Upcoming Freestyle schedule
It is time to look at the upcoming Freestyle schedule.
An Olympic year is always special. I have been saying for years that wrestling will peak during an Olympic year. The Olympic Trials cannot get here soon enough.
With all of the listed events I will have a preview and follow up blog to keep you posted on our Hawkeye wrestlers and incoming recruits.
We are in for a full spring and summer of wrestling.
April 5 – Last Chance OTT Qualifier Fairfax, Virginia
April 12 – U20 and U23 Women’s National Championship Spokane, Washington
April 19-20 – 2024 Olympic Team Trials State College, Pennsylvania
April 26-27 – U20 Nationals Las Vegas, Nevada
June 1-2 – U20 FS World Team Trials and U23 Nationals Geneva, Ohio
June 21-22 – Junior Duals Tulsa, Oklahoma
July 13-17 – Junior Girls and Boys Freestyle Nationals Fargo, North Dakota
August 5-11 – 2024 Olympics for Men’s and Women’s Freestyle Paris, France
Hawkeye Wrestling Club and Iowa Women’s Wrestling Club members competing in the 2024 Olympic Team Trials on April 19-20.
Spencer Lee – 57 kg
Austin DeSanto – 65 kg
Alex Marinell – 74 lg
Tony Cassioppi – 97 kg
Rose Cassioppi – 76 kg
Marlynne Deede – 76 kg
Kylie Welker – Non-Olympic weight
Emile Gonzalez – Non-Olympic weight
Ava Bayless – Non-Olympic weight
Felicity Taylor – Non-Olympic weight
Reese Larramendy – Non-Olympic weight
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Iowa recruits in new National Girls High School Rankings
The new National Girls High School Rankings for March have been released. The rankings are a product of USA Wrestling, FloWrestling, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
All five members of the Iowa Women’s Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2024 are ranked.
In the Pound For Pound (P4P) rankings Karlee Brooks is listed up one spot at #11 and Naomi Simon went from #23 to #20.
In individual rankings Val Solorio is #3 at 100, Karlee Brooks is #2 at 120, Cadence Diduch is #4 at 135, Kiara Djoumessi is #10 at 140, and Naomi Simon is #3 at 170.
Solorio (PA), Diduch (IL), Djoumessi(IA) and Simon(IA) all won a state title this season. Brooks competed in International competition and open tournaments as a member of the EAP (Elite Accelerator Program) out of the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Iowa Women’s Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2024 in the new National Girls High School Rankings for March
Val Solorio (Canon-McMillan HS, Pennsylvania) – #3 at 100 lbs.
Karlee Brooks (Valiant College Prep, Phoenix, AZ) – #2 at 120 lbs., #11 P4P
Cadence Diduch (Freeport, Illinois) – #4 at 135 lbs.
Kiara Djoumessi (Waverly-Shell Rock HS, Iowa) – #10 at 140 lbs.
Naomi Simon (Decorah, Iowa) – #3 at 170 lbs., #20 P4P
Complete Rankings:
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
4 Hawks named NWCA Scholar All Americans
The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released their 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Scholar All American recipients.
Four members of the Iowa Wrestling team were named as NWCA Academic All Americans.
125 lbs. NCAA National Runner-Up Drake Ayala, All American and 157 lbs. 8th place finisher Jared Franek, 197 lbs. NCAA Qualifier Zach Glazier, and Aiden Riggins at 184.
NWCA:
To be eligible, student-athletes must have a 3.0 GPA and be an All-American or have a 3.2 GPA and be a National Qualifier or have a 3.5 GPA and either have represented the team at the conference tournament or won 60 percent of their matches.
Congratulations to Iowa Wrestling getting it done on the mat and in the classroom.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Estrada wins at Pittsburgh Classic
Incoming Iowa recruit Miguel Estrada defeated Ryan Garvick 12-6 at the Pittsburgh Classic. Estrada represented Team USA in the Pennsylvania vs. USA dual meet in the AHN Arena at Peters Township High School in McMurray, Pennsylvania.
