Wrestlers · College
Naomi Simon
Iowa's first 4x girls' state champion, unbeaten at Decorah; 2024 U20 World bronze medalist at 76 kg; 2x U20 national champion
Decorah, IA · Decorah HS · University of Iowa
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published September 3, 2026
Naomi Simon started wrestling in seventh grade in Decorah, Iowa, on the boys' team. As a freshman in January 2021 she won the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association girls' state title at 145 pounds, going 20-0. In 2022 she moved up to 170 pounds and won again, pinning every opponent in a 29-0 season.
In February 2023 the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union held its first sanctioned state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Simon won the 170-pound title, pinning Libby Dix of Mount Vernon in 1:35 in the final, and finished 37-0. That July she won Fargo, beating Alexandra Hofrichter of Wisconsin 13-0 in the Junior women's freestyle final at 164 pounds.
On February 2, 2024, she beat Autumn Elsbury of South Tama County 15-2 at 170 pounds to become the first girl in Iowa to win four state titles. She went 48-0 as a senior and finished high school officially unbeaten.
In April 2024 in Spokane she won the U20 national title at 76 kg, about 167 pounds, with two technical falls over Kalila Shrive of California. At the U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, that September she lost 9-8 to Mariia Orlevych of Ukraine in the quarterfinals, then beat Chisato Yoshida of Japan 9-0 for bronze.
As a freshman at Iowa in 2024-25 she went 38-4 at 180 pounds and placed third at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships in Coralville. The Hawkeyes won their second straight team title. In April 2025 she repeated as U20 national champion at 76 kg, pinning Stella Steigler of Virginia twice. At the 2025 U20 Worlds in Samokov, Bulgaria, she pinned Rupinder Johal of Canada, lost 10-4 to Tuvshinjargal Tarav of Mongolia, and placed seventh.
She took a redshirt year in 2025-26, wrestling unattached and going 9-2, and returns to the Iowa lineup as a redshirt sophomore.
She wrestles for the University of Iowa, where she enters the 2026-27 season at 180 pounds as a redshirt sophomore after a year competing unattached.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | High school | IWCOA Girls' State Championships | 145 lb | 1st | 20-0. Freshman; five pins at the tournament |
| 2021-22 | High school | IWCOA Girls' State Championships | 170 lb | 1st | 29-0. Sophomore; pinned every opponent that season |
| 2022 | Age group | USMC Junior Nationals (Fargo), women's freestyle | 164 lb | 6th | Junior All-American; also All-American at 16U and U17 Nationals in 2022 |
| 2022-23 | High school | IGHSAU Girls' State Championships, Coralville | 170 lb | 1st | 37-0. Feb. 3, 2023; first IGHSAU-sanctioned tournament; pinned Libby Dix (Mount Vernon) 1:35 in the final |
| 2023 | Age group | USMC Junior Nationals (Fargo), women's freestyle | 164 lb | 1st | Def. Alexandra Hofrichter (WI) 13-0 tech fall in the final |
| 2023-24 | High school | IGHSAU Girls' State Championships, Coralville | 170 lb | 1st | 48-0. Feb. 2, 2024; def. Autumn Elsbury (South Tama County) 15-2; first girl in Iowa to win four state titles; Decorah won the team title |
| 2024 | Age group | USMC Women's Nationals, U20, Spokane | 76 kg | 1st | April 12-14, 2024; def. Kalila Shrive (CA) 14-3 and 12-0 in the best-of-three series; made the U20 World Team |
| 2024 | Age group | U20 World Championships, Pontevedra, Spain | 76 kg | 3rd | Sept. 5, 2024; lost 9-8 to Mariia Orlevych (UKR) in the quarterfinal; def. Chisato Yoshida (JPN) 9-0 for bronze |
| 2024-25 | College | NCWWC National Championships, Coralville | 180 lb | 3rd | 38-4, 20 pins, 16 tech falls. March 8, 2025; All-American; regional runner-up; 12-0 in duals; Iowa won its second straight team title |
| 2025 | Age group | USMC Women's Nationals, U20, Spokane | 76 kg | 1st | April 4-6, 2025; pinned Stella Steigler (VA) at 2:41 and 2:58 in the series; five pins in six matches; second straight U20 World Team |
| 2025 | Age group | U20 World Championships, Samokov, Bulgaria | 76 kg | 7th | Aug. 2025; pinned Rupinder Johal (CAN) 2:46; lost 10-4 to Tuvshinjargal Tarav (MGL) in the quarterfinal |
| 2025-26 | College | Season, unattached | 180 lb | 9-2. Wrestled unattached; listed as a redshirt sophomore for 2026-27 |
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://hawkeyesports.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/player/naomi-simon · Decorah HS; 4x Iowa state champion; 2023 Fargo Junior National champion; 3x Fargo All-American; 2024-25: 38-4, 16 tech falls, 20 pins, 12-0 in duals, NCWWC regional runner-up, 3rd at 2025 NCWWC; 2025 U20 national champion at 76 kg; 2025-26 unattached 9-2 with 8 tech falls and 5 pins; RS So. for 2026-27 at 180 lb; born Aug. 23, 2006
- https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/16131 · First undefeated four-time Iowa girls' state champion; 2023 Junior Nationals champion, 7th at 2023 U20 Nationals; 2022 All-American at 16U, U17 and Junior Nationals; 2024 Iowa HS Female Wrestler of the Year; Tricia Saunders award. Lists career record 150-0, which conflicts with the Gazette's 130-0, so no career total is used.
