Union wrestler Jillian Worthen, left, works to take down Osage wrestler Melanie Bruesewitz in the opening round last week Thursday at the girls state wrestling tournament held at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Worthen – a two-time past state champion at 105 pounds who was undefeated in the regular season this year – went 5-2 at the 2024 state tournament, earning a 5th place finish at 125 pounds. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLYSON SCHWAB/IAWRESTLE FACEBOOK

CORALVILLE – Knights wrestler Jillian ‘Monster’ Worthen was ready for a new challenge her junior season.

After winning back to back state titles at 105 pounds her freshman and sophomore years — plus a host of other accolades over the last three years including a 2024 regional championship — the now three-time state medalist took home fifth place at 125 pounds at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Championships last week Friday in pursuit of that challenge.

And while some may view her place on the podium this year as something of a letdown after her 2022 and 2023 titles, Worthen – who entered the tournament undefeated at 24-0 – hardly sees it that way. And she wants all the young girls out there harboring aspiring wrestling dreams of their own to take note.

“Even though I didn’t quite reach the achievement I was working for, I got the best I could get and went to war in the toughest bracket by far,” Worthen posted on Facebook over the weekend following the two-day tournament’s conclusion on Feb. 2. “I did it for all the little eyes watching, all the little girls that want to be like us someday. To show them that with some hard work and love for the sport, they can achieve anything; but also you will lose in your wrestling career, no wrestler escapes without some scars on their heart.”

It was a lesson in humility, staying the course, and riding a challenge to its conclusion even in the face of adversity.

The first in a collection of photos depicting Union wrestler Jillian Worthen – 2022 All-American, three-time state qualifier with two titles under her singlet, and 2024 regional champion – posing for photographs through the years with some of her youngest admirers. In the days since placing fifth at 125 pounds at the 2024 IGHSAU State Championship – where she took the only two losses of her 2023-24 season – Worthen has made several public statements reminding all those ‘little eyes watching her’ that challenging oneself only to then lose is just as much a part of wrestling as winning. PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN WORTHEN

In a post-tournament interview with the Telegraph, Worthen said prior to the start of the 2023-24 season she had planned to wrestle at 100-115 pounds but then she got to looking at how the brackets were shaping up.

“Deciding to go 125 was not my original plan,” Worthen explained. “I decided to go 125 because I wanted to chase down the best, and that was one of the most stacked brackets in the tournament.”

Worthen went undefeated both her freshman and sophomore seasons, racking up title after title, and even with the jump to 125 she managed to keep it that way all through the regular season.

“It really wasn’t that hard to settle into 125,” Worthen said when asked about the physicality of making the jump from 105.

Heading into the state tournament last week Thursday, Worthen was seeded No. 2 behind Riverside’s Molly Allen, the eventual 2024 state champion and last season’s state title holder at 115.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN WORTHEN

Worthen kicked off her opening rounds with two wins including a pinfall over Osage’s Melanie Bruesewitz in three minutes, 25 seconds, and a win by major decision 12-1 over No. 18 Piper Lester.

But in the quarterfinals she hit some turbulence – No. 7 seed Destiny Brown of Ridge View who had only lost two matches in the regular season.

In what the Des Moines Register tagged an “upset” match, Brown managed to edge Worthen by decision 11-10, sending the two-time state champion to the consolation round in the process.

“That match came with a lot of different feelings. A million things were running through my mind, even though I didn’t show it,” Worthen said. “After going into that tunnel, my heart shattered. I realized the goal I was working for year after year wasn’t going to happen.”

But despite being handed such a devastating loss by Brown, Worthen had nothing but good things to say about her opponent, telling the Telegraph, “I was happy for Destiny. I know her coaches and they’re wonderful people, [Coach Troy Greder] has actually coached me a few times. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. I know Destiny works hard, and she’s a really sweet girl. I hugged her after her semifinal win and I told her I was proud. She said the same thing and we wished each other the best. There was nothing but battle and respect in that match and throughout the whole bracket.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN WORTHEN

Following the quarterfinal loss, Worthen faced three wrestlebacks Friday morning – winning the first over No. 11 Anna O’Rear of West Delaware by pinfall in two minutes, 25 seconds and the second by decision 8-5 over No. 6 Lilly Stough of Waverly-Shell Rock before dropping her third – and a chance to wrestle for third place – by fall to No. 5 Calista Rodish of Raccoon River-Northwest.

In the finals Friday evening Worthen came roaring back, beating the No. 4 seed Alexis Winkey of Ames, a senior, by pinfall in just under two minutes and thereby earning a fifth place state medal along with a spot on the podium three years running.

She ended her junior season in Coralville that evening 28-2 and 75-2 overall – a fantastic run for any high school wrestler.

Next season

In the weeks and months ahead, Worthen said she plans to keep her feet on the mats by attending several AAU events and “lots of freestyle.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLYSON SCHWAB/IAWRESTLE FACEBOOK

She also told the Telegraph she plans to compete in Fargo again this year for the 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U National Championships where she previously earned All-American honors in 2022.

Even without a third state title, Worthen’s list of wrestling accomplishments is lengthy and impressive. Much of that success she said is owed to her coaches including her Immortal Athletics Wrestling Club coaches – Cruse Aarhus, Jacob Holschlag, Jake Hodges, Taylor Lujan, and Darren Eades; and her Union Knights coaches including head coach Bart Mehlert, and assistant coaches Kirk Crawford, Max Thomsen, and Kyle Kriz.

“[T]hey give you their all, man. They took me in and treated me like family. We got a new assistant [Knights] coach this year, John Simon, great guy. He helped Kirk out a lot with the girls and did so much for me. … We had a great bond from the first day of practice and the rest is history. He pushes me through practice, breaks down the things I need to tune up and work on, and he made sure I loved what I was doing and having fun.”

Worthen said it was her coaches who helped her navigate the minutes and hours after taking the two losses at state.

“After talking with my coaches I realized that it’s hard to even win one state title, let alone [two or three or four]. It’s hard to stay on top, and even the best lose. I decided to pick myself up, dust myself off, and go back to war. I also realized that I wasn’t going through it alone. Some of my closest friends experienced the same thing [at state this year]. But we all decided to fight back.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN WORTHEN

And while being a three-time state champion in 2024 was certainly one of Worthen’s goals when she took up the challenge of competing at 125, in her comments to the Telegraph she made clear failing to achieve that goal this time around has only strengthened her commitment next season.

“[E]ven though I didn’t get what I wanted, I learned that losses don’t define you. It’s how you carry yourself and what kind of person you are.”

“I still got one year left, and I’m making a comeback.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN WORTHEN