The University of Iowa Women’s Wrestling team will take part in Hawkeyes from Downtown today.  The event will take place at the corner of Clinton and Iowa Ave. in downtown Iowa City from 4:30-6:30 PM. The wrestling team will arrive at 4:40 PM.

This is a great opportunity for fans to meet the Iowa Women’s Wrestling team and the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams.

The Women’s Wrestling team won the 2024 NCWWC national title in their first year of the program. The Hawks return an even stronger team this season and are the favorite to repeat as team champions.

Iowa is the first Power 5 Conference member to have women’s wrestling.

Hawkeyes From Downtown schedule of events

Friday, October 11

The corner of Clinton and Iowa Ave. in downtown Iowa City

4:30 PM – Welcome

4:40 PM – Women’s Wrestling arrives

4:55 PM – Iowa Spirit Squads Perform

5:30 PM – WBB & MBB Arrive

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The full schedule for the 2024-25 Iowa Wrestling season has been released. As we would expect Iowa has a real competitive schedule that should be very entertaining for wrestling fans.

Iowa starts the year on the road at Oregon State on November 2 at 9PM CST. That is the only starting time of a dual meet to be released on the schedule at this time.

The home opener will be Stanford on Saturday, November 9. Iowa will travel to Bellarmine in Louisville, Kentucky on November 15. Former Iowa Hawkeye wrestler Ned Shuck has been the head coach at Bellarmine since 2021 where they have won NWCA Nationals the last two years. Bellarmine will compete in Division I this season as a member of the SoCon Conference.

Iowa will host Iowa State on Saturday, November 23 in what is always a big rivalry meet.

The Hawks will compete at Soldier Salute on December 29-30. I am sure this tournament will serve as wrestle offs for starting spots heading into the new year.

The Hawkeyes host Illinois (Jan. 17), Ohio State (Jan. 25), Nebraska (Feb. 7) and Northwestern (Feb. 16) in Big Ten duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa travels for Big Ten road duals at Wisconsin (Jan. 12), Penn State (Jan. 31), Maryland (Feb. 2) and Minnesota (Feb. 14).

A great tradition will keep going when Iowa will host Oklahoma State to end the regular season on Sunday, February 23. 

The Big Ten Championships will be on March 8-9 in Evanston, Illinois and the 2025 NCAA Championships will be held from March 20-22 in Philadelphia.

This should once again be another entertaining season of Iowa Wrestling.

Let’s get ‘em in the middle.

2024-25 Iowa Wrestling Schedule

Saturday, November 2 – at Oregon State (9PM CST)

Saturday, November 9 – Stanford

Friday, November 15 – at Bellarmine (Louisville, KY)

Saturday, November 23 – Iowa State

Friday, December 6 – Journeymen Wrestling’s “Uncivil War” in St. Charles, MO

Princeton

Army

Sunday/Monday Dec 29-30- at Soldier Salute (Coralville, Iowa)

Sunday, January 12 – at Wisconsin

Friday, January 17 – Illinois

Saturday, January 25 – Ohio State

Friday, January 31 – at Penn State

Sunday, February 2 – at Maryland

Friday, February 7 – Nebraska

Friday, February 14 – at Minnesota

Sunday, February 16 – Northwestern

Sunday, February 23 – Oklahoma State

*Sat/Sun, March 8-9 – at Big Ten Championships (Evanston, IL)

*Thurs/Sat, March 20-22 – at NCAA Championships (Philadelphia, PA)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

When Valarie Solorio announced her commitment to Iowa on September 20, 2023 she was the first member of the Recruiting Class of 2024.

In the final National Girls High School Rankings for the 2023-24 season Solorio was #4 at 100 lbs.

Solorio is listed at 103 on the new roster and is expected to redshirt this season.

Solorio moved from Panama City Beach, Florida where she won a state title in 2022 and competed for Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania for her senior season.

Solorio won the 100 lbs. state title in the first ever PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships in Pennsylvania history last season. She was 4-0 with falls in 1:23, :37 and 1:06 and 3:14.

