When La Salle-Peru senior Kiely Domyancich started wrestling as a freshman, she said she was “really bad” at the sport.

But she had fun with the sport and made friends with teammates.

She also had people doubt her.

That motivated Domyancich.

“As a wrestler, I think I’ve really shown that I love when people doubt me because they’re going to regret doubting me,” Domyancich said. “I had so many people freshman year that would look down on me. I kind of took that as a threat, and I was like, ‘OK, I have to prove these people wrong.’ I’ve grown a lot mentally and physically, and I think I’m going to keep on growing because that’s just me. I’m a competitive person.”

Domyancich certainly grew as a wrestler.

She went from a novice to a dominant wrestler in the area and one of the best in the state.

As a senior, Domyancich went 35-5 with 25 pins, eclipsed 100 career wins, won the Rockford East, Princeton, Ottawa and Interstate 8 Conference tournaments, won the 125-pound bracket at the Normal West Regional, placed second at the DeKalb Sectional and finished one win shy of a state medal.

For all she accomplished this season, Domyancich is the 2025-26 NewsTribune Girls Wrestler of the Year.

Domyancich also won the honor last season.

“It was a phenomenal season,” L-P coach Nolan Keeney said. “Last year, she came in wrestling like she was on a mission with something to prove. This year, she came in knowing she was one of the better girls in the state, so she wrestled more freely. It was really nice to see the confidence level change in her from one season to the next. It was a joy to watch.”

While Domyancich grew as an individual wrestler during her career, she did much more than that as she helped grow the L-P program.

Domyancich was the only female wrestler at the school her freshman year. This winter, the Cavaliers had a separate girls program for the first time, with more than 20 girls on the roster.

This season, the Cavaliers won the Interstate 8 Conference tournament and went unbeaten in conference duals, placed second in the regional and had nine sectional qualifiers.

“The past few years, I’ve heard so many people say how I’ve had a part in growing the program,” Domyancich said. “Honestly, I never really thought about it that way. I like to win, and that’s what I did. I didn’t really think about the program as a whole, but now seeing how far we’ve come, it really just makes me feel really good being part of this.

“I think it’s my biggest blessing because not everybody gets to be a part of something bigger than themself, and I really enjoy that.”

Domyancich is the first L-P female wrestler to win 100 matches, finishing with 116, and was the first L-P female to earn a state medal as she placed fifth at 115 as a junior and was a three-time state qualifier.

“I don’t know if anyone could dream of what she’s done,” Keeney said. “The program was literally born because of her and Sarah Lowery the next year. Then we had 10 more girls join the next year. They all play a key factor, but everyone knew Kiely was the leader. With the legacy she built, she’s going to have a bunch of girls come into the wrestling room, and they’re going to see her name plastered all over. They’re going to see her picture on the wall. Little girls are going to look up and think, ‘I want to be like Kiely.’ She set the bar.”

Domyancich, who credits her coaches, teammates and community support for her success in high school, plans to continue her career in college. She’s still considering schools.

“I’m excited for what she’s going to do in college,” Keeney said. “Kiely can do anything she sets her mind to. I don’t know where she’s going, but she’s going to do great. I hope I did the best I could to prepare her for the college level.”