Alex “Bull” Marinelli announced on Twitter that he is joining the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. He stated that he will pursue his dream of coaching and possibly competing. Marinelli just completed a great career for the Hawks as a four-time All American and four-time Big Ten champ. He was also named Academic All Big Ten five times, NWCA Scholar athlete twice, and was an Outstanding Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner. 

Originally from Miamisburg, Ohio (St. Paris Graham HS), I am looking for Marinelli to eventually get into coaching in the college ranks. Bull will be a positive influence on the younger wrestlers with his work ethic and intensity that he brings to every workout. 

The HWC was organized in 1973 to provide wrestlers the opportunity to pursue International wrestling goals and to aid in the development of the Iowa Wrestling team.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

Cade Siebrecht has committed to the University of Iowa. Siebrecht is a two-time State champion from Lisbon, Iowa. He won a state title at 126 in 2021 and at 138 this past season. He placed fifth at 113 in 2020. Siebrecht had a 179-31 career record. 

Cade is the third Siebrecht brother to win a state title at Lisbon and to then compete in college. Oldest brother Cooper was a state champion at Lisbon in 2018 and competes for the University of Minnesota-Mankato. Cobe Siebrecht was a state champion at Lisbon in 2019 and competes for the University of Iowa.

Cade and Cobe will add to the long time tradition of brothers wrestling for the University of Iowa.

Siebrecht is projected to compete at 141 and will be a member of the outstanding Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2022.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

8 of our incoming Iowa Wrestling recruits will be in action this weekend at the Elite 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. This is an elite dual meet tournament featuring wrestling clubs from around the country. 

The action will take place in the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel with dual meets beginning on Saturday, April 2nd at 10 AM CST and Sunday April 3rd at 8 AM CST.

You can watch all of the dual meets at the Elite 8 on PPV live stream on Rokfin.

Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2022: Joel Jesuroga (145), Carter Martinson (152), Aiden Riggins (160), Carson Martinson (Alternate), and Brad Hill (195).

Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023: Nate Jesuroga (120), Ryder Block (132), Ben Kueter (220).

I like seeing Hayden Taylor in the SWA lineup. Taylor is an outstanding wrestler that won three state titles at Solon, Iowa and did not get to compete at State this year. 

Clubs competing at Elite 8:

Sebolt Wrestling Academy (IA)

Minions (S. East)

Beast Coast (NJ)

Roundtree (S. East)

DC Elite (CA)

Black Mambas (CO/IA)

Vision Quest (NY)

Lumberjacks (OH/MI)

Arnold update:

Elite incoming recruit Gabe Arnold of Wyoming Seminary will be competing at the Journeymen in Troy, New York on April 9-10. Arnold is coming off an injury and is looking to be 100% in competition. Arnold is a highly ranked recruit at 170 lbs. in the Recruiting Class of 2023. I will keep you up to date right here on my blog with his results.

I have been stating for months that the Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023 of Nate Jesuroga (120), Ryder Block (132), Gabe Arnold (170), and Ben Kueter (220) is the best junior recruiting class in the history of Iowa Wrestling. The Class of 2023 is one recruit that I have in mind away from being the greatest recruiting class in the history of Iowa Wrestling. By a good margin.

Elite 8 in Atlanta Georgia April 2-3

Sebolt Wrestling Academy

100 – Carter Pearson

106 – Dru Ayala

113 – Reid Spurley

120 – Nate Jesuroga

Alternate – Kale Petersen

126 – Carter Freeman

132 – Ryder Block

Alternate – Evan Frost

138 – Jacob Frost

145 – Joel Jesuroga

152 – Carter Martinson

160 – Aiden Riggins

Alternate – Carson Martinson

170 – Hayden Taylor

182 – Griff Gammell

Alternate – Andrew Reed

195 – Brad Hill

220 – Ben Kueter

285 – Jake Walker

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

Iowa Wrestling held their annual awards banquet last night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawks placed third at the NCAA National Tournament last weekend. Iowa had at least five All Americans for the ninth straight year. This also marked the 32nd straight year that Iowa has had an NCAA National Finalist.

Jacob Warner was presented with the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award. Warner was an NCAA Runner-Up at 197 lbs. this season. He also became a four-time All American. Warner finished the season with a 21-6 record with a team leading six major decisions and 14 wins against ranked opponents.

Michael Kemerer, Tony Cassioppi, Jaydin Eierman, and Abe Assad tied for the most pins on the team with three. True freshman Drake Ayala was presented with the John and Dorothy Sill Award for Most Dedicated Wrestler. 

Six wrestlers were presented with Coaches Appreciation Award: Aaron Costello, Patrick Kennedy, Charles Matthews, Cullan Schriever, Vince Turk, and Myles Wilson. 

