For Amelia Nidelea-Polanin, freestyle wrestling over the offseason has sharpened her takedown abilities from the neutral position.

Those takedown abilities have carried over to the folkstyle season. A two-time state champion in freestyle, the Hampshire junior put on a clinic during the E-Rab Girls Invitational at Rockford East last month, compiling a team-best 15 takedowns over three matches to finish 3-0 and take first place at the 120-pound weight class.

“I’ve started pretty strong,” Nidelea-Polanin said. “I’ve been more offensive. That’s where I’ve been working during the offseason. We worked a lot on neutral in our club practices this year, and it’s been helping me a lot. ... I like freestyle because I’m more of a neutral person. Freestyle has helped with my neutral game. I’ve learned more ways to score, more takedowns and finishing them better.”

One of the area’s top returning wrestlers, Nidelea-Polanin turned in a spectacular sophomore season in her first year at Hampshire. Nidelea-Polanin, whose favorite moves include the ankle pick, went 37-3 and became an IHSA regional and sectional champion for the first time. She completed her sophomore season at the IHSA state tournament, where she medaled in third place.

“I’m pushing the pace on my opponents nonstop,” Nidelea-Polanin said. “I definitely saw myself winning regionals and sectionals and placing at state last year. It gave me a lot of confidence knowing that I’m a lot more skilled than most girls. I thought I fit in pretty good. I met a lot of new people, and I’ve gotten close to them.”

Nidelea-Polanin, one of two returning state medalists for the Whip-Purs this winter [Samantha Diehl], had as many pins (15) as she had technical falls during her sophomore campaign, which included 92 total takedowns in her 40 matches. She brought home four tournament wins before the postseason even started, finishing first at Fremd, Princeton, East Aurora and Dundee-Crown.

“She’s given us a new sense of intensity, especially on our girls team,” Hampshire coach Matthew Todd said. “She’s come in with a lot of knowledge and love for the sport, and it’s rubbed off on a lot of the other girls. She’s fit in with the girls, not just as a wrestler, but as a friend and a leader. She’s jelled with our school altogether, and it’s been a nice addition having her in the room with us.”

A former folkstyle state champion who has represented Illinois at both national duals and the Fargo Nationals, Nidelea-Polanin is part of a growing girls’ wrestling program at Hampshire, which has seen its roster double in size from last year. Nidelea-Polanin said her goals for this year include winning a state championship.

“A lot of her growth has been in her mentality,” Todd said. “When she goes out there, she’s going to give it everything she has and be tough, no matter who she wrestles. Her ceiling keeps growing every single day she’s in the room with us. She knows what she wants to accomplish, and she’s been working hard to accomplish those goals. She’s been improving every single day, and she still has fun with it.”

A member of the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area Team, Nidelea-Polanin went 6-0 with four tech falls and two pins across her regional and sectional tournament victories. At the state finals in Bloomington, Nidelea-Polanin bounced back from a semifinal loss, winning two straight matches to secure third. She and Diehl, who also medaled in third, tied for the best finish in Hampshire history.

“The two-day weigh-ins weren’t fun,” Nidelea-Polanin said with a smile. “I felt like I could put my name out there. By pushing the pace. Not a lot of girls can do that, and that’s a big thing I can do. [State] was something new, and I thought it was a pretty good tournament. It gave me more confidence that I can win this year.”

Growing up in Harwood Heights, Nidelea-Polanin started wrestling around the age of 6. She’s trained with the Arlington Cardinals in the northwest suburbs and ISI Wrestling in St. Charles throughout her wrestling journey. Nidelea-Polanin, who also learned jiu-jitsu at an early age, said her brother Alan helped her get into both sports.

Justin Peete, her coach at ISI as well as a former wrestler and football player at Johnsburg, has become a major role model.

“My brother started wrestling and I took after him,” Nidelea-Polanin. “The hard work it takes makes me stronger physically and mentally. ... My club coach has helped me through a lot, and he’s always been in my corner along the way. He always picks me up, even on the days when I’m not feeling good. He always tells me that it’s going to be OK and I just have to go through it.”

Nidelea-Polanin, who aspires to wrestle collegiately after high school, said that improving from the bottom position will be a key area of growth as she progresses through her junior season. As a team, Nidelea-Polanin said her goals include helping the Whips win a dual state title. The growth of girls wrestling has been seen at Hampshire, which welcomed two IKWF state champions to the team this winter in freshmen Stella Piazza and Annabelle Mueller.

“A long time ago, there were no girls,” Nidelea-Polanin said. “There were usually five girls in each tournament, and seeing it now has been amazing. It’s really cool, and I’ve made a lot more friends.”