Classes begin on Monday, August 26 at the University of Iowa. With that comes the anticipation of another edition of Iowa Wrestling.

This will be the busiest fall ever for Iowa Wrestling. We will have wrestlers competing in World Championships, home football games providing an opportunity for open practices and recruits will be in town for official visits. Fans will be kept busy heading into the season opener in early November.

The anticipation of the first open practice on a home football Saturday is peak Iowa Wrestling fan. I am one of many that look forward to that every year.

Iowa will host Illinois State on Saturday, August 31 at 11 AM. I am hoping fans will be able to attend an open workout for both the men’s and women’s program before the game. Seeing a practice with the new recruits and transfers for the first time is my big start to a new season. 

The combination of recruiting and the anticipation of the upcoming season make this time of year an exciting time to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Recruiting is my biggest passion for Iowa Wrestling. I have to mention that the National Letter of Intent signing period for the Recruiting Class of 2025 will be November 13-20. That is the finishing touch to the verbal commitments and make the recruiting process official.

I can only speculate that the weekends of October 12 and 26 may be when recruits will be in town. The kickoff time for the Washington game on the 12th has not been announced. That could possibly be a night game.

Homecoming on October 26 will probably be the big weekend for recruiting. That will be the last home football game before the contact period with recruits ends before signing day. Homecoming also adds a nice touch for a recruiting weekend as well.

In the past the schedule for Iowa Wrestling would be published no later than August. Last year the schedule was released on October 17. TV scheduling is the reason for the delay.

With more wrestling meets being televised every year the wait is worth it.

I will post the 2024-25 season schedule for the men’s and women’s wrestling teams as soon as they are released.

I am more than ready for the 2024-25 Iowa Wrestling season.

Monday, August 26 – Classes begin at the University of Iowa

Saturday, August 31 – Iowa vs. Illinois State football game (11 am kickoff)

September 4-8   U20 World Freestyle Championships in Pontevedra, Spain

50kg: Brianna Gonzalez

62kg: Cadence Diduch 

65kg: Reese Larramendy 

76kg: Naomi Simon 

125kg: Ben Kueter

Saturday, September 7 – Iowa vs. Iowa State football game (2:30 pm kickoff)

Saturday, September 14 – Iowa vs. Troy football game (3 pm kickoff)

Saturday, October 12 – Iowa vs. Washington football game (kickoff TBD)

October 23-27 – U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania

59kg: Skye Realin

62kg: Macey Kilty

72kg: Kylie Welker 

79kg: Patrick Kennedy

Saturday, October 26 – (Homecoming) Iowa vs. Northwestern football game (kickoff time 2:30 pm)

November 13-20: National Letter of Intent signing period for the Recruiting Class of 2025

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Bella Mir is transferring to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. North Central placed second to Iowa at NCWWC Nationals and National Duals this past season. Mir will compete at 145 or 160 at North Central.

Mir placed fifth at 155 lbs. as a freshman this season with a 21-3 record for the national championship Iowa team.

Mir placed fifth at 68 KG at the 2023 U20 World Freestyle Championships and won gold at the 2023 Poland Open.

Mir is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a four-time state champion.

Mir began her MMA career at 17 and has a 3-0 career record. 

In June Mir won the Blue Belt title in the Medium-Heavy Division (158 lbs.) and the Blue Belt Open Class at the American National IBJJF Jiu-Jistu No-Gi Championships.

Mir is the daughter of UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

I anticipated transfers out of the Iowa program following the addition of several high profile transfers over the summer.

I will have a complete rundown of the new Iowa Women’s Wrestling roster when classes begin at the University of Iowa on Monday, August 26.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Iowa Wrestling legend Jimmy Zalesky has been named as an assistant wrestling coach at Cal Poly Humboldt. A D-II college in Arcata, California, Cal Poly Humboldt competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAA).

Jimmy will be joining his brother Lennie who was named head coach at Cal Poly Humboldt in March.

Jimmy coached at the University of Jamestown (ND) from 2021-24 and Oregon State from 2006-2020. Jimmy won three NCAA titles (1998,1999 and 2000) as head coach at the University of Iowa from 1997-2006.

Jimmy is one of the most successful wrestlers in Iowa Wrestling history. Zalesky was a four-time All American and three-time NCAA national champion at 158 lbs. (1982-84) and was a member of five NCAA national championship teams as a Hawk.

