Four Iowa Hawkeyes were named to the 2023 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Scholar All-American Team.

Max Murin, Nelson Brands, Jacob Warner, and Tony Cassioppi were named for this honor.

Student-athletes must have a minimum 3.2 GPA and have won 60 percent of their matches or maintain a 3.0 while earning All-American honors.

This is the fourth time for Warner and Cassioppi to be named for this honor and the second time for Murin and Brands.

The Iowa Hawkeyes posted a 3.3523 team grade point average that ranked 21st nationally.

Iowa has now had 58 NWCA academic honors since Tom Brands was named head coach in 2006.

Congratulations to these wrestlers for this achievement.

Iowa Wrestling getting it done on the mat and in the classroom.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

We have a huge weekend of wrestling coming up next week. The U.S. Senior Men’s Open will be in Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday, April 27-28 at the South Point Hotel and Casino. This is the first step in determining Team USA for the 2023 Senior World Freestyle Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on September 16-24.

Iowa Wrestling will be well represented with current, former, and incoming Hawks.

Spencer Lee is registered at 57 KG. Lee is a three-time World champ in the Cadet and Junior division. The only freestyle competition Lee has had since winning a Junior World Freestyle title in 2016 was when he won the senior men’s national title in 2019.

Current Iowa Hawkeyes Cullan Schriever (61 KG) and Nelson Brands (79 KG) are registered. 

Former Hawks Michael Kemerer (79 KG) and Dan Erekson (125 KG) are registered to compete.

Incoming recruit Ben Kueter is listed at 97 KG. Kueter just completed his high school wrestling career at City High (Iowa City) as an undefeated four-time state champ. He won a Junior World Freestyle title last summer in Sophie, Bulgaria at 97 kg/213 lbs.

Kueter is currently ranked #4 at 97 KG in the American Men’s Freestyle Rankings. Kueter is in the outstanding Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023.

FloWrestling will provide a live stream of the U.S. Open on their premium service.

The following list of wrestlers have registered for the U.S. Open as of April 20:

Spencer Lee – 57 KG

Austin DeSanto – 61 KG

Cullan Schriever – 61 KG

Pat Lugo – 65 KG

Kaleb Young – 74 KG

Alex Marinelli – 79 KG

Nelson Brands – 79 KG

Michael Kemerer – 79 KG

Ben Kueter – 97 KG

Dan Erekson – 125 KG 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award was announced by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Incoming Iowa recruit Ben Kueter was named for the award in Iowa.

From USA Wrestling:

The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.

Iowa is in the Midwest region for this award. The regional winners in the Midwest, West, Central, Southeast, and Northeast will be announced on April 26. The national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on May 2.

The award is named after the late wrestling legend Dave Schultz. One of the all time greats in the history of our sport. Schultz was an Olympic and World champion and is a Distinguished Member of the Wrestling Hall of Fame and the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Kueter of City High (Iowa City) finished his career as the 32nd four-time state champion in state history and just the seventh to have a career undefeated record (111-0). He is the overall #1 recruit in the country pound for pound and #1 at 215 lbs. by MatScouts. 

Kueter won a Junior World Freestyle title last summer in Sophie, Bulgaria at 97 kg/213 lbs. Kueter is also an elite linebacker in football and received All American honors. He committed to both Iowa Wrestling and Iowa Football.

More than a few people consider Ben Kueter as the greatest high school athlete in the history of the state of Iowa. I would certainly have to give him that title.

Congratulations to Ben Kueter for being named for this honor.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Incoming Iowa recruits Lilly Luft and Alivia White have been named for the Tricia Saunders Excellence Award for their state. The award is presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Luft and White are members of the Iowa Women’s Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023.

Luft, from Charles City, won the award for Iowa. She has also been named as the Dan Gable Ms. Wrestler of the Year. Luft recently won her third state title and finished her career with a 125-6 record. Luft was 40-0 this season and won a state title at 130 lbs. 

White won the award for Washington where she was a three-time state champion for Marysville Pilchuck. She was 33-0 this season with 33 pins and had a career record of 113-2. White competed at the U20 U.S. Nationals last weekend at 76 KG/167 lbs.

From USA Wrestling:

The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.

The award is named for four-time World champion Tricia Saunders who was the first woman from the United States to win a World title and to be inducted as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Lilly Luft and Alivia White for receiving this honor.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday, April 28-29 at the South Point Hotel and Casino. There is an impressive list of wrestlers from the Iowa Women’s Wrestling team and incoming recruits that are registered to compete.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open is the first step in qualifying to represent Team USA at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on September 16-24. 