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/02/01/decorah-wrestling-naomi-simon-seeking-to-become-iowas-first-four-time-state-champion-ighsau-hawkeyes/72405920007/ · Started wrestling in seventh grade on the boys' team; freshman 20-0 and state title at 145; sophomore 29-0 with all pins, title at 170; junior 37-0 at first sanctioned IGHSAU tournament; 43-0 entering 2024 state; father Matt Simon; national team coach Jeff McGinness
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/sports/high-school/2021/01/24/decorahs-naomi-simon-recorded-five-pins-win-girls-state-wrestling-title-2021-iwcoa-girls-state/6690597002/ · 2021 IWCOA girls' state title with five pins at the tournament
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/sports/high-school/2022/01/23/decorah-sophomore-wrestler-naomi-simon-now-two-time-iowa-girls-state-wrestling-champion-ighsau-2022/6626600001/ · 2022: sophomore went 5-0 to win at 170 pounds, second state title
- https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/07/20/naomi-simon-decorah-wrestling-iowa-among-standouts-junior-national-championships/10040838002/ · 2022 Junior Nationals: reached the semifinals and finished sixth at 164 pounds; Junior All-American
- https://www.thegazette.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/decorah-s-naomi-simon-closes-unbeaten-season-with-ighsau-state-wrestling-title/article_b44532c0-4610-5fbe-9984-433a9c429a4a.html · Feb. 3, 2023, Xtream Arena, Coralville: 170-pound title at the inaugural IGHSAU tournament; 37-0 season; pinned Libby Dix (Mount Vernon) in 1:35 in the final; prior IWCOA titles at 145 and 170; 82-0 career at that point
- https://www.themat.com/news/features/2023/july/16/junior-women-wrap · 2023 Fargo Junior women's freestyle 164 lb final: def. Alexandra Hofrichter (WI) 13-0 tech fall
- https://www.thegazette.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/simon-says-decorah-s-naomi-simon-caps-an-undefeated-high-school-wrestling-career-with-4th/article_4b2528a0-7e13-54a1-846e-1b51c321df7f.html · Feb. 2, 2024, Xtream Arena: def. Autumn Elsbury (South Tama County) 15-2 at 170; first Iowa girl with four state titles; 48-0 season; Decorah team title with 141 points; Gazette lists career record 130-0
- https://cbs2iowa.com/sports/cbs2-local-sports/decorah-senior-naomi-simon-becomes-first-girls-4x-state-champion · First four-time girls' state champion in Iowa; Coralville; Feb. 2, 2024
- https://www.themat.com/news/2024/april/14/larramendy-qureshi-secure-titles-as-u20-action-concludes-at-2024-usmc-women-s-nationals · 2024 USMC Women's Nationals, Spokane, April 12-14: U20 76 kg title over Kalila Shrive (CA) 14-3 and 12-0
- https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/09/05/simon-finishes-3rd-at-u20-world-championships · 2024 U20 Worlds, Pontevedra, Spain, Sept. 5: lost 9-8 to Mariia Orlevych (UKR) in the quarterfinal; def. Chisato Yoshida (JPN) 9-0 for bronze at 76 kg
- https://www.decorahleader.com/articles/decorahleader/simon-wins-bronze-at-world-championships/ · Decorah Leader on the 2024 bronze: lost 9-8 to Orlevych, won 9-0 over Yoshida; qualified in Spokane in April 2024
- https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2025/3/8/hawkeyes-crown-3-national-champions-claim-second-straight-team-title · 2025 NCWWC tournament, Coralville, March 8, 2025: Simon 3rd at 180, All-American; Iowa second straight team title with three champions and 15 All-Americans
- https://www.themat.com/news/2025/april/06/jimenez-named-ow-robinson-simon-repeat-as-u20-champions-at-usmc-women-s-nationals · 2025 USMC Women's Nationals, The Podium, Spokane, April 4-6: U20 76 kg title, pinned Stella Steigler (VA) 2:41 and 2:58; five pins in six matches; repeat U20 World Team
- https://www.themat.com/news/2025/august/20/day-4-live-results-women-s-freestyle · 2025 U20 Worlds, Samokov, Bulgaria, Aug. 17-24: 76 kg, fall over Rupinder Johal (CAN) 2:46, lost 10-4 to Tuvshinjargal Tarav (MGL) in the quarterfinal; Iowa Women's Wrestling Club
- https://uww.org/athletes/simon-naomi-lee · UWW athlete page: 7th at 2025 U20 Worlds (Bulgaria) and 3rd at 2024 U20 Worlds (Spain), both 76 kg
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