Iowa had a team record 14 wrestlers named to the Academic All Big Ten Team earlier this week. https://iowawrestlingblog.com/2022/03/14-hawks-named-to-academic-all-big-ten-team/

2022 Award Winners

Mike Howard Most Valuable: Jacob Warner

Mike J. McGivern Most Courageous: Michael Kemerer

John and Dorothy Sill Most Dedicated: Drake Ayala

J. Donald Pike Sr., Highest Senior GPA: Michael Kemerer

Coaches Appreciation: Aaron Costello, Patrick Kennedy, Charles Matthews, Cullan Schriever, Vince Turk, and Myles Wilson

Most Pins (3): Michael Kemerer, Tony Cassioppi, Jaydin Eierman, and Abe Assad

All Americans: Austin DeSanto, Alex Marinelli, Michael Kemerer, Jacob Warner, Tony Cassioppi

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

Former Iowa Hawkeye great Chuck Yagla will be honored at the Dan Gable Museum on Sunday, March 27. Yagla was a two-time NCAA National champ (1975, 1976) for Iowa and 1976 O.W. Yagla was an Olympian in 1980.

From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum:

Join us to celebrate as Chuck Yagla becomes the latest wrestling legend to sign his wall in our museum, joining Bruce Baumgartner, Bobby Douglas, Dan Gable and John Smith.

A native of Waterloo, Chuck is a two-time NCAA champion and a member of the 1980 Olympic team. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a Meritorious Official and a member of the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa.

When: Sunday, March 27.

Time: 3 – 4 p.m. Social followed by Wall Signing and Program

Where: The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum

303 Jefferson Street Waterloo, IA 50701

More Information: https://fb.me/e/31XnaK4gG

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks! 

Jaydin Eierman was a great addition to the Iowa lineup the last two seasons. It is rare to have such an accomplished wrestler as Eierman transfer in to wrap up his career. 

Eierman of Columbia, Missouri (Father Tolton) transferred to Iowa after a successful career at Missouri where he placed fifth (2017), fourth (2018), and third (2019) in the country at 141. After transferring to Iowa, he took an Olympic Redshirt in 2020. Last season for the Hawks Eierman was a Big Ten champion and placed second in the country. Eierman’s points were the difference in Iowa winning the 2021 national team title.

This season Eierman was hampered by injuries in the postseason. After qualifying for the National Tournament as a #2 seed it was easy to see that an injury led to him not placing at 141. A true gutty performance by Eierman at Big Tens and Nationals with a knee injury. It was a tough break to have his collegiate career end like that. I tip my hat to the fight that Eierman showed while competing so hard at the elite level of Big Tens and the NCAA National Tournament with that type of injury. 

Best of luck to Jaydin Eierman and thank you for how you represented Iowa Wrestling and provided great entertainment for Iowa Wrestling fans. You will always be known as a Hawk that helped us win a national team title.

2016 – Redshirt (Missouri)

2017 – 5th at NCAA National Tournament (Missouri)

2018 – 4th at NCAA National Tournament (Missouri)

2019 – 3rd at NCAA National Tournament (Missouri)

2020 – Olympic Redshirt (Iowa)

2021 – 2nd at NCAA National Tournament (Iowa)

2022 – NCAA National Tournament Qualifier (Iowa)

Career record: 120-18

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

The name of Austin DeSanto rose to immediate national fame when he defeated Spencer Lee in the Pennsylvania 126 lbs. state finals in 2017. He transferred to Iowa and formed a great 1-2 duo of Lee-DeSanto to start a dual meet or tournament. DeSanto became a crowd favorite for exciting high paced matches that resulted in points being scored and always a lot of action. 

DeSanto of Exeter, Pennsylvania started his career at Drexel where he was an NCAA Qualifier as a true freshman at 133 in 2018. He did not redshirt at Drexel and immediately stepped into the starting lineup when he transferred to Iowa and placed fifth in 2019. He was seeded sixth in 2020 when the NCAA’s were canceled. He placed third at the 2021 and 2022 NCAA National Tournament. 

This past season DeSanto was 21-4 with a team leading eleven tech falls to go along with two major decisions. I will always believe that the Top 3 at 133 that DeSanto was a part of the last two years is one of the toughest weights in recent memory. That Top 3 will hold to the test of time for being elite.

In my 39 years of going into the Iowa Wrestling room to watch practice I can honestly say that Austin DeSanto had as good of conditioning that I have ever seen from an Iowa wrestler. That is saying a lot. Incredible energy, endurance, intensity, and consistency.

Best of luck to you Austin DeSanto and thank you for how you represented Iowa Wrestling and provided great entertainment for Iowa Wrestling fans.

