Riley Deel almost walked away from wrestling.
A year ago, the now Fountain Central freshman was missing out on the inaugural season of IHSAA girls wrestling, while she battled boys on the mat during junior-high matches. Often being outmuscled and overpowered, a late season injury had Deel ready to walk away from the sport for good.
A lot can change in a year though.
Deel stepped back on the mat. She led the Mustangs to a sectional runner-up finish by winning the sectional title at 130 and eventually qualifying for state.
The Fountain Central grappler is the Journal Review Girls Wrestler of the Year.
“The hardest part of this year was the beginning of it,” Deel said. “I was on the line about wrestling this season due to an injury from the last season. I had my head set on never stepping foot on another mat again.”
Deel’s Dad, Lucas, who is also the Mustangs coach, convinced her with the help of others to give wrestling another shot. Riley had a preseason practice with college wrestler Katie Dowell and decided to stick with the Mustang wrestling program entering her freshman season.
“There was a lot of doubt and timidity coming into this season,” Lucas said. “That led to a shift in her mentality as she approached matches. Riley’s mind gets in her way at times, and overcoming those mental obstacles she puts in front of herself posed a challenge.”
Early season wins mounted and Deel entered the second annual IHSAA state tournament with a perfect record. She secured three wins by fall to win the sectional and pinned her first three opponents at the regional, before falling in the championship match.
Deel was disappointed she missed out on the first season of the program in 2024-25 and after winning the sectional title she started to realize her potential.
“I realized that I had made my own first,” she said. “I felt very alone and left out when the girls team was first established. I was very happy for the girls, including my sister, who got to be a part of the first girls everything. There was just a part of me that wished I could have been too. That was my goal this season, to make my own first.”
Deel said her perspective changed once she stood atop of the podium after winning the sectional, but Dad knew that was in the making all along.
“I told her at the beginning of the season that those (sectional champion, state qualifier) should be the goals,” Lucas said. “I’m not sure when she bought in, but I knew her potential from the beginning of the season. About halfway through the season I realized that she had been through some tough matches and she still hadn’t lost yet.”
Riley carries a lot of confidence on her feet, and her attack helped her to a perfect regular season record.
“Riley relied a lot on getting on the attack early and taking her opponents down first this season,” Lucas said. “Riley never gives up. She gets after it all through the match and finds ways to score. She’s got several things to keep working on, but as long as she continues to fight like she has, she’ll do just fine.”
Deel put in years of hard work into wrestling before her pivotal freshman campaign — and plans to put in plenty more in years to come. The expectations are now set. Sectional titles, a return to the Parade of Champions at state, and ultimately a podium finish.
