Cora Schut of Iowa named the 2025 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship recipient

Cora Schut of Sioux Center, Iowa, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually by USA Wrestling to a high school senior wrestler who has been adopted and has made a positive impact on all aspects of life.

Schut competed for Sioux Center High School, where she was an Iowa state place winner and four-time state qualifier. During her senior season, she was a 2A Iowa state tournament qualifier at 115 pounds. She finished in fifth place at 1A 110 pounds in 2025.

Before her senior campaign, Schut competed at the 2025 Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals, advancing to the round of 16. She also entered the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., in the Junior girls 115-pound bracket, where she reached the round of 32.

Schut concluded her high school career with a cumulative GPA of 3.78 and a 3.64 GPA during her senior year. She will use the $5,000 financial award to attend Simpson College in Iowa, where she plans to wrestle while studying education with an emphasis in special education and coaching.

Schut has been a member of USA Wrestling since 2023 and was adopted from Guatemala at five months old. She chose Simpson College because of the college’s core values and women’s wrestling program, as well as the fit the institution provides within her home state.

The Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship was created in honor of Brian Keck, a remarkable individual with a true passion for wrestling. Brian was an Ohio state champion and a Senior National Team member. He was deeply grateful to his father, who adopted him at the age of 15. Brian was proud of his accomplishments and thankful for his eventual opportunity in life to have a family. Before his passing in 2019, Brian worked tirelessly for 12 years to make the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals a great success and to provide athletes with the opportunity to compete against the best in the nation.

This scholarship is a tribute to Brian's enduring legacy in the wrestling community and is open exclusively to high school seniors who share both his adopted background and his love of wrestling.

Each year’s winner must be a competitor in the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals or the Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase in Des Moines, Iowa.

To receive the scholarship, the applicant must be accepted to or planning to apply to an accredited college, university or vocational institution. Among the required materials is an essay detailing their adoption journey and how their wrestling experiences reflect the qualities that Brian Keck represented.

Information on the application process for the 2026 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship Award will be announced soon.

Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship Award Winners

2025 – Cora Schut of Iowa

2024 – Braxton Stewart of Colorado

2023 – Yuki Uchishiba of Hawaii