Jessica Fresh, MMA Star, Exceptional At Waldorf, Even Better Now

How accurate did those Most Likely pages turn out to be when you attended your high school reunions?

Did your high school classmate indeed head a corporation?

Did the one expected to become famous do exactly that?

Life can be full of surprises as we found out years ago when we researched the enticing Waldorf University in Iowa and wrote about them.

FCI Womens Wrestling » Waldorf Can Break Through

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, Waldorf Athletics photo credit**

As we looked at the beautiful girls on their female wrestling team, standing for their photo, if we we’re to guess which girl would most likely evolve into a future formidable MMA Fighter with a winning record, we have to admit, admiring beautiful feminine blonde Jessica, we most likely would not have picked her.

And yet here she is.

She’s that girl.

She’s the it girl.

She’s the real deal.

Now an emerging MMA star with an impressive 5-1 record as of this writing, in a very tough sport where others don’t last long, Jessica is developing a reputation as a tough young woman to be feared.

And to think, at a very young age she almost permanently quit wrestling.

In 2012 as reported at thegazette.com they share, “Although she loved the sport growing up in Knoxville, watching her younger brother compete and following him to practice and hoping to impress her father, she thought her days on the mat were over when she quit after her freshman year in high school.”

Jessica explained that she just wasn’t enjoying it.

They continue, “But that interest returned during her freshman year at the University of Northern Iowa, where she played on the club rugby to satisfy that competitive urge. While working a tournament as a volunteer, she started talking to some women’s freestyle wrestlers during a break and found out colleges in Iowa actually offer the sport.”

She was now on her way.

Now at Waldorf, we first got a clue of how special she was when we watched tournament action of a very young Jessica taking on her future coach Courtney Martell in a 2012 video featuring semifinal action at the Final U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier. It wasn’t even close as Jessica controlled the match from start to finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKo4K3yQ5aE

Scanning other matches featuring Jessica showed her with a brilliant pin on Brianna Rahall of OCU/Gator and a complete domination of Dyonne Sedillos of OCU/Gator as well.

Clearly Jessica was headed towards stardom.

Her accomplishments at Waldorf would speak to that.

After graduation she was hired as the Assistant Coach at Waldorf and they share her resume with us at waldorfwarriors.com.

“A native of Knoxville, Iowa, Fresh graduated from Knoxville High School in 2010. She went on to attend Waldorf and was a standout wrestler for the Warriors. She was a three-time Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) All-American, placing sixth at 109 pounds as a sophomore and earning fifth-place finishes during her final two seasons with the Warriors.

Fresh was a 2012 Olympic Trials qualifier. She was recognized as a WCWA Academic All-American during her junior and senior seasons. In 2014, Fresh was presented with Waldorf’s prestigious Honor Athlete Award. She graduated from Waldorf College in 2014 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in wellness.

Fresh is the daughter of Ron and Jill Fresh and has one younger brother, Jay. She resides in Forest City and is currently pursuing a master’s of arts degree in organizational leadership at Waldorf with an emphasis in sport management.”

Wow. She truly has evolved into an exceptional leader.

Let’s visit her hometown and briefly appreciate the village that raised her.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, By en User Cburnett modified by User Tim Ross Wikimedia**

Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, located next to the famous Knoxville Raceway dirt track.

We have the need for speed. We’re going to trek over to the race track and try and catch up with knoxvilleraceway.com.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, photo By mattofwashington (talk) – I (mattofwashington (talk)) created this work entirely by myself wikimedia knoxvilleraceway.com.**

As expected, they are very energetic and excited to share some insights. “Did you know that Knoxville Raceway was originally a track used for horse racing? Can you name the promoters who have helped to build the legacy that is the “Sprint Car Capital of the World”? Knoxville Raceway celebrates its rich history, from the first automobile race in 1901 to the first weekly races in 1954, with a review of the track’s heritage.”

That was fun. Time to walk back into town.

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,313 people, 3,169 households, and 1,925 families residing in the city.

Seems like a very quaint village.

It’s always fun to go back to college. We previously wrote about Waldorf but that was back in 2013.

Let’s see what they are up to now.

At waldorf.edu they take us on a tour. “Waldorf University is a friendly, private liberal arts school located centrally in beautiful Forest City, Iowa. For more than 100 years, Waldorf has been the cornerstone in the lives of thousands, setting the solid foundation for success among students, their families and the community.

Since its beginning in 1903, Waldorf has been at the forefront of academic innovation, trailblazing a path for future generations. Offering a litany of certificate, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, Waldorf has an opportunity for anyone who wants to improve their life academically, personally or professionally.

At Waldorf, we believe that a truly well-rounded education not only involves academic studies, but also participation in the arts, physical education and more. Our vibrant campus is teeming with students from all across the world who have chosen Waldorf to help them achieve their educational goals.

Our faculty and staff work one-on-one with students to ensure they are confident and capable in reaching their full potential, providing encouragement each step of the way.”

It’s hard to argue with results. That certainly worked well for Jessica.

We sense that young Jessica is going to continue to impress, surprise and evolve.

In regards to the future, if we were compiling and producing a female grappling year book, in terms of who Jessica Fresh is most likely to be?

Answer?