Naomi Simon dominated in winning the 76 kg title at U20 Nationals in Spokane, Washington to make the U20 World Team for the second straight year.

Simon was 5-0 with five pins including pins in 2:41 and 2:28 over Stella Stiegler of Virginia in the Best of Three Finals and will now represent Team USA at the 2025 U20 World Championships in in Sophia, Bulgaria on August 20-22.

Simon won a Bronze medal at 76kg at the 2024 U20 World Freestyle Championships.

As a true freshman this season at 180 Simon was 38-4 and placed third at the NCWWC Nationals for Iowa.

Simon was an undefeated four-time state champion from Decorah with a career record of 150-0 and the biggest recruit to ever come out of Iowa for girls wrestling in 2024.

Lilly Luft(62 kg) and Cadence Diduch (65 kg) placed second. Both dropped close matches in the Best of Three Finals.

Luft only competed in five matches this season due to injury as a sophomore and placed fifth at NCWWC Nationals last season as a true freshman. 

Diduch was 17-5 as a true freshman and was a 2024 U20 World Team member.

Luft and Diduch will represent Team USA at the U20 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru on July 10-12.

Ava Bayless placed second at 50 kg at U23 Nationals.

Bayless will now represent Team USA at the 2025 U23 Pan American Championships in Queretaro, Mexico on April 10-11.

U20 Nationals

50 kg – Val Solorio  5th

57 kg – Cali Leng  8th

59 kg – Karlee Brooks  6th

59 kg – Emily Frost  5th

62 kg – Lilly Luft  2nd

65 kg – Cadence Diduch  2nd

72 kg – Naomi Simon  1st

U23 Nationals

50 kg – Emilie Gonzalez – 3rd

50 kg – Ava Bayless  2nd

53 kg – Brianna Gonzalez  3rd

65 kg – Reese Larramendy  3rd

72 kg – Rose Cassioppi  6th

76 kg  Naomi Simon – U20 World Championships in Sophia, Bulgaria on August 20-22.

62 kg  Lilly Luft – U20 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru on July 10-12.

65 kg Cadence Diduch – U20 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru on July 10-12.

50 kg  Ava Bayless – U23 Pan American Championships in Queretaro, Mexico on April 10-11.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Dean Peterson announced on Instagram that he is transferring to the University of Iowa. Peterson was a three-time NCAA National Qualifier for Rutgers at 125 lbs.

Peterson had a 22-8 record this past season with one pin, eight tech falls and two major decisions. He placed sixth at Big Tens and made it to the Blood Round of 12 at the 2025 NCAA Championships. He also won a Midlands title last December.

This past season Peterson picked up big wins with a pin over defending national champion Richard Figueroa of Arizona State at Nationals and a regular season 4-1 decision over eventual third place finisher Luke Lilledahl of Penn State.

As a redshirt freshman in 2023 Peterson made it to the Blood Round of 12 at Nationals. In 2024 he went 1-2 at Nationals.

Peterson, originally from Barnagat, New Jersey(St. John Vianney HS), was a two-time New Jersey State champ and a three-time finalist with a 108-2 career record. He did not compete as a senior due to injury.

In the Recruiting Class of 2021 Petersen was ranked #1 in the country at 126 lbs. by Flo.

Peterson will be added to the roster at 125 with 2025 NCAA Qualifier Joey Cruz and incoming elite recruit Leo DeLuca. 

The one year from Peterson will allow DeLuca the opportunity to redshirt as a true freshman and prepare for the 2026-27 season.

Another quality addition for the Hawks.

On Monday Nasir Bailey and Jordan Williams of Little Rock announced on Instagram that they were transferring to Iowa.

It will be interesting to see if Iowa is done in the Transfer Portal or maybe add in at least one more transfer before classes begin in August.

I will keep you up to date.

Transfers

125 – Dean Petersen from Rutgers with one year of eligibility remaining.

133 but projected at 141 – Nasir Bailey of Little Rock with two years of eligibility and a redshirt remaining.

149 – Jordan Williams of Little Rock with two years of eligibility remaining.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The IWWC(Iowa Women’s Wrestling Club) will host All In For Her on Friday, April 18 at Xtreme Arena in Coralville.

This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the IWWC.

Social Hour begins at 6 PM and will include hors d’oeuvres and drinks followed by Coach Chun with a recap of the 2025 championship season of Iowa Women’s Wrestling.

The party and games begin at 7.

The party will include casino games, bingo, a silent auction, DJ, and “For Her” merchandise.

All In For Her

Friday, April 18

Xtreme Arena in Coralville, Iowa

Social Hour – 6 PM

Party and games – 7 PM

To reserve your tickets to All In For Her:

https://www.classy.org/event/2025-all-in-for-her/e658592/register/new/select-tickets

To be a sponsor for All In For Her you can contact IWWC Board Member Kylee Walker at: [email protected]

To make a general donation to the Iowa Women’s Wrestling Club:

https://www.classy.org/give/658592/#!/donation/checkout

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The IWWC(Iowa Women’s Wrestling Club) will host All In For Her on Friday, April 18 at Xtreme Arena in Coralville.

