HOT SPRINGS – After moving to Hot Springs from Waubay midway through her junior year of high school last season, it didn’t take long for Katie Snyder to begin making an impact on the Lady Bison wrestling team.
A state tournament qualifier but non-medalist as a sophomore, Snyder’s first season in Hot Springs culminated with a third place finish at state tournament at 152 pounds. In her senior season this year, wrestling in the 155 division, she again matched that feat with yet another third place finish at the state tournament.
Her second consecutive successful state tournament pushed her final career record to 92-25 with 66 pins. Her win total is second in school history for girls wrestling, behind her teammate Sarah Rickenbach with whom she helped make a formidable onetwo punch for the Hot Springs Bison the past two seasons.
A three-sport athlete, Snyder played volleyball this past fall and is currently a thrower on Hot Springs track and field team. She however is already setting her sights on the future as she recently signed a letter of intent to wrestle at the next level for the Chadron State College Eagles.
She and her family made it publicly official last Wednesday, April 29, in front of the entire high school student body during a program in Case Auditorium that was hosted by Activities Director Mike Deming.
Despite never wrestling until just three years ago, Snyder said she knew she wanted to be a college wrestler very early in her career, but credits her move to Hot Springs last year as providing the extra incentive to do so.
“She was a blessing to us to have her here,” said Hot Springs head coach Ray Ringstmeyer. “Her key to success was the fact that she put full trust into us as coaches and she did what we told her to do. She has pretty much also become part of our family this past year and I love the mentor she is.”
Snyder said she is expecting to wrestle at 160 pounds next year and joins a Chadron Eagles women’s wrestling team which placed sixth at the NCAA Region VI tournament and qualified three wrestlers for the first-ever NCAA National Tournament in 2026.
“Chadron got a good one,” added Coach Ringstmeyer. “I knew she could become a good one when she came to us; she put in the work, and I think she’s just getting started. I’ve coached a lot of young ladies across the state, and for only a third year wrestler, she gets it, and I think will go as far as she keeps setting goals for.”
The last Hot Springs Bison wrestler to make the transition to college wrestling was Jacob DeSersa, who did it 10 years ago, following the 2016 season, when he also wrestled at Chadron State.
Snyder joins five other Hot Springs High School 2026 future graduates who are planning to play college sports. Earlier this spring, Riyahn Heinert (volleyball at Iowa Lakes Community College), Jaydon Koffler (baseball at Waldorf University), Emma Niles (swimming at Northern State University) and Owen White (football at Chadron State College) all held similar signing ceremonies. It was also recently announced that Connor Kramer is also planning to play football at Dakota State University next fall as well.