Amateure Wrestlig News named Jimmy as the Wrestler of the Decade for the 1980’s and he is a member of the National Wrestling Hall Of Fame.

Zalesky is originally from Shueyville, Iowa and won a state title in 1978 and 1979 at Prairie High School.

From Humboldtathletics.com:

“I look forward to coaching with my brother Lennie at Cal Poly Humboldt,” said Jim Zalesky. “Together, it should be a lot of fun resurrecting the wrestling program, working with the California coaches and meeting the former wrestlers. There is a tremendously rich wrestling culture in California which makes this endeavor very interesting and exciting.”

“I of course am really looking forward to coaching with my brother Jim,” stated head coach Lennie Zalesky. “Not only does he have an incredible amount of experience and success as a wrestling coach, but we came from the same system both in high school and in college, and our coaching styles and techniques are incredibly compatible. I honestly can’t think of someone I would rather coach with in all respects other than Jim.”

Best of luck to both Lennie and Jimmy Zalesky at Cal Poly Humboldt.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

With the Olympics behind us it is time to look forward to Hawks competing at the U20 and U23 World Championships. We will have five Iowa wrestlers competing at the U20 World Championships and four at the U23 World Championships.

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(125kg) will also be competing for Team USA at the U20 World Freestyle Championships on September 7-8. Kueter won the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio in June. Kueter was the 2022 U20 World Champion at 97kg/213 lbs.

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

Iowa national champion Kylie Welker won 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 24-25. 

This will be the second U23 World Championships for Welker and fifth trip to a World Championship representing Team USA. Welker won Bronze at the 2021 U23 World Championships and was a 2021 Junior World champion.

Welker will be joined by new teammates Skye Realin(59kg) and Macey Kilty(62kg) at U23 Worlds. Realin and Kilty announced this summer 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 World Championships.

U20 World Freestyle Championships in Pontevedra, Spain

September 4-6. 

50kg: Brianna Gonzalez

62kg: Cadence Diduch 

65kg: Reese Larramendy 

76kg: Naomi Simon 

September 7-8. 

125kg: Ben Kueter

U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania on October 23-27

59kg: Skye Realin

62kg: Macey Kilty

72kg: Kylie Welker 

79kg: Patrick Kennedy

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

There will be a welcome home reception for Spencer Lee on his return from the Olympics.

The Hawkeye Wrestling Club will host a celebration in the main lobby of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night, August 17. It is recommended that you arrive by 10PM.

From Hawkeye Wrestling Club:

Please join us on Saturday, Aug. 17th at the Eastern Iowa Airport to welcome Spencer home! His flight is currently scheduled to land at 10:55 pm. We have gotten word from the airlines that this flight in the past has been 30-45 minutes early with minimal delays. So we recommend arriving at CID by 10:00 pm.

All are welcome and attendance is free. The celebration will be in the main lobby outside of the security checkpoint. Guests should park in the short-term parking lot.

Lee captured Silver at 57kg at the Olympics in Paris. This was the first Senior level World or Olympic competition for Lee. 

2024 Olympics – 57kg

Round of 16: Spencer Lee (USA) VPO1 Wanhoe Zou (China) 3-2

Quarterfinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Bekzat Almaz (Kyrgyzstan) 12-2

Semifinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) 14-4

Finals: Rei Higuchi (Japan) VPO1 Spencer Lee (USA) 4-2

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

A few thoughts on the Olympics before we move on to a new season of Iowa Wrestling.

The Hawks were well represented with Olympic silver medals from Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades.

This was the first time that Spencer Lee has ever competed in an elite international competition with the best wrestlers in the world and he came in a close second. I believe we need to let it sink in that Spencer Lee just started his international career in the senior division. He will get better. Much better and he just won an Olympic silver.  

Unless there is a medical reason I would be shocked if Lee were to retire. I expect him to get right back at it and get not just better, but much better.

I hope to see Lee compete in elite tournaments around the world this season. I am going off of memory on this. In January of 1993 in their first year out of college I believe Tom Brands placed third and Terry Brands was second at Tbilisi. Recognized as the toughest wrestling tournament in the world. Arguably even tougher than the Worlds and Olympics because there were several Soviets at each weight, less than ideal conditions, and questionable officiating.

In the summer of 1993 Tom and Terry Brands became world champions. Do they win the World Championships without that experience of competing at Tbilisi? 