This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the IWWC.

Social Hour begins at 6 PM and will include hors d’oeuvres and drinks followed by Coach Chun with a recap of the 2025 championship season of Iowa Women’s Wrestling.

The party and games begin at 7.

The party will include casino games, bingo, a silent auction, DJ, and “For Her” merchandise.

All In For Her

Friday, April 18

Xtreme Arena in Coralville, Iowa

Social Hour – 6 PM

Party and games – 7 PM

To reserve your tickets to All In For Her:

https://www.classy.org/event/2025-all-in-for-her/e658592/register/new/select-tickets

To be a sponsor for All In For Her you can contact IWWC Board Member Kylee Walker at: [email protected]

To make a general donation to the Iowa Women’s Wrestling Club:

https://www.classy.org/give/658592/#!/donation/checkout

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The University of Iowa will be well represented at the U20 and U23 Women’s Nationals in Spokane,Washington on April 4-6.

Nine Hawks will compete in U20 Nationals and seven in U23 Nationals.

Incoming recruits Isabella Marie Gonzales and Samantha Sachs will be competing at U20 Nationals.

The winner of each weight will represent Team USA at the World Championships.

The U20 World Championships will be in Sophia, Bulgaria on August 20-22.

The U23 World Championships will be in Novi Sad, Serbia on October 22-24. 

Last year at U20 Nationals Brianna Gonzalez(53kg) and Reese Larramendy(65kg) won titles as well as at the time incoming recruits and now current Hawkeyes Cadence Diduch(62kg) and Naomi Simon(76kg) won titles.

FloWrestling will have full coverage on their premium service.

I will have a follow up blog with results.

U20 Nationals

50 kg – Rianne Murphy

55 kg – Ava Rose

57 kg – Mia Goodwin

57 kg – Cali Leng

59 kg – Karlee Brooks

59 kg – Emily Frost

62 kg – Lilly Luft

65 kg – Cadence Diduch

72 kg – Naomi Simon

Isabella Marie Gonzales(Incoming recruit)

Samantha Sachs(Incoming recruit)

U23 Nationals

50 kg – Sterling Dias

50 kg – Emilie Gonzalez

50 kg – Ava Bayless

53 kg – Brianna Gonzalez

65 kg – Reese Larramendy

65 kg – Ella Schmit

72 kg – Rose Cassioppi

Friday, April 4

Noon – U23 Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, and Consolation

5:30 PM – U23 Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Consolation

Saturday, April 5

Noon – U23 Best 2 out of 3 Championship Finals and 3rd, 5th, 7th place matches 

4 PM – U20 Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Consolations

Sunday, April 6

Noon – U20 Consolation, Consolation-Semi, Best 2 out of 3 Finals and Placements

***All times listed are CST

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Stephen Buchanan and Kyle Parco have been named as NWCA Scholar All American.

The criteria to achieve this honor:

1. An All American and at least a 3.0 Cumulative GPA.

2. An NCAA Qualifier with at least a 3.5 Cumulative GPA.

3. A 3.5 GPA and represent their team at the conference tournament or win 60 percent of their matches.

Buchanan won the 197 lbs. title at the NCAA Championships.

For the season Buchanan was 26-1 with four pins, nine tech falls and five major decisions.

He was named for the Mike Howard Award as Most Valuable, John and Dorothy Sill Award (Most Dedicated) and for the Most Pins award on the team.

Parco was 21-5 for the year at 149 with seven tech falls and three major decisions. Parco was injured and had to withdraw from the National Championships.

Iowa has received 64 NWCA academic honors since Tom Brands was named head coach in 2006.

Congratulations to Stephen Buchanan and Kyle Parco for being named NWCA Scholar all American.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Kiley Welker, Kennedy Blades and Macey Kilty of the University of Iowa have been named as three of the eight finalists for the USA Wrestling 2025 Women’s College Wrestler of the Year.

Welker, Blades and Kilty were a combined 80 this season in leading Iowa to their second straight NCWWC National 

The award will be selected by a vote from three major groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches and the fans. 

Each of these groups will account for one-third of the vote. 

Fan voting opens today and runs through Sunday April 6 at https://usawrestlingevents.com/wcwoty. 

The winner of 2025 USA Wrestling’s Women’s College Wrestler of the Year will be announced on FloWrestling on Thursday, April 8.

Welker, a redshirt sophomore from Franksville, Wisconsin, was 27-0 with 21 tech falls and six pins while not surrendering a single point all season for the NCWWC title at 180.

Last season Welker won the title at 170 and is on track to be a four-time national champion.

This past summer Welker won a U23 World Freestyle title and bronze medal at the 2024 Senior World Championships.

Welker was also a 2021 Junior World champion, 2021 U23 World Bronze medalist, and placed 10th at the 2021 Senior World Championships.

Kylie Welker was the first recruit to commit to the University of Iowa Women’s Wrestling program in February of 2022.

In her first year of college wrestling Blades won a national title at 160 by going 25-0 with all 25 wins coming by fall or technical fall. She was also named the 2025 NCWWC Most Outstanding Wrestler.