Felicity Taylor is currently ranked #2 on Team USA and the defending U.S. Open champion at 53 KG. Last weekend at U.S. Nationals in Spokane, Washington Taylor won the U23 53 KG title and Bella Mir won the U20 68 KG title.

Haley Ward and Rose Cassioppi, members of the Recruiting Class of 2023, are registered for the U.S. Open at 72 KG. Marlynne Deede is also registered at 72 KG. Deede recently announced she is transferring to Iowa after winning the NCWWC 155 lbs. national title for Augsburg last month. 

All of the current Iowa wrestlers will be competing for the Hawkeye Women’s Wrestling Club.

FloWrestling will provide a live stream of the U.S. Open on their premium service.

I will have a follow up blog with results.

Currently registered for the U.S. Open

Nyla Valencia – 50 KG

Ava Bayless – 50 KG

Sterling Dias – 50 KG 

Emilie Gonzalez – 50 KG

Felicity Taylor – 53 KG

Ella Schmidt – 65 KG

Reese Larramendy – 65 KG

Isabella Mir – 68 KG

Kylie Welker – 76 KG

Incoming recruits (Class of 2023)

Rose Cassioppi – 72 KG

Haley Ward – 72 KG

Transfer

Marlynne Deede – 72 KG

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Joe Williams and Bob Bowlsby will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Williams will be inducted as a Distinguished member and Bowlsby as an Outstanding American. They will be inducted as part of the Class of 2023 at the 46th Honors Weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma on June 3-4.

Joe Williams is one of the greatest Iowa wrestlers of all time. As a three-time NCAA National champion (96-’98) and four-time All American, Williams led Iowa to NCAA National team titles in 1996, ‘97, and ‘98.

On the International scene Williams was a World Bronze medalist in 2001 and 2005 and a 2004 Olympian.

Bob Bowlsy was Athletic Director at the University of Iowa from 1990-2006. His wrestling background of competing for Bob Siddens at Waterloo West was a foundation for his involvement and promotion of wrestling throughout his career. Bowlsby’s introductiuon to Iowa Wrestling started with his brother John who was a three-time All American for Iowa in 1975, ’77, and ’78. 

Bowlsby’s influence on wrestling was crucial for the advancement of our sport in ways that most will never fully realize. As Dan Gable told me several times over the years, you want wrestling people making decisions on wrestling. Bob Bowlsby was always a wrestling guy and his influence and direction for our sport had a big impact on wrestling over the years.

From NWHOF.org

Joe Williams was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American for the University of Iowa. He had a career record of 129-9 while helping the Hawkeyes win back-to-back NCAA team titles in 1996 and 1997 and being named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA tournament in 1998. 

Williams finished fifth at the 2004 Olympics and competed in six World Championships, winning bronze medals in 2001 and 2005 while placing fourth in 1999 and fifth in 2007. He won gold medals at the Pan American Championships in 1999 and 2003 and was a four-time World Cup champion. He is a 10-time National Freestyle champion and a six-time U.S. Senior National Freestyle champion. 

Williams was a four-time Illinois state high school champion for Mount Carmel High School, wrestling for Bill Weick, a Distinguished Member of the Hall of Fame. Williams had a career record of 162-1 with 95 career falls. His only loss was a disqualification, resulting from an illegal slam, as a freshman. Williams was named Chicago Tribune’s Illinois High School Athlete of the Year in 1992 and 1993.

Bob Bowlsby wrestled at Waterloo West High School for legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob Siddens and at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he was team captain and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference champion. 

A lifelong advocate for wrestling, Bowlsby served as the Chair of the NCAA Wrestling Committee, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame. Bowlsby Family Legacy Award is named in honor of his family. Throughout his career Bowlsby used his wrestling background, skill, expertise and leadership to help the programs he has overseen achieve growth and financial success. He retired in 2022 after 10 years as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. 

Bowlsby arrived at Stanford after a 15-year stint as the director of athletics for the University of Iowa. In 2013, he was named to the NCAA 40th Anniversary Tribute Team, which recognized the 40th anniversary of NCAA Division II competition, and received the MSU Moorhead Alumni Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Dragon Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame in 2007. He received his bachelor’s degree from MSU Moorhead in 1975 and his master’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Congratulations to Joe Williams and Bob Bowlsby for this much deserved honor.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Marlynne Deede announced that she is transferring to the University of Iowa Women’s Wrestling program as a graduate transfer. Deede was a four-time All American and national champion for Augsburg. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Deede, originally from Springville, Utah, has competed at 155 lbs. for her college career. She placed sixth in 2020 and third in both 2021 and 2022. This past season Deede won the NCWWC 155 lbs. National title with a 31-2 record with 8 pins and 18 tech falls.