I would love to see Lee and all of Team USA compete in elite international tournaments like they used to in the past. It used to be Tbilis, now it is The Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

The 2025 World Championships are in Zagreb, Croatia from September 13-21. I look for Spencer Lee to take the mat at 57kg and chase down a world title.

2024 Olympics – 57kg

Round of 16: Spencer Lee (USA) VPO1 Wanhoe Zou (China) 3-2

Quarterfinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Bekzat Almaz (Kyrgyzstan) 12-2

Semifinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) 14-4

Finals: Rei Higuchi (Japan) VPO1 Spencer Lee (USA) 4-2

Kennedy Blades had a great Olympic tournament and won the silver at 76kg. This was also the first Olympic or World tournament at the senior level for Kennedy. 

In the Round of 16 Blades hit a great  5-point throw on her way to an 11-0 tech fall over Catalina Axente of Romania. You will be seeing that picture for years.

In the quarterfinals Blades defeated #5 seed Milaimy Marin of Cuba, 4-3. Marin defeated Blades 13-4 last month at the Grand Prix of Spain. That is catching your competition in a hurry.

Blades dropped the Olympic gold medal match to 22 year old Yuka Kagami of Japan by a 3-1 decision. Kagami was the first Japanese wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal at the heaviest weight of 76kg.

At least a good chance that we will see Blades vs. Kagami in the Olympic finals in 2028 and in battles before that. 

At just 20 years old Blades has a great future in wrestling. She announced on July 23 that she signed a Letter of Intent to compete at Iowa. She will join the defending national champion Iowa team as the biggest name in college wrestling.

2024 Olympics – 76kg

Round of 16: Kennedy Blades (USA) VSU Catalina Axente (Romania) 11-0

Quarterfinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Milaimy Marin (Cuba) 4-3

Semifinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan) 8-6

Finals:Kennedy Blades (USA) vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan) VPO1 Kennedy Blades (USA) 3-1

Watching Lee’s Olympic finals match I was reminded of what Dan Gable told me twenty-four years ago. Lincoln McIlravy was in the Iowa Wrestling room for the first time since he returned from winning a bronze at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. His lifelong goal of being an Olympic gold medalist had not been realized. 

McIlravy lost a heartbreaker to Daniel Ingali of Canada in the Olympic semifinals. Ingali had defeated McIlravy in a close match in the finals of the 1999 World Championships. They were the two best wrestlers in the world at 69kg. 

Gable told me that McIlravy didn’t do anything wrong. He had closely evaluated the match and there wasn’t anything that you could second guess.

I asked Gable if there was anything for me to learn from that. Gable responded that it was a reminder of how incredibly close the top two wrestlers in the world can be. 

Right now Spencer Lee and Rei Higuchi are very close. The same can be said for Kennedy Blades and Yuka Kagami.

Will Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades improve in the next year to become a 2025 World champion?

The countdown to the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia on September 13-21 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on July 14-28 has begun for Lee, Blades, and wrestlers all around the world.

The clock is ticking.

Let’s get ‘em in the middle.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Incoming Iowa Hawkeye Kennedy Blades dropped a hard fought 3-1 decision to Yuka Kagami of Japan in the Olympic gold medal match at 76kg.

Kagami scored the first point when Blades was put in the shot clock. Blades then scored on a pushout for a 1-1 score at break. Kagami scored a takedown in the second period for the 3-1 decision.

Kagami was the 76kg champion at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships and won bronze at the 2021 worlds.

In the Round of 16 Blades hit an amazing 5-point throw on her way to an 11-0 tech fall over Catalina Axente of Romania. That may have been the most photographed move of the entire Olympics for wrestling. You will be seeing that picture for years.

In the quarterfinals Blades defeated #5 seed Milaimy Marin of Cuba, 4-3. Marin defeated Blades 13-4 last month at the Grand Prix of Spain.

Blades defeated #1 seed Aiperi Medet of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinals 8-6. Medet won silver at the 2023 World Championships and bronze in 2021.

What a great tournament for Blades at the Olympics.

Blades defeated six-time World champion Adeline Gray to make the Olympic team.

Blades announced on July 23 that she signed a Letter of Intent to compete at Iowa. She will join the defending national champion Iowa team as the biggest name in college wrestling.

