Now that the 2026 state brackets are set, here is a little fun with the bracket preview data, trying to understand which of the brackets are going to be especially fun to watch.

• 107 total weight classes (58 boys, 49 girls)
  • 77 full brackets (51 boys, 26 girls)
• Weights with most returning state qualifiers
  • Intermediate 59 (20)
  • Intermediate 64 (19)
  • Girls Intermediate 62 (19)
  • Senior 96 (18)
  • Novice 74 (18)
  • Girls Novice 90 (18)
  • Girls Intermediate 77 (18)
• Weights with most returning state placers
  • Intermediate 64 (13, 19 returning qualifiers)
  • Girls Intermediate 62 (12, 19 returning qualifiers)
  • Novice 93 (11, 16 returning qualifiers)
  • Girls Senior 110 (10, 14 returning qualifiers)
• Weights with most returning state champs
  • Girls Novice 102 (3)
  • Girls Intermediate 67 (3)
• Weights with most wins
  • Intermediate 64 (682-167, 0.803)
  • Intermediate 90 (654-186, 0.779)
  • Intermediate 69 (643-164, 0.797)
  • Bantam 55 (639-149, 0.811)
  • Intermediate 84 (634-166, 0.793)
  • Intermediate 74 (628-176, 0.781)
  • Intermediate 79 (611-136, 0.818)
  • Bantam 70 (603-147, 0.804)
• Weights with best winning percentage
  • Intermediate 79 (0.818, 611-136)
  • Bantam 55 (0.811, 639-149)
  • Bantam 84 (0.805, 488-118)
  • Bantam 70 (0.804, 603-147)
  • Intermediate 64 (0.803, 682-167)

Head to the 2026 brackets page for a preview both of your sectional brackets and of the state tournament picture (only at most 96 athletes remain at each weight statewide).

For an example sectional preview, see Intermediate 74 North:

and for an example state preview, see Intermediate 74:

After a super helpful summer of collecting old programs, we now have virtually ALL history of the IKWF state tournament. Huge thanks to the contributors that gave me physical copies of old programs, scanned old programs, or sent in pictures of bracket boards:

• Terry Weber
• Mike Urwin
• Corey Atwell
• Clayton Norberg
• Todd Combes
• Collin McKillip
• Kevin Randolph

Go to the brackets page to see ALL of the years 1971 to 2025! From here I’d love more help to find competitors (or matches) from the missing years.