Iowa high school standout makes U.S. national team

Dana Becker

Iowa high school standout makes U.S. national team image

Felicity Taylor from Spillville, Iowa, a product of South Winneshiek High School, McKendree and the Iowa Hawkeyes, will represent the United States on the wrestling mats.

Taylor secured her spot on the U.S. team in freestyle at 53kg with two decision victories over Brianna Gonzalez at Final X on Saturday. The event took place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, streaming live on FloWrestling.

She was one of several wrestlers with ties to Iowa that earned a spot on the team, as half of the women's roster will do so. 

Taylor was coached by Iowa high school legend TJ Sebolt, becoming the first girl in Upper Iowa Conference history to capture a league title. She was a conference and sectional champion as a senior after winning state titles as a sophomore and junior.

Along with those honors, she was a runner-up at nationals, helping her team place first at national duals and third at the national tournament. 

Taylor would compte for several seasons with McKendree where she was a NCWWC national runner-up before landing at Iowa, going 31-2 in 2023-24 while claiming a NCWWC national title. 

She has been on the senior national team twice before in 2022 and '24, along with two appearances on the U-23 world team in 2019 and '22. Taylor and Gonzalez were teammates at Iowa. 

Dana Becker

Dana Becker is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has been a sports writer since 2000, covering high school sports, the Big 12 and more for On SI, The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others.