Hawks competing at the Olympics and World Championships

Iowa Wrestling fans have a lot to follow in the coming months. We will now have two wrestlers in the Summer Olympics, five competing in the U20 World Championships and four in the U23 World Championships.

The pinnacle of our sport is the Olympics. Spencer Lee will represent the United States at 57kg in Paris at the Summer Olympics on August 8-9. Lee looks to be at his peak and I really like his chances of bringing home the Olympic Gold.

Kennedy Blades announced yesterday that she had signed a Letter of Intent to compete for Iowa this season. Blades will represent Team USA at the Summer Olympics at 76kg. Blades defeated six-time world champion and two-time Olympian Adeline Gray to make the Olympic team. She will compete on August 10-11.

Brianna Gonzalez(50kg), Cadence Diduch(62kg), Reese Larramendy(65kg) and Naomi Simon(76kg) won U20 Nationals in April. They will represent Team USA at the 2024 U20 World Freestyle Championships in Pontevedra, Spain on September 4-6.

Diduch and Simon are members of the incoming Recruiting Class of 2024.

Ben Kueter will be at 125kg for Team USA at the U20 World Freestyle Championships in Pontevedra, Spain on September 7-8. Kueter won the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio in June. Keuter was a 2022 U20 World Champion at 97kg/213 lbs.

Patrick Kennedy won the 79kg title at U23 Nationals in Geneva, Ohio last month. Kennedy will now represent Team USA at the U23 World Freestyle Championships in Tirana, Albania on October 26-27.

Kylie Welker placed fourth at the Olympic Team Trials at 76 kg and made the Senior National Team. As a result she was able to challenge for and win the 72kg spot on the U23 World Team in a best of three wrestle-off. Welker will compete at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania on October 23-25.

Welker will be joined by new teammates Skye Realin(59kg) and Macey Kilty(62kg) at U23 Worlds. Realin and Kilty announced last week that they are transferring to compete at Iowa for the upcoming season.

Realin won Gold at 59 kg at the U23 Pan American Championships. Kilty won Silver at 65kg at the 2023 Senior World Championships and was a 2018 Cadet World champion. She has won five age-level World medals for Team USA.

I will keep you up to date with a preview and results for all of our wrestlers competing in the Olympics and World Championships.