For her career Deede was 77-20 with 20 pins and 42 tech falls. Deede has the Augsburg school record for career wins and tech falls. 

Deede has made it known that she will continue to compete after her college career for the Hawkeye Womens Wrestling Club.

The Hawks signed 15 incoming recruits and transfers in the Class of 2022. Iowa has already received commitments from eight wrestlers for the Recruiting Class of 2023 and now adds Deede to the roster as a graduate transfer.

The University of Iowa is the first Division I Power 5 Conference member to have women’s wrestling. The Hawks have their first year of official competition next season.

Iowa Women’s Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023

Ava Rose – 112

Bella Ngo – 116

Emily Frost – 127

Lilly Luft – 132

Danni Swihart – 135 

Haley Ward – 152

Rose Cassioppi – 164

Alivia White – 200

Marlynne Deede – 155 (Transfer)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

It was a great weekend of wrestling for the Iowa Women’s Wrestling team and incoming recruits. Bella Mir won the 68 KG title at the U20 Women’s Nationals in Spokane, Washington. Mir won by a tech fall, pin, and two decisions to make the finals. In the best of three finals Mir had two first period pins over London Houston of Washington in 1:24 and 1:54 to claim the title.

Mir is a true freshman out of Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a four-time state champion for Centennial High School.

Mir will now represent Team USA at the 2023 U20 World Freestyle Championships in Warsaw, Poland August 14-20.

Three Hawks placed second with Nyla Valencia (50 KG), Ella Schmidt (65 KG), and Kylie Welker (76 KG). Reece Larramendy placed third at 65 KG and Ava Bayless was sixth at 50 KG. Sterling Dias injury defaulted at 50 KG from the tournament after the quarterfinals.

Incoming recruits Haley Ward placed second at 72 KG, Emily Frost placed fourth at 59 KG, Lilly Luft was fourth at 62 KG, and Rose Cassioppi was third at 72 KG. Danni Swihart (62 KG) and Alivia White (76 KG) did not place. All are in the Recruiting Class of 2023. Real impressive showing by our incoming recruits.

On Saturday Iowa Hawkeye Felicity Taylor won the U23 Women’s Nationals at 53 KG.

A great performance by the Iowa Hawkeyes and our incoming recruits this weekend in Spokane against national level competition. 

The Hawks will be well represented at the U.S. Open for Senior Women’s Freestyle in Las Vegas in two weeks. I will keep you posted right here on my blog.

U20 Nationals

Nyla Valencia 50 KG – 2nd

Ava Bayless 50 KG – 6th

Sterling Dias 50 KG – DNP

Ella Schmidt 65 KG – 2nd

Reese Larramendy 65 KG – 3rd

Isabella Mir 68 KG – Champ

Kylie Welker 76 KG – 2nd

U20 Nationals – Incoming recruits (Class of 2023)

Emily Frost 59 KG – 4th

Lilly Luft 62 KG – 4th

Danni Swihart 62 KG – DNP

Haley Ward 72 KG – 2nd

Rose Cassioppi 72 KG – 3rd

Alivia White 76 KG – DNP

U23 Nationals

Felicity Taylor 53 KG – Champ

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Former Iowa Wrestling NCAA National champion Cliff Moore was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Moore was inducted in the Class of 2023 in a ceremony on Monday at the IWHOF in Cresco, Iowa.

Moore, originally from Sherril, Iowa was one of the best Iowa high school wrestlers that I have ever seen. Moore was a three-time state champion and four-time finalist at Dubuque Hempstead. After placing second as a freshman, Moore was undefeated in his last three seasons winning state titles at 112, 119, and 125 with a career record of 139-2.

At the University of Iowa Moore was a three-time All American and two-time Big Ten champion for coach Jim Zalesky.

After placing sixth in 2002 and 2003 at 133 Moore moved up to 141 as a senior. He entered the NCAA National Tournament as the #5 seed. I was able to see a lot of Moore’s career in high school and college. Without a doubt the biggest match of his career for me was the NCAA semifinals.

Fifth seed Moore faced #1 seed Scott Moore of Virginia who had 32 pins going into the match. Cliff Moore dominated the entire match with a 14-2 major decision. That was one of the biggest wins as an Iowa Wrestling fan that I can ever remember. Total domination.

In the finals Moore defeated Matt Murray of Nebraska 5-2 to become the 2004 NCAA National champion.

Moore competed for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club after graduation and made the USA National Freestyle Team in 2006. He was also a member of the Iowa Wrestling Coaching staff in 2005 and 2006.

After twelve years as an assistant coach at Edinboro Moore has been an assistant coach at West Virginia the past five seasons.

A much deserved honor for Cliff Moore to become a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!