2018 – NCAA National Tournament Qualifier (Drexel)

2019 – 5th at NCAA National Tournament

2020 – 5th seed at NCAA National Tournament that was canceled, named All American

2021 – 3rd at NCAA National Tournament

2022 – 3rd at NCAA National Tournament

Career record: 123-27

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

The Big Ten just announced that 14 members of the Iowa Wrestling team were named to the 2022 Winter Academic All-Big Ten Team. 

From BigTen.org:

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Cullan Schriever was one of only 30 athletes out of 1,114 that were highlighted for having a 4.0 GPA.

Anthony Cassioppi – Sport and Recreation Management 

Aaron Costello – Sport and Recreation Management 

Zach Glazier – Sport and Recreation Management 

Joe Kelly – Computer Science 

Michael Kemerer – Finance 

Patrick Kennedy – Sport and Recreation Management 

Alex Marinelli – Sport and Recreation Management 

Charles Matthews – Business 

Max Murin – Sport and Recreation Management 

Cullan Schriever – Sport and Recreation Management 

Leif Schroeder – History 

Cobie Siebrecht – Enterprise Leadership 

Jacob Warner – Business Analytics 

Kaleb Young – Civil and Environmental Engineering, Human Physiology

Great job. That is getting it done on the mat and in the classroom.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

Kaleb Young of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was in the Recruiting Class of 2016. Young was the first from the Young Guns Wrestling Club to commit to the Hawks. Wrestlers from Young Guns were a huge part of Iowa winning the 2021 national team title. After a redshirt season Young competed at 165 and 174 in 2018. He competed at 157 for the rest of his career. As a sophomore in 2019 Young placed fifth in the country. 

In 2020 Young was seeded eighth when the NCAA Tournament was canceled. Last season Young placed seventh. He was an NCAA National Tournament Qualifier this season. His two losses were to the #8 and #1 seeded wrestlers in what turned out to be a very tough draw at 157.

Looking back, I am able to better appreciate what Young did as a freshman for the team.  As a career wrestler at 157 he went up one and two weights to compete on the varsity level at Iowa in the rugged Big Ten. Again, as a freshman. That is a team player.

I will remember Kaleb Young for his consistency. Young never had a bad effort day. You could always count on a top effort in competition and in the practice room every single day.

Yet another graduating senior with academic awards every single year he was eligible to receive them. 5 time Academic All Big Ten and 3 time NWCA Scholar Athlete.

Best of luck to Kaleb Young and thank you for how you represented Iowa Wrestling in your career on the mat, in the room, as a teammate, and in the classroom.

2017 – Redshirted

2018 – Competed at 165/174

2019 – 5th at Nationals (157)

2020 – #8 seed at Nationals that were canceled, named All American (157)

2021 – 7th at Nationals (157)

2022 – NCAA National Tournament Qualifier (157)

Career record: 77-31

5 time Academic All Big Ten

3 time NWCA Scholar Athlete (This season has yet to be announced)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

Alex Marinelli showed up on campus with an impressive wrestling resume and a great nickname. “Bull” will be an enduring nickname in Iowa Wrestling history. Bull has been our 165 lbs. wrestler in the Iowa Wrestling lineup since late 2017. Few Iowa Wrestlers man a weight for their entire career. 

Alex Marinelli of Miamisburg (St. Paris Graham HS), Ohio was the top recruit in the Recruiting Class of 2016. After a redshirt Marinelli placed sixth at 165 at the NCAA’s. As a sophomore he won a Big Ten title and placed seventh at Nationals. In 2020 Marinelli was a Big Ten Champion and seeded #1 at 165 when the NCAA’s were canceled. Last season Marinelli won another Big Ten title and did not place at Nationals. This season Marinelli won his fourth Big Ten title and placed fifth at Nationals.

It is impossible not to look at 2020 when Marinelli was hot off a Big Ten title and the #1 seed at 165 for Nationals only to have it canceled. An injury was a major factor in Marinelli not placing last year. Even with the tough breaks Marinelli always entertained with his constant attack and looking for the big move for a fall.

Bull is another reason to be an Iowa Wrestling fan. This guy went hard all of the time in competition and in the practice room. He only had one gear and that was all out. Add in academic accolades and a fan favorite and you could not ask for more. Bull will be missed.

Best of luck to you Alex “Bull” Marinelli and thank you for how you represented Iowa Wrestling in your career on the mat, in the practice room, as a teammate, and in the classroom.

2017 – Redshirted

2018 – 6th in NCAA

2019 – 7th in NCAA

2020 – #1 seed at Nationals that were canceled, named All American

2021 – NCAA National Tournament Qualifier

2022 – 5th in NCAA 

Career record: 99-13

4-time Big Ten Champion (2019-2022)

5 time Academic All Big Ten

2 time NWCA Scholar Athlete (This season has yet to be announced)

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!