Hawk wrestlers honored at halftime of football game

Members of the University of Iowa Wrestling program earned recognition at halftime of the Iowa-Western Michigan football game Saturday. The Iowa wrestlers earned PCA Academic Recognition.

PCA is the Presidential Committee on Athletics. A student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for this honor.

I do not know if additional wrestlers were named for this honor and not present for the game.

Iowa Wrestling is always well represented in academic honors that included eleven wrestlers on the Dean’s List last year (minimum 3.5 GPA).

 

Zach Glazier – Sports and Recreation Management

Will Carano – Open major

Kolby Franklin – Sports and Recreation Management

Cullan Schriever – Sports and Recreation Management

Charles Matthews – Business

Brad Hill – Open major

Jace Rhodes – Biology

Drake Rhodes – Business

Aiden Riggins – Business

Leif Schroeder – Social Studies History and Education

Carter Martinson – Open major

Easton Fleshman – Open major

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

2023-24 Iowa Women’s Wrestling Roster

The University of Iowa has released the official roster for the 2023-24 Iowa Women’s Wrestling team. Iowa will begin their first year of competition this season as the first women’s wrestling program in a Power 5 Conference.

Last season the Iowa roster had 15 wrestlers when they all took a redshirt as the program built its foundation. The new roster has a total of 28 wrestlers from 14 states including 3 from Iowa. 

Transfers were added to the program that should have an immediate impact on the program. Marleen Deede was a national champion for Augsburg at 155 and Jaycee Foeller was an NAIA Runner-Up at 191 for Central Methodist University last year.

The Recruiting Class of 2023 was impressive with Rose Cassioppi (165), Lilly Luft (130), Alivia White (191), Haley Ward (155), Bella Ngo (130), Cali Leng (123), Emily Frost (130), Ava Rose (116) and Danni Swihart (138).

The competition for a starting spot on the team will be a battle and the Hawks will have real good depth at every weight.

The schedule has not been released. I did have a blog that East Stroudsburg had a press release that they were hosting Iowa on November 4.

Iowa Women’s Wrestling at ESU on Nov 4 – Iowa Wrestling Fan (iowawrestlingblog.com)

I will keep you up to date when the schedule is released.

I have already started highlighting our new wrestlers with a blog on Rose Cassioppi. I will continue to go through all of our incoming recruits and transfers in future blogs.

I am looking forward to that first home dual meet in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. I do not know what the attendance records are for women’s college wrestling but I am confident Hawkeye fans will set the standard.

I am hoping that Iowa has at least one double dual with both of our wrestling programs. That would get a full house of fans and hopefully TV and internet coverage.

I will be covering the women’s program right here on my blog all season.

 

2023-24 Iowa Women’s Wrestling Roster

Women’s Wrestling – University of Iowa Athletics (hawkeyesports.com)

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

New Hawk: Rose Cassioppi

It is now time to take a look at the incoming recruits and transfers for the Iowa Women’s Wrestling program. The Hawks will have their first year of competition this season as the first women’s wrestling program from a Power 5 Conference

First up is Rose Cassioppi of Roscoe, Illinois. The last name sounds familiar because her older brother Tony has been our Hwt for the last four years. Rose committed to the Hawks on March 20 to be a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023. 

Rose certainly has the credentials of an elite recruit. As a junior in 2022 she won a state title for Hononegah High School in Illinois and was a U20 World Team Trials Runner-Up. Last year Rose was at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as a member of the Elite Accelerator Program. 

Cassioppi had a very good freestyle season competing at 72 KG. In April she placed third at U20 Nationals followed by placing second at the U.S. Women’s Open. 

In July Cassioppi won Bronze representing Team USA at the Grand Prix of Spain in Madrid. This was an impressive showing at an elite International open tournament with wrestlers from around the world especially considering her age.

You have to believe that Rose Cassioppi will have a real good if not a great career for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Welcome aboard Rose Cassioppi.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Upcoming schedule for recruiting

The college wrestling recruiting season is here. College wrestling programs have already been hosting recruits for home football games. The combination of recruiting and anticipation for the upcoming season make this a great time of year to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

I want to take a look at some upcoming dates in the college wrestling recruiting world. 

There are two real big competitions for recruiting every fall in Who’s #1 and Super 32. Who’s #1 was early this year when they had it over Labor Day weekend. Incoming Iowa Hawkeye recruit Angelo Ferrari was impressive for the second year in a row at Who’s #1 to win his match and solidify his place as #1 in the country at 170 lbs.

Super 32 is the biggest tournament of the year for recruiting in my opinion. Even over Fargo. Topflight wrestlers from around the country will be competing at Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 21-22. Wrestlers will be competing in folkstyle and at a high level.

Qualifying tournaments have already begun across the country for Super 32. I have been covering incoming Iowa recruits competing at Super 32 for years. 