She was the first wrestler to win a girls sanctioned state title in the history of Florida(2022) and Pennsylvania(2024).

Solorio placed second at 100 lbs. at Junior Nationals in Fargo in 2023 and 2024. She was also the 2021 16U national champion at 94 lbs.  

Solorio won the 2022 Mexico National Championship at 110 lbs. to qualify for the Pan American Championships.

Best of luck to Valarie Solorio as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

When Valarie Solorio announced her commitment to Iowa on September 20, 2023 she was the first member of the Recruiting Class of 2024.

In the final National Girls High School Rankings for the 2023-24 season Solorio was #4 at 100 lbs.

Solorio is listed at 103 on the new roster and is expected to redshirt this season.

Solorio moved from Panama City Beach, Florida where she won a state title in 2022 and competed for Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania for her senior season.

Solorio won the 100 lbs. state title in the first ever PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships in Pennsylvania history last season. She was 4-0 with falls in 1:23, :37 and 1:06 and 3:14.

She was the first wrestler to win a girls sanctioned state title in the history of Florida(2022) and Pennsylvania(2024).

Solorio placed second at 100 lbs. at Junior Nationals in Fargo in 2023 and 2024. She was also the 2021 16U national champion at 94 lbs.  

Solorio won the 2022 Mexico National Championship at 110 lbs. to qualify for the Pan American Championships.

Best of luck to Val Solorio as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The Big Ten released the conference wrestling schedule.

The Hawkeyes host Illinois (Jan. 17), Ohio State (Jan. 25), Nebraska (Feb. 7) and Northwestern (Feb. 16) in Big Ten duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa will be on the road at Wisconsin (Jan. 12), Penn State (Jan. 31), Maryland (Feb. 2) and Minnesota (Feb. 14).

The Big Ten Championships will be on March 8-9 in Evanston, Illinois and the 2025 NCAA Championships will be held from March 20-22 in Philadelphia.

Iowa is also due to host rivals Iowa State and Oklahoma State this year as well. Along with the Big Ten schedule Carver-Hawkeye Arena will provide some great dual meets for fans this season.

A rare Saturday night dual meet with Ohio State. For years Iowa competed on Saturday night before the Big Ten went to Friday/Sunday meets.

Last season the Big Ten schedule was released on August 27 and the full schedule was released on October 17. I have read that the schedule comes out later than in the past due to TV scheduling.

I will keep you posted when the full schedule is released.

Big Ten Schedule

Sunday, January 12 – at Wisconsin

Friday, January 17 – Illinois

Saturday, January 25 – Ohio State

Friday, January 31 – at Penn State

Sunday, February 2 – at Maryland

Friday, February 7 – Nebraska

Friday, February 14 – at Minnesota

Sunday, February 16 – Northwestern

*Sat/Sun, March 8-9 – at Big Ten Championships (Evanston, IL)

*Thurs/Sat, March 20-22 – at NCAA Championships (Philadelphia, PA)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Kael Voinovich announced on January 29, 2024 that he was going to be a Hawk and be a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024. Voinovich was ranked as high as #14 at 157 in national rankings last season. 

Voinovich is listed at 149 on the new Iowa Wrestling roster and is the younger brother of Victor Voinovich who saw varsity action at 149 last season for the Hawks.

Voinovich began his career in Ohio where he placed third. As a sophomore the family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma where Victor began his college career at Oklahoma State.

Kael won an Oklahoma state title as a sophomore and placed second as a junior.

When Victor transferred to Iowa Kael then transferred to Iowa City High in Iowa City, Iowa where he won a 3A state title at 157 lbs. Voinovich had a 142-14 career record.

This summer Voinovich was 3-1 for Team Iowa at 157 lbs. at Junior Duals. At Junior Nationals he had a 4-2 record at 157 and did not place. 

Voinovich placed sixth at 70kg at the 2024 U20 U.S. Open.

With a great background of competing in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Iowa combined with the family commitment Kael has a lot of potential for the Hawks.

