We changed the calendar to August today. I thought a recap of the freestyle season and a look ahead for a schedule of events would be a good idea.

For starters we have had a busy spring and summer with Iowa wrestlers competing more than in the past. I am especially encouraged by how good our incoming recruits and true freshmen have done in International competition. 

Gabe Arnold, Kyle Welker, Ella Schmit, and Haley Ward won Gold at the U20 Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile in early July. It was not only that our Hawks won this prestigious International tournament but they dominated in doing so. Arnold and Ward will be freshmen this fall and Welker and Schmit will be redshirt freshmen. Also need to add that redshirt freshman Brad Hill won Silver at the Pan Ams.

Welker also made our U.S. National Team by winning the third-place match at Final X in June.

Bella Mir had a great freestyle season. Mir won the U20 Nationals in April. She will now represent Team USA in the U20 World Freestyle Championships. The location of U20 Worlds has changed. It was originally to be held in Warsaw, Poland. Due to political differences with Russia, Poland will no longer host the U20 Worlds. It was announced recently that the U20 Worlds will be in Amman City, Jordan on August 14-20.

Mir also won the Grand Prix of Spain in the Open division and Rose Cassioppi placed third. Mir will be a redshirt freshman and Cassioppi a true freshman this fall.

Looking forward, classes at the University of Iowa begin on Monday, August 21. 

The first home football game will be Saturday, September 2 on Labor Day weekend. This is always a huge day for fans like me. In recent years the doors have been open in the wrestling room for fans to go in and watch a Hawkeye Wrestling Club practice. This is a great opportunity to see how the wrestlers developed in the off season and how our incoming recruits look. I assure you that I am counting down the days. 

Looking ahead to September and October I have no doubt that Iowa will have one main weekend with recruits visiting during a home football game. By late September and into October between the anticipation of the upcoming season and recruits visiting and committing, Iowa Wrestling fans will be entertained.

Speaking of recruiting FloWrestling announced yesterday that Who’s #1 will be held on Saturday, September 2 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. I will let you know if any of the Hawkeye commits will be competing.

I will post the schedule for both the men’s and women’s programs as soon as they are available.

As fans we have a great season ahead with two programs to follow. I will be right here for you every step of the way on my Iowa Wrestling Fan Blog.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!