Verbal commitments are nice but nothing is official until the recruit signs on the dotted line so to speak. The National Letter of Intent Signing Day for the Recruiting Class of 2024 is on Wednesday, November 8. That is always a big day for me.

No doubt Iowa will host recruits over the upcoming weekends. There is always one weekend that has the big numbers of recruits that result in verbal commitments. 

As I have done for years, once a recruit commits to the Hawks I will post all of their matches in the high school and freestyle season right here on my blog.

Let the recruiting games begin.

 

Super 32 – October 21-22

National Letter of Intent Signing Day for the Class of 2024 – Wednesday, November 8

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Iowa Wrestling update

It felt more like fall this morning here in Iowa. That means Iowa Wrestling season is coming and I am more than ready. I wanted to take a look forward to what is coming up for Iowa Wrestling.

  1. My blogs about the new members of Iowa Wrestling proved to be really popular. Fans liked the preview of who we have new to the program. Between true freshmen from the Recruiting Class of 2023 and transfers, there is a lot of potential for an immediate impact.
  2. I will go through each of our incoming Iowa Women’s Wrestling recruits and transfers as soon as the roster is released. I thought the roster would have been posted by now. The men’s roster was posted at 8 AM on the opening day of classes on August 21.
  3. The Hawkeye Wrestling Club will host a tailgater on Saturday, September 30. Iowa will be hosting Michigan State in football. The Dan Gable Wrestling Complex will be open for fans for a HWC workout before the game. The exact time of kickoff has not been announced. I will keep you posted.
  4. For upcoming events the HWC newsletter this week stated that members will be competing at the Bill Farrell Memorial International. The New York Athletic Club will host the men’s freestyle action on Saturday, November 18.
  5. The same HWC newsletter stated that members of the club will compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Tournament on December 15-17 in Dallas, Texas.
  6. The new wrestling facility is looking great. I coined the phrase: “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world!” back on April 12, 2017. A recent walk around the new facility and I am confident we will have just that. It is impossible to not get excited about this new facility. It may be wishful thinking but wouldn’t it be great to have the facility ready for at least one dual meet this year? I cannot wait to see our wrestles come out of the new tunnel from the new facility to a rocking Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
  7. I have not heard about the new schedule for the upcoming season for the men’s or women’s program. I will keep you posted.
  8. I have no doubt there will be a huge weekend for Iowa Wrestling to host recruits coming up soon. Recruiting is what makes me tick and you can count on me keeping you up to date.
  9. Dan Erekson was named as an Assistant Coach at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs this past summer. Erikson was a two-time NCAA All-American for us in 2009 and 2010 and a member of three NCAA National title teams (2008, ‘09, & ‘10). Erikson joins former Iowa All-American and NCAA National Finalist Joe Johnson on the Air Force staff. I like to stay up to date on where our Hawks are coaching and giving back to the sport. 
  10. The annual HWC Trap Shoot will be on Saturday, October 14 at Highland Hideaway Hunting. To register as a shooter or sponsor: 2023 Sporting Clays Shoot Tickets (hawkeyewrestlingclub.com)
  11. The HWC will host an Inner Circle Clinic on Sunday, October 15. To register: Inner Circle Clinic – Campaign (hawkeyewrestlingclub.com)
  12. The HWC will be hosting pre-dual meet socials again this year. I will keep you up to date when the schedule is released.

As I have stated for years on this blog, Iowa Wrestling is my entertainment. I plan on being entertained this year as an Iowa Wrestling fan. I cannot wait.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

New Hawk: Joey Cruz

On May 28 Joey Cruz announced that he was transferring to the University of Iowa. Cruz competed at Oklahoma last year and will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Last season Cruz was 2-2 as a true freshman at 125. His only competition was the Michigan State Open.

Originally from Fresno, California Cruz was ranked #1 in the country at 113 lbs. and #52 overall by MatScouts in the Class of 2022.

Cruz was an undefeated state champ as a senior and placed third as a freshman and second as a sophomore. California did not have a state tournament in 2021.

Cruz has been an elite wrestler throughout his high school career and has an impressive resume. Cruz is being projected as a career 125 lbs. wrestler and has a lot of potential as an Iowa Hawkeye. 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

New Hawk: Michael Caliendo

Michael Caliendo announced on June 16 that he was transferring to Iowa from North Dakota State. Caliendo placed 7th at the NCAA Championships last season at 165 as a redshirt freshman and will have three years of eligibility remaining. 

Last season Caliendo was 29-6 with six falls, two tech falls and two major decisions and placed third at the Big 12 Championships. He was 12-5 against ranked opponents. Caliendo was named to the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team as #1 at 165 lbs.

As a true freshman Caliendo was 14-2 and won four tournaments.