Estrada controlled the match with six takedowns over Garvick, an Indiana commit from Central Dauphin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Estrada was a three-time state champion for Frontier High School in Bakersfield, California and is ranked #11 at 150 lbs. by MatScouts.
Estrada is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2024.
This was the 50th Anniversary of this All Star meet that has showcased many NCAA National Champions and All Americans over the years.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Welker and Deede named finalist for Wrestler of the Year
Kylie Welker and Marlynne Deede of the University of Iowa have named as finalists for the 2024 USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award.
Welker(170)and Deede(155) both won NCWWC national titles in leading Iowa to the NCWWC team title in the first year of competition for the Hawks.
From USA Wrestling:
The award will be selected by a vote from three major constituent groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches and the fans. Each of these groups will account for one-third of the vote.
Women’s college varsity wrestlers from all of the recognized college organizations were eligible, including NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA/junior college programs. The finalists were selected by a committee overseeing the award program, featuring representatives of the media, college coaches and wrestling fans. These eight wrestlers were selected from a pool of 31 college national champions from the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA.
This is the second year of the award. The 2023 USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award went to three-time national champion Yelena Makoyed of North Central College. Kylie Welker defeated Makoyed 11-3 at National Duals and by an 11-0 tech fall with the team title on the line in the NCWWC national finals.
Voting is now open and the winner will be announced on Thursday, April, 4.
Fans can vote on the link below to support our Iowa Hawkeyes.
Kylie Welker, sophomore, Univ. of Iowa
- 2024 NCWWC champion at 170 pounds
- 23-1 record (loss to post-collegian)
- 6 pins and 16 technical falls
- NCWWC Region V champion
- Qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials as 2021 Senior World Team member
Marlynne Deede, senior, Univ. of Iowa
- 2024 NCWWC champion at 155 pounds, now 2x NCWWC champion
- 14-0 record
- 6 pins and 5 technical falls
- NCWWC Region V champion
- Qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials by placing 2nd in 2023 U.S. Open
Fan vote for 2024 Women’s College Wrestler of the Year:
https://usawrestlingevents.com/wcwoty
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
8 Hawks named NWCA Scholar All-Americans
The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced their NCAA Women’s Scholar All-American awards.
The NWCA recognized student-athletes that excel in both academics and athletics.
Eight members of the University of Iowa were named for this honor.
Ava Bayless
Emily Frost
Brianna Gonzalez
Emilie Gonzalez
Lilly Luft
Felicity Taylor
Kylie Welker
Haley Ward
Bayless, E. Gonzalez, Taylor and Welker were NCWWC National champions this season. B. Gonzalez was a national runner-up and Luft placed fifth.
The Iowa Hawkeyes won the NCWWC national title in the first year of competition for the program.
Congratulations to all of the Hawkeyes that are getting it done on the mat and in the classroom.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Queens University of Charlotte drops wrestling
Queens University of Charlotte (North Carolina) announced on March 14 that they are discontinuing the men’s wrestling program.
Queens began as a Division II program in the 2018-19 season. They just finished their second year in Division I as an independent.
Rob Tate stepped down as head coach on January 16 this year. He was replaced by interim head coach Paul Bradley who had been an assistant coach since July of 2019.
Bradley was a two-time All American for the University of Iowa where he placed fourth in 2004 and fifth in 2005.
Originally from Tama, Iowa Bradley was a state champion and three-time state finalist for South Tama High School and a member of the Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2001.
Bradley competed in MMA in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, King of the Cage and was a contestant on the UFC Ultimate Fighter.
It is always terrible news to hear about a wrestling program being dropped. The official press release below by Queens University states that only wrestling will be dropped and they are fully committed to the other sports programs.
Announcement by Queens University of Charlotte:
I have known of Paul Bradley since he was in junior high and followed his career closely in high school and at Iowa. Good guy.
With a background of being a three-time captain for Iowa Wrestling, two-time All American and chosen for the Mike McGivern Most Courageous Wrestler Award at Iowa, I would think Bradley will find another college coaching job soon.
