American Helen Maroulis (57 kg) at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials before the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Helen Maroulis (Scottsdale, Ariz./Titan Mercury WC) has been named the 2025 USA Wrestling women’s wrestler of the year. This is the second time Maroulis has won the prestigious award. She previously won nine years ago in 2016.
At the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Maroulis joined an exclusive club of only seven individuals in USA Wrestling history to win at least four world titles. She became the third woman to achieve the feat, joining six-time world champion Adeline Gray and four-time world champion Tricia Saunders on the list.
Maroulis finished her time in Zagreb with four impressive victories, three of which came by pin. She did not surrender a single match point until the finals, where she defeated North Korea’s Il Sim Son, 3-2, with a match-winning inside trip takedown coming with six seconds left on the clock.
The Rockville, Md., native has collected eight medals at the Senior World Championships — four gold, two silver and three bronze. She also owns a U.S- record three Olympic medals — gold from the 2016 Rio Games in Brazil and bronze at both the 2020 Tokyo Games and 2024 Paris Games. She was the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, and the first to win multiple Olympic medals.
Other outings for Maroulis in 2025 include a gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series event and a series sweep at Final X to qualify for her 12th U.S. Senior world team.
She is a three-time Pan American champion, three-time U20 world medalist, six-time U.S. Open champion and a four-time WCWA women’s college national champion. Maroulis was named the USA Wrestling women’s wrestler of the year in 2016.
USA Wrestling Women’s Wrestler of the Year Award Winners
2025: Helen Maroulis, Scottsdale, Ariz., Titan Mercury WC
2024: Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC/USOPTC
2023: Amit Elor, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC/New York City RTC
2022: Amit Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif., Titan Mercury WC/New York City RTC
2021: Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC
2020: No award (COVID-19)
2019: Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC
2018: Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC/OTC
2017: Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC
2016: Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y., Sunkist Kids
2015: Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2014: Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2013: Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2012: Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2011: Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn., Gator WC
2010: Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2009: Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2008: Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007: Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006: Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005: Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Army
2004: Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., Sunkist Kids
2003: Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo., Dave Schultz WC
2002: Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
2001: Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2000: Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1999: Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1998: Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1997: Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1996: Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1995: Vickie Zummo, Hamburg, N.J., New York AC
1994: Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids
1993: Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