Blades was a 2021 U20 world champion and 2023 U20 bronze medalist. She was also a 2023 U23 silver medalist. 

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Blades competed for Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania.

At just 20 years old Kennedy Blades has a great future in the sport of wrestling.  

2024 Olympics – 76kg

Round of 16: Kennedy Blades (USA) VSU Catalina Axente (Romania) 11-0

Quarterfinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Milaimy Marin (Cuba) 4-3

Semifinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan) 8-6

Finals:Kennedy Blades (USA) vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan) VPO1 Kennedy Blades (USA) 3-1

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Incoming Iowa Hawkeye Kennedy Blades won three matches to reach the Olympic finals at 76kg. In the Round of 16 Blades hit a picture perfect 5-point throw on her way to an 11-0 tech fall over Catalina Axente of Romania.

In the quarterfinals Blades defeated #5 seed Milaimy Marin of Cuba, 4-3.

Blades defeated #1 seed Aiperi Medet of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinals 8-6. Medet won silver at the 2023 World Championships and bronze in 2021.

Blades will face #2 seed Yuka Kagami of Japan for the Olympic Gold. Kagami was the 76kg champion at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships and won bronze at the 2021 worlds.

Blades announced on July 23 that she signed a Letter of Intent to compete at Iowa.

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 competed for Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania.

For the Olympic Gold at 76kg it will be Kennedy Blades vs. Yuka Kagami of Japan at 7:15 AM CST tomorrow, Sunday, August 11. 

The medal matches will be streamed live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app, or watch on TV at USA Network.

2024 Olympics – 76kg

Round of 16: Kennedy Blades (USA) VSU Catalina Axente (Romania) 11-0

Quarterfinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Milaimy Marin (Cuba) 4-3

Semifinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan) 8-6

Finals: Kennedy Blades (USA) vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan) 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Spencer Lee came up short in the Olympic finals at 57kg with a 4-2 loss to Rei Higuchi of Japan.

Lee scored a point on two push outs for a 2-0 lead. Higuchi scored on two two-point moves on exposure. Higuchi won the 57kg world title in 2022 and silver in 2023.

In the Round of 16 Lee won by a 3-2 decision over Wanhoe Zou of China, 3-2. In the Quarterfinals Lee defeated Bekzat Almaz of Kyrgyzstan by a 12-2 tech fall. 

Lee won by a 14-4 tech fall over Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in the semifinals.

Great showing by Spencer Lee in the Olympics. 

Thank you for the great Olympic entertainment Spencer Lee.

This was the first Senior level World or Olympic competition for Lee. I look for Spencer Lee to be a force in the next Olympic cycle that ends with the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

2024 Olympics – 57kg

Round of 16: Spencer Lee (USA) VPO1 Wanhoe Zou (China) 3-2

Quarterfinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Bekzat Almaz (Kyrgyzstan) 12-2

Semifinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) 14-4

Finals: Rei Higuchi (Japan) VPO1 Spencer Lee (USA) 2-2

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Spencer Lee won three matches to make the 57kg finals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In the Round of 16 Lee won a hard fought 3-2 decision over Wanhoe Zou of China, 3-2. Lee defeated Zou at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey in May by a 10-9 decision.

In the Quarterfinals Lee came out a lot more aggressive and defeated Bekzat Almaz of Kyrgyzstan by a 12-2 tech fall.

Lee looked even more impressive with a 14-4 tech fall over Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in the semifinals.

Lee makes getting a tech fall look easy even in the Olympics. 

For the Olympic Gold at 57kg it will be Spencer Lee vs. Rei Higuchi of Japan at 12:30 PM CST tomorrow, Friday, August 9. 

The medal matches will be streamed live starting at 12:30 PM CST on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app, or watch on TV at USA Network.

Higuchi reached the finals with a fall and two tech falls. Higuchi won silver at the 2016 Olympics and a world title in 2022. He placed second to Stevan Micic of Serbia and the University of Michigan at the 2023 World Championships.

Round of 16: Spencer Lee (USA) VPO1 Wanhoe Zou (China) 3-2

Quarterfinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Bekzat Almaz (Kyrgyzstan) 12-2

Semifinals: Spencer Lee (USA) VSO1 Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) 14-4

Friday, August 9 at 12:30 PM

57kg Olympic Gold Medal match

Spencer Lee (USA) vs. Rei Higuchi (Japan)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!