You can contact Paul Bradley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-bradley-b71a521b
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Simon named Iowa High School Female Wrestler of the Year
Naomi Simon of Decorah has been named as the 2024 Iowa High School Female Wrestler of the Year by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.
Simon is a member of the Iowa Recruiting Class of 2024.
Simon became the first wrestler in Iowa girls wrestling history to win four state titles and had a 130-0 career record.
Competing at 170 lbs. Simon was 48-0 with 47 pins this season in leading Decorah to the state title.
In the most recent National Girls High School Rankings Simon is #3 at 170 lbs. and #23 pound for pound (P4P).
This marked the third straight year that a future Iowa Hawkeye was named as the Iowa High School Female Wrestler of the Year. Lilly Luft won the award in 2023 and Ella Schmit in 2022.
Iowa recently won the NCWWC National title in their first year of competition. Luft placed 5th at 136 and Schmit was 7th at 143.
Congratulations to future Iowa Hawkeye Naomi Simon.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Nationals: Final results
The Iowa Hawkeyes placed fifth at the 2024 NCAA National Wrestling Championships with 67 points.
Iowa had four All Americans led by NCAA Runner-Up Drake Ayala at 125. With Ayala making the finals Iowa has now had an NCAA Finalist for 34 consecutive years. The streak started in 1990 with Tom and Terry Brands as NCAA national champions.
Real Woods (141) and Mike Caliendo (165) placed fourth. Jared Franek(157) placed eighth.
2024 NCAA Division I Championships Results for Iowa
125
Drake Ayala (27-5) placed 2nd and scored 18.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 27-5 won by major decision over Elijah Griffin (California Baptist) 21-13 (MD 10-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 27-5 won by tech fall over Nico Provo (Stanford) 20-8 (TF-1.5 5:20 (19-4))
- Quarterfinal – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 27-5 won in sudden victory – 1 over Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State) 23-8 (SV-1 4-1)
- Semifinal – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 27-5 won by decision over Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) 30-8 (Dec 3-2)
- 1st Place Match – Richard Figueroa (Arizona State) 17-5 won by decision over Drake Ayala (Iowa) 27-5 (Dec 7-2)
133
Brody Teske (16-7) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Brody Teske (Iowa) 16-7 won by major decision over Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) 23-12 (MD 12-4)
- Champ. Round 2 – Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) 23-1 won by decision over Brody Teske (Iowa) 16-7 (Dec 8-3)
- Cons. Round 2 – Brody Teske (Iowa) 16-7 won by major decision over Braxton Brown (Maryland) 22-12 (MD 14-6)
- Cons. Round 3 – Brody Teske (Iowa) 16-7 won in tie breaker – 1 over Braden Basile (Army West Point) 24-14 (TB-1 3-1)
- Cons. Round 4 – Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) 26-7 won by decision over Brody Teske (Iowa) 16-7 (Dec 6-3)
141
Real Woods (23-5) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 won by tech fall over Kai Owen (Columbia) 17-13 (TF-1.5 4:36 (15-0))
- Champ. Round 2 – Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 won by major decision over Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) 11-4 (MD 8-0)
- Quarterfinal – Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) 24-8 won by decision over Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 (Dec 7-1)
- Cons. Round 4 – Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 won by decision over Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) 23-9 (Dec 5-2)
- Cons. Round 5 – Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 won by major decision over Vance Vombaur (Minnesota) 19-11 (MD 11-2)
- Cons. Semi – Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 won by decision over Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) 24-6 (Dec 4-0)
- 3rd Place Match – Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 25-9 won by decision over Real Woods (Iowa) 23-5 (Dec 7-6)
149
Caleb Rathjen (17-7) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Jordan Williams (Oklahoma State) 16-9 won by decision over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-7 (Dec 12-5)
- Cons. Round 1 – Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-7 won by injury default over Alek Martin (South Dakota State) 20-12 (Inj. 2:37)
- Cons. Round 2 – Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 27-13 won by decision over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-7 (Dec 7-2)
157
Jared Franek (26-8) placed 8th and scored 5.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 won in tie breaker – 1 over Joey Blaze (Purdue) 17-12 (TB-1 2-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 won by decision over Peyten Kellar (Ohio) 28-4 (Dec 4-3)
