Merrill’s Yates secures fifth place finish at State Wrestling Tournament

Two Bluejay wrestlers represented Merrill at the WIAA Girls Individual State Wrestling Tournament last weekend, with Senior Merin Yates bringing home hardware after an impressive performance in the 185-pound weight class.
The three-day tournament, held Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 2025, at the Kohl Center in Madison, saw Yates finish with a 4-1 record to claim fifth place in the state—a remarkable achievement for an athlete who began wrestling just 14 months ago.
“Merin was a machine down at State,” said Merrill Varsity Girls Wrestling Head Coach Scott Arneson. “She did warm ups and cool downs, watched her diet, followed mat strategies to the ‘T,’ wrestled with passion and poise, and simply was determined to bring home hardware from the State Tournament—and did just that.”
Yates dominated her first-round match with a pin before falling to the second-seeded wrestler in round two. She then rallied with three consecutive pins to secure her place on the podium.
“Merin’s results are the product of hard work, discipline, determination, desire, and tenacity,” Arneson said. “She represented herself, her family, her coaches, her school, and her community with class, pride, and great sportsmanship. She is a role model wrestler.”

“It was nice to see someone that works hard, is a great student, a great person, and a great teammate get what they deserve,” he said.
The Senior’s performance embodied the team’s season-long motto of CPR (Consistent-Persistent-Resilient), with coaches adding an extra “R squared” for “Relentless” to describe her State Tournament run.
Freshman Kendell Klug also qualified for State in the 126-pound weight class. Though unable to secure a victory in her two matches, Klug gained valuable experience that will serve her well in future seasons.
“She lost both of her matches, but gained valuable experience and a taste of the State Tournament,” Arneson said. “We have no doubts that she has already set her goals for next year and has plans to do more than just participate.”
With Yates finishing her high school career on a winning note and Klug gaining state-level experience as a Freshman, the future looks bright for Merrill Varsity Girls Wrestling.