Valley City wrestling standout Deegan Kirschenmann signs with Jamestown
Deegan Kirschenmann signed with the University of Jamestown after finishing as Valley City’s all-time girls wrestling leader in wins and pins, adding another homegrown name to the Jimmies’ roster.
Deegan Kirschenmann took the next step in a record-setting wrestling career by signing a letter of intent with the University of Jamestown, keeping one of the region’s most accomplished girls wrestlers close to home and adding a proven competitor to a program with deep North Dakota roots.
Kirschenmann leaves the Valley City Hi-Liners wrestling program as the all-time leader in girls wins with 160 and pins with 103. She also became the first and only wrestler in Valley City history to reach 50 wins in a season, finishing with 51 victories. Those numbers, built over a run that began when she joined the program in eighth grade, show why her signing carries weight in Jamestown and across Barnes County.
Her high school résumé already includes four state placings, a level of consistency that separated her from one-season breakouts. In January, she won the Storhaug Invitational at 136 pounds, another example of her staying power on the mat as Valley City continued to produce results. Earlier in the season, she was wrestling at 142 pounds as a senior and had opened 12-0, winning titles at the Minot Early Bird, the Jamestown Knights of Columbus and the Al Larson tournament in Carrington. Coaches also described her as a captain and a role model for teammates.
Kirschenmann’s path has been tracked closely in the area. A January 2025 report identified her as a junior at Barnes County North High School wrestling at 130 pounds, and by the end of that year she had moved into the senior spotlight as one of the Hi-Liners’ most reliable competitors. She is the daughter of Dustin and Lana Kirschenmann.
At Jamestown, she joins a women’s wrestling program with momentum and a strong regional identity. Tony DeAnda returned as head women’s wrestling coach in April 2025 after previously coaching at Jamestown from 2011 to 2017. The program also has a national track record, including Cara Romeike’s runner-up finish at the 2019 NAIA National Women’s Wrestling Tournament. Even as the university moves toward NCAA Division II and the NSIC, women’s wrestling remains one of its signature sports, with Harold Newman Arena hosting the NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational.
For Valley City fans, Kirschenmann’s signing is more than another college commitment. It is the latest local athlete to move from a small-town program to a major college stage, and it keeps a familiar name in a Jamestown singlet where younger wrestlers can watch the standard she set become the next benchmark.
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