This past summer Blades won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Blades, originally from Chicago, Illinois, was a 2021 U20 world champion,  2023 U20 bronze medalist and a 2023 U23 silver medalist.

Kilty, from Stratford, Wisconsin, transferred into the program this summer with one year of eligibility remaining and won a national title at 145. 

Kilty went 28-0 with 20 tech. falls, three pins and four decisions for the season. 

She won silver at 65kg at the 2023 Senior World Championships and was a 2018 Cadet World champion. She has won six age-level World medals for Team USA.

Best of luck to Kiley Welker, Kennedy Blades and Macey Kilty in the voting for Women’s College Wrestler of the Year..

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Jeff McGinness has been named as the 2025 U20 Women’s World Team Coach. The U20 World Championships will be in Sophia, Bulgaria on August 20-22.

McGinness will coach the U20 World Team in a series of U20 World Team Camps this summer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The U20 World Team will be decided at the U20 Women’s National Championships in Spokane, Washington this weekend.

McGinness has been the head coach since the beginning of the program and just finished up his third year as head coach of the Simpson Women’s Wrestling program. Simpson tied for 24th place at the 2025 NCWWC National Tournament.

McGinness is one of the most successful wrestlers in Iowa High School wrestling when he was a four-time undefeated state champion at City High in Iowa City. McGinness won a Junior World Freestyle title in 1992 at 58 kg/127 lbs. and was named as the tournament O.W.

At the University of Iowa McGinness was a three-time All American and two-time NCAA National champion for Dan Gable. 

McGinness won a national title at 126 lbs. in 1995 and at 142 lbs. in 1998 and was a member of four NCAA National Champion Iowa Hawkeye teams. 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The University of Iowa Wrestling team had their postseason awards banquet on Friday, March 28 in the Feller Room in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Stephen Buchanan was named for the Mike Howard Award as Most Valuable. Buchanan won the 197 lbs. title at the NCAA Championships. Buchanan was also recognized for the Most Pins award on the team with four.

For the season Buchanan was 26-1 with four pins, nine tech falls and five major decisions.

Patrick Kennedy and Joey Cruz were named as Most Improved.

Kennedy placed fourth at 174 lbs. at the National Championships and Cruz was an NCAA Qualifier at 125.

Easton Fleshman was named for Coaches Appreciation.

Cullan Schriever was awarded the Donald McPike, Sr. Award for the highest senior GPA(4.11 GPA).

Nelson Brands was named for the Mike J. McGivern Award (Most Courageous).

Five wrestlers were recognized for the John and Dorothy Sill Award (Most Dedicated): Drake Ayala, Michael Caliendo, Patrick Kennedy, Stephan Buchanan and Angelo Ferrari.

2025 Iowa Wrestling Awards

Mike Howard Most Valuable – Stephan Buchanan

Mike J. McGivern Award (Most Courageous) – Nelson Brands

John and Dorothy Sill Award (Most Dedicated) 

Drake Ayala

Michael Caliendo

Patrick Kennedy

Stephen Buchanan

Angelo Ferrari

Most Improved – Patrick Kennedy and Joey Cruz

Donald McPike, Sr. Award (Highest Senior GPA) – Cullan Schriever(4.11 GPA)

Coaches Appreciation – Easton Fleshman

Most Pins Award – Stephan Buchanan(4)

All-American Award

Drake Ayala

Michael Caliendo

Patrick Kennedy

Stephen Buchanan

Ben Kueter

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Nasir Bailey and Jordan Williams of Little Rock announced on Instagram that they will transfer to the University of Iowa.

Bailey placed fourth in 2024 and did not place at Nationals this season at 133. Williams finished in the Round of 12 this year and the Round of 16 in 2024 at 149.

I can only speculate that Bailey will move up to 141 next season and Williams will compete at 149.

Originally from Park Forest, Illinois Bailey was a four-time state champion at Rich Township High School. Bailey was ranked #17 overall in the Recruiting Class of 2023.

As a true freshman in 2024 Bailey was 29-4 with two falls, 10 tech falls and four major decisions. He was the #7 seed at 133 at the 2024 NCAA Tournament where he went 5-2 to place fourth at a very tough weight. 

His only two losses were to Ryan Crookham of Lehigh in the Quarterfinals(4-2) and third place match(4-3).

In 2025 Bailey was 23-4 as the #3 seed at Nationals where he went 2-2 and did not place.

Bailey has two years of eligibility and a redshirt season remaining.

Williams was ranked #12 overall for the Recruiting Class of 2022 from Tulsa, Oklahoma and originally committed to Oklahoma State. 

In 2024 Williams made the Round of 16. This past season as the #8 seed at Nationals Williams was 2-2 and made the Blood Round of 12. 

In the Quarterfinals Williams dropped a 8-5 SV1 match to Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech, the defending national champion who placed second at 149 this year.

Williams will have two years of eligibility remaining.

I expect Iowa to continue to make additions to the roster from the Transfer Portal before classes begin in August.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!