Kennedy Blades announced on Instagram that she has signed a Letter of Intent to join the Iowa Women’s Wrestling team. Blades is preparing to represent Team USA at the upcoming Olympics in Paris at 76kg/167 lbs.
Blades defeated six-time world champion and two-time Olympian Adeline Gray to make the Olympic team.
Blades also placed second at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials as a seventeen year old in high school.
Blades is a 2021 U20 world champion and 2023 U20 bronze medalist. She was also a 2023 U23 silver medalist.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Blades was the first girl to win an Illinois state title and also competed for Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania. She had Iowa in her final three choices coming out of high school. Blades chose Arizona State that does not offer women’s wrestling and has competed for Sunkist Kids that is being discontinued.
The new weight classes for the 2024-25 season are 160 and 180. It will be interesting to see where Blades and defending 170 lbs. NCWWC national champion Kylie Welker compete at. In women’s competition 15 wrestlers can compete at nationals.
Iowa is the defending national champion and Kennedy is the fourth transfer including 2024 U23 World Team members Skye Realin and Macey Kilty. The 2024 recruiting class has seven incoming freshman recruits.
The Iowa room may be so loaded with talent that the best matches in women’s college wrestling will be the wrestle offs or a regular practice.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
