Spencer Lee, Kylie Welker, and Naomi Simon have been named as a 2024 Iowa/USA Wrestling Award winner.
Spencer Lee was named as the UWW Open Men’s Wrestler of the Year. Lee captured silver at the Paris Olympics at 57kg. Lee was the highest placing American wrestler at the Olympics.
Lee won the Olympic Team Trials and also qualified Team USA at 57kg by winning the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey.
Lee was a three-time NCAA national champion at Iowa and a two-time Hodge Trophy winner.
Kylie Welker was named as the UWW Open Women’s Wrestler of the Year. Welker shared the award with Adaugo Nwachukwu.
Welker led Iowa to the NCWWC team title in the first year of the program by winning the national title at 170 lbs. and was named as the 2024 NCAA Women’s Wrestler of the Year by The Open Mat.
She was a 2021 Junior World champion, 2021 U23 World Bronze medalist, and placed 10th at the 2021 Senior World Championships.
Welker will represent Team USA at 72kg at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania on October 23-27 and also at the Senior World Championships in Tirana, Albania on October 29-30.
Naomi Simon was named as the Jr Women’s Wrestler of the Year.
Simon was an undefeated four-time state champion for Decorah, Iowa with a career record of 150-0 and is a freshman at Iowa.
In international competition Simon placed fifth at the Grand Prix of Spain in July. This was an Open international event with wrestlers from around the world.
Simon won the Bronze medal at 76kg at the 2024 U20 World Freestyle Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.
Congratulations to these three Hawkeyes for being named as Wrestler of the Year.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