Best of luck to Kael Voinovich as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Incoming Iowa Wrestling recruit Leo DeLuca is ranked #1 in the country at 120 lbs. in the new FloWrestling Rankings. DeLuca is ranked #13 in the P4P (pound for pound) rankings.

DeLuca is from Morristown, New Jersey and competes for national powerhouse Blair Academy. 

DeLuca won a Junior National title in 2023 at 120 lbs. and a Cadet National title at 113 in 2021.

He committed to Iowa on December 4, 2023 and is projected to compete at 125 for the Hawks.

Tyrel Miller (St. Eds HS in Cleveland, Ohio) is ranked #6 at 175 and Jarrel Miller (St. Eds HS in Cleveland, Ohio) is #7 at 190.

DeLuca, Miller, and Miller are in the Recruiting Class of 2025.

I will continue to follow all of our incoming recruits in competition on this blog with a preview and follow up with results throughout the high school season.

Iowa is scheduled to be hosting recruits over the remainder of October.

National Letter of Intent Signing Day for the Class of 2025 begins on Wednesday, November 13 and ends on November 20, 2024.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Kiara Djoumessi is a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024. Djoumessi was a two-time state champion for Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly,  Iowa. 

Djoumessi was 48-0 as a junior and 47-0 as a senior in winning state titles at 140 lbs.

In the final National Girls High School Rankings for the 2023-24 season Djoumessi was ranked #15 at 140.

At Junior Nationals last summer Djoumessi was 4-2 and did not place at 140 lbs.

At the 2024 Junior Duals Djoumessi was 3-1 for Team Iowa.

Djoumessi is one of four wrestlers on the roster that are from Iowa.

Djoumessi was a three-time Team MVP for Waverly-Shell Rock who won the team state title in 2023.

She holds the school record for most takedowns, reversals, tech falls, and pins.

Kiara’s dad Alain was a two-time All American at Wartburg.

Best of luck to Kiara Djoumessi as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Miguel Estrada announced on May 3, 2023 that he would be an Iowa Hawkeye. Estrada had originally committed to Wisconsin.

Estrada was a three-time state champion and four-time place winner from Bakersfield, California (Frontier HS).

MatScouts had Estrada ranked as high as #2 at 145 lbs. last season.

On the Iowa Wrestling roster Estrada is listed at 149/157.

Estrada represented Team USA in the Pennsylvania vs. USA dual meet in the Pittsburgh Classic in March. Estrada was impressive in defeating Indiana recruit Ryan Garvick, 12-6.

He won a U16 folkstyle national title in 2021 at 140 lbs.

Estrada is definitely the dark horse for this recruiting class. He was ranked high and then placed fourth at state. 

Injuries kept Estrada out of competition during the season but he looked very good at the Pittsburg Classic.

It will be interesting to see Estrada develop this season where I believe he will redshirt. 149 and 157 will be open weights next year that could find Estrada in the starting lineup.

Estrada has the strength and skill set to be a very good college wrestler for the Hawks.

Best of luck to Miguel Estrada as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Dru Ayala committed to the Hawks on October 30, 2023 as a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024.

Ayala was a four-time place winner at Fort Dodge, Iowa. He placed fifth as a freshman, second as a sophomore and junior and placed third last season as a senior at 120 lbs.

Dru is the younger brother of Drake Ayala who was an NCAA Runner-Up at 125 last season for the Hawks.

Ayala placed second at the 2023 Folkstyle Nationals.

Ayala is a four-time All American at Cadet and Junior Nationals. Last summer he placed 7th at Junior Nationals at 120 lbs.

In national rankings Ayala was ranked as high as #14 at 120 lbs. by FloWrestling last season.

I believe Dru Ayala may be under the national recruiting radar. He has a great background and Iowa has had a lot of success with brothers over the years. 

I look for Ayala to improve quite a bit over the next two years and contend for a varsity spot in the Black and Gold.

Best of luck to Dru Ayala as an Iowa Hawkeye.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!