Caliendo is originally from Geneva, Illinois (Batavia HS) where he was a state champion as a senior and placed fourth as a sophomore and junior. He was the first state champ in school history and has school records for falls and tech falls.

Caliendo was named to the NWCA Scholar All-American Team and to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

In the InterMat rankings released last week Caliendo was ranked fifth at 165.

Welcome aboard Michael Caliendo.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Metcalf and Sherman inducted into Iowa Athletics HOF

National champions Brent Metcalf and Dan Sherman were inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame over the weekend. To be eligible for the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame athletes must have at least one varsity letter and completed their eligibility ten years prior to induction. 

Metcalf was the leader of the Iowa Wrestling program for the National team titles of 2008, 2009, and 2010. 

My favorite match of Metcalf’s career was the 2008 Big Ten finals win over former national champion Dustin Schlatter.

https://youtu.be/5cV9c7Bi3TQ?si=SGuFly3XCZ9fNW9m

Dan Sherman was the first national champion of the Gary Kurdelmeier era that really got Iowa started as a national force. Long overdue for Sherman to be in the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.

 

From HawkeyeSports.com:

Brent Metcalf, Wrestling (2008-10)

Two-time NCAA champion (2008, 2010) at 149 pounds… three-time All-American (2008, 2009, 2010)… 2008 Dan Hodge Trophy recipient… 2008 Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year… 2008 Iowa Male Athlete of the Year… 2008 Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships… 2008 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year… 2009 Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten Championships… two-time Big Ten champion (2008, 2009)… led the Hawkeyes to three straight NCAA and Big Ten team titles (2008, 2009, 2010)… Iowa’s 2009 Big Ten Medal of Honor Award recipient… five-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Week… finished his collegiate career with a 108-3 record with a .973 winning percentage – second-best in program history… had a 69-match winning streak from 2008-09 – tied for the fourth longest streak all-time… had 47 career falls (seventh-most all-time), including 20 falls in 2008-09 – the fourth-most in a single season in program history… two-time Mike Howard Team MVP Award recipient… 2009 John & Dorothy Sill Award recipient (most dedicated)… three-time Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA Division I All-Academic Team selection… 2010 ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-American… two-time Dean’s List honoree… four-time World Team member (2010, 2013, 2014, 2015)… 2014 World Cup champion.

 

Daniel Sherman, Wrestling (1970-73)

1973 NCAA Champion at 118 pounds… two-time All-American (1972, 1973)… 1973 Big Ten champion… Iowa’s 1973 Big Ten Medal of Honor Award recipient… helped Iowa to a pair of Big Ten runner-up team finishes… team placed 11th at NCAA Championships in 1972 and tied for seventh in 1973.

 

Congratulations to Brent Metcalf and Dan Sherman for receiving this great honor.

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Hawkeye recruit Angelo Ferrari wins at Who’s #1

Incoming Iowa Wrestling recruit Angelo Ferrari looked great Saturday competing at Who’s #1 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At 170 lbs. Ferrari defeated Ty Eise of Colorado, 5-1. College rules were used including the new 3-point takedown.

After a scoreless first period Ferrari started on top. After an escape Ferrari scored a takedown followed by 1:38 of riding time. In the third period Ferrari scored an escape for the 5-1 victory. This is the second year in a row that Ferrari has won at Who’s #1.

In the new Flo rankings just released Ferrari is now ranked #1 at 170 and #3 in the P4P (Pound for Pound) list. Eise is ranked #2 at 170.

Ferrari was the #1 overall ranked recruit in the Class of 2024 by Flo last season. He committed to the University of Iowa on May 31. Last season Ferrari won a state title at 175 for Melissa High School in Texas. 

What a great future Angelo Ferrari has in the Black and Gold of Iowa Wrestling.

For the upcoming high school season as I have done for years I will post a blog on Friday morning letting you know where all of our incoming Hawkeye recruits are competing over the weekend and a Saturday night blog with results. 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

New Hawk: Jared Franek

Jared Franek announced on June 16 that he was transferring from North Dakota State to the University of Iowa. Franek, originally from Harwood, North Dakota (West Fargo HS), will have one year of eligibility remaining from his Covid year.

Last season Franek placed fourth at the NCAA National Championships at 157 and won a Big 12 title with a 27-3 record. In 2022 Franek made it to the Blood Round of 12 at 157 at Nationals.

Over the last four years Franek has placed first, second, second, and third at the Big 12 Championships and won the Southern Scuffle the past two years. He has an overall career record of 92-20. In high school Franek was a four-time state champion and received North Dakota’s Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.

Franek has been named as a four-time NWCA All-Academic Team, four-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team, and two-time CoSIDA/CSC First Team Academic All American (‘22 and ‘23).

Franek is eligible right away this season for the Hawks.

In the InterMat rankings that were released on Tuesday Franek is ranked #2 in the country at 157.

Welcome aboard Jared Franek.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!