First Thoughts: 2024-25 Iowa women's wrestling schedule
As someone with personal experience in the ‘art’ of procrastination there’s a part of me that wants to applaud the Iowa women’s wrestling program for releasing its schedule just 11 days before the season opener.
Then again, the other part of me that covers the program on a day-to-day basis is just relieved that the cold sweats can now (hopefully) cease with this news finally out in the open.
Here’s your official 2024-25 schedule for the Hawkeye women:
The goal this season? Do what Iowa did a year ago in sweeping both the National Duals and Team titles – only this time do it even better.
That’s a tall task given the accomplishments of the 2023-24 team.
- NCWWC team champions
- NWCA National Duals champion
- Six individual national champions (nine finalists)
- 12 All-Americans
- A 16-0 record in dual competition
- An attendance world record set for fans at a college women’s wrestling event (8,207)
All of that helped to (re)set an already lofty standard for the program as it enters its second official season.
The good news is, this group certainly has the talent, coaching and resources to reach those heights. And now it knows the path it must walk along the way.
So, let’s dive right into it.
Here are a few of my initial thoughts on the 2024-25 schedule for Iowa women’s wrestling – including eight different competition dates that will take place within state borders.
(All times listed are Central Daylight Time)
November
@ Luther Hill Invitational – Saturday, November 2nd (9:00 a.m. start)
Blake Fieldhouse (Indianola, Iowa) plays host to the Luther Hill Invitational – where the Hawkeyes will open their season amongst 30 teams currently registered.
That’