- Quarterfinal – Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) 25-4 won by decision over Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 (Dec 5-2)
- Cons. Round 4 – Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 won by decision over Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) 23-6 (Dec 4-2)
- Cons. Round 5 – Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) 29-3 won by major decision over Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 (MD 11-2)
- 7th Place Match – Peyton Robb (Nebraska) 25-8 won by major decision over Jared Franek (Iowa) 26-8 (MD 11-2)
165
Mike Caliendo (26-6) placed 4th and scored 15.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 won by major decision over Blaine Brenner (Minnesota) 19-14 (MD 11-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 won by tech fall over Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) 28-9 (TF-1.5 6:23 (26-10))
- Quarterfinal – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 won by decision over Julian Ramirez (Cornell) 24-4 (Dec 9-4)
- Semifinal – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) 26-1 won by major decision over Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 (MD 17-9)
- Cons. Semi – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 won by decision over Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State) 30-7 (Dec 9-8)
- 3rd Place Match – Keegan O`Toole (Missouri) 24-1 won by decision over Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 26-6 (Dec 12-8)
174
Patrick Kennedy (18-7) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Tyler Eischens (North Carolina) 14-9 won by decision over Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 18-7 (Dec 9-7)
- Cons. Round 1 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 18-7 won by tech fall over Philip Conigliaro (Harvard) 24-5 (TF-1.5 5:13 (18-3))
- Cons. Round 2 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 18-7 won by decision over Austin Murphy (Campbell) 23-8 (Dec 5-3)
- Cons. Round 3 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 18-7 won by decision over Alex Cramer (Central Michigan) 24-9 (Dec 5-2)
- Cons. Round 4 – Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) 20-2 won by decision over Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 18-7 (Dec 8-4)
197
Zach Glazier (25-4) place is unknown and scored 1.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 19-11 won in sudden victory – 1 over Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-4 (SV-1 4-1)
- Cons. Round 1 – Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-4 won by major decision over Luke Geog (Ohio State) 15-10 (MD 16-6)
- Cons. Round 2 – Stephen Little (Little Rock) 26-4 won in sudden victory – 1 over Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-4 (SV-1 4-1)
Hwt
Bradley Hill (21-9) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-9 won by decision over Owen Trephan (NC State) 18-7 (Dec 4-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 29-7 won by major decision over Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-9 (MD 11-2)
- Cons. Round 2 – Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech) 16-8 won by major decision over Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-9 (MD 11-2)
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Nationals – Day 1 results
It was a wild first day for Iowa at the 2024 NCAA National Wrestling Championships in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Hawks went a disappointing 6-3 in the first round. The three losses by Rathjen, Kennedy, and Glazier were all close matches.
The bright spot was when #25 seed Brad Hill defeated #8 seed Owen Trephan (NC State), 4-2.
Iowa was in 9th place in the team race after the first round.
A word that Tom Brands has used in interviews over the years is “Respond.”
Well, the Hawks did indeed respond in the Round of 16 tonight by going 7-2 with three tech falls, two major decisions, a decision and one injury default.
All of those bonus points added up. At the end of the second session Iowa is now tied for second place with Iowa State in the team race with 24.5 points. Penn State is in first place with 34.5 points.
In the team race the gap from #2 to #7 is only four points.
The Hawks will now look to a huge round tomorrow morning at 11 AM with the Quarterfinals and Consolations.
Iowa will have four in the Quarterfinals with Drake Ayala(125), Real Woods(141), Jared Franek(157), and Mike Caliendo(165).
According to seeds in the Quarterfinals Ayala and Woods are a slight favorite and Franek and Caliendo are an underdog.
All four bouts should be hard fought close matches.
The Consolation round is just as important. Brody Teske(133), Caleb Rathjen(149), Patrick Kennedy(174), Zach Glazier(197) and Brad Hill(Hwt) are still in the hunt to become an All American.
Let’s get ‘em in the middle.
