McKendree, and was in her first year as head coach of the Cedar Falls girls' program. AP captions on the page give the Class 3A 112-pound quarterfinal loss to Matt Victor of Indianola, 5-1.
- https://www.radioiowa.com/2012/02/16/girl-makes-history-again-at-state-wrestling-tournament/ · Radio Iowa, February 2012. Megan Black became one of the first two girls to qualify for the state tournament in 2011, wrestling for Ottumwa. Herkelman became the first girl to advance at state when she accepted a default from a Linn-Mar wrestler who cited religious reasons, and in 2012 she placed third at districts.
- https://mckbearcats.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/cassy-herkelman/8529 · McKendree University roster biography. 17-7 with a fifth place at 143 pounds at the 2015 WCWA Championships, 23-9 with a seventh place at 136 pounds in 2016, the Bearcat Open finishes, and the first girl in Iowa history to win a match at the state tournament.
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/01/23/cassy-herkelman-iowa-girls-wrestling-denver-coach-iwcoa-girls-state/4552202002/ · Des Moines Register, January 2020. Coach Cassy Jakoubek met the Denver girls' wrestling team for the first time in the first month of the 2019-20 season.
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