Quarterfinals/Consolations Round Matchups with seeds -Friday, March 22 at 11 AM CST
125: Quarterfinals – #3 Drake Ayala vs. #6 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State)
133: Cons #15 Brody Teske vs. #17 Braxton Brown (Maryland)
141: Quarterfinals – #3 Real Woods vs. #6 Lashlan McNeail (North Carolina)
149: Cons – #13 Caleb Rathjen vs. #14 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State)
157: Quarterfinals – #10 Jared Franek vs. #2 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State)
165: Quarterfinals – #6 Mike Caliendo vs. #3 Julian Ramirez (Cornell)
174: Cons – #12 Patrick Kennedy vs. #11 Austin Murphy (Campbell)
197: Cons – #7 Zach Glazier vs. #9 Stephen Little (Little Rock)
Hwt: Cons – #25 Brad Hill vs. Winner of #26 Hunter Catka (VT)/#23 Lucas Stoddard (Army)
Update Brackets for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships:
https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/Updated%20Session%201%20Brackets.pdf
2024 NCAA Division I Championships Results for Round 1 and Round 2
125
Drake Ayala (25-4) place is unknown and scored 4.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 25-4 won by major decision over Elijah Griffin (California Baptist) 21-12 (MD 10-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) 25-4 won by tech fall over Nico Provo (Stanford) 19-7 (TF-1.5 5:20 (19-4))
133
Brody Teske (14-6) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Brody Teske (Iowa) 14-6 won by major decision over Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) 23-11 (MD 12-4)
- Champ. Round 2 – Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) 20-0 won by decision over Brody Teske (Iowa) 14-6 (Dec 8-3)
141
Real Woods (20-3) place is unknown and scored 4.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Real Woods (Iowa) 20-3 won by tech fall over Kai Owen (Columbia) 17-12 (TF-1.5 4:36 (15-0))
- Champ. Round 2 – Real Woods (Iowa) 20-3 won by major decision over Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) 10-3 (MD 8-0)
149
Caleb Rathjen (17-6) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Jordan Williams (Oklahoma State) 15-8 won by decision over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-6 (Dec 12-5)
- Cons. Round 1 – Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 17-6 won by injury default over Alek Martin (South Dakota State) 20-12 (Inj. 2:37)
157
Jared Franek (25-5) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Jared Franek (Iowa) 25-5 won in TB-3 by riding time over Joey Blaze (Purdue) 17-12 (TB-3 (RT) 2-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Jared Franek (Iowa) 25-5 won by decision over Peyten Kellar (Ohio) 23-3 (Dec 4-3)
165
Mike Caliendo (24-4) place is unknown and scored 4.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 24-4 won by major decision over Blaine Brenner (Minnesota) 19-14 (MD 11-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 24-4 won by tech fall over Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) 28-8 (TF-1.5 6:23 (26-10))
174
Patrick Kennedy (16-6) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Tyler Eischens (North Carolina) 14-8 won by decision over Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 16-6 (Dec 9-7)
- Cons. Round 1 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 16-6 won by tech fall over Philip Conigliaro (Harvard) 24-5 (TF-1.5 5:13 (18-3))
197
Zach Glazier (25-3) place is unknown and scored 1.5 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 17-10 won in sudden victory – 1 over Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-3 (SV-1 4-1)
- Cons. Round 1 – Zach Glazier (Iowa) 25-3 won by major decision over Luke Geog (Ohio State) 15-10 (MD 16-6)
Hwt
Bradley Hill (21-8) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points.
- Champ. Round 1 – Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-8 won by decision over Owen Trephan (NC State) 18-6 (Dec 4-2)
- Champ. Round 2 – Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 26-5 won by major decision over Bradley Hill (Iowa) 21-8 (MD 11-2)
Schedule for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships
***All time listed are CST
Friday, March 22
Session 3: Quarterfinals and Consolations 11 AM ESPN/ESPNt
Session 4: Semifinals and Blood Round 7 PM ESPN/ESPNt
Saturday, March 23
Session 5: Consolation Medal Round 10 AM ESPNU/ESPNt
Session 6: Finals 6 PM ESPN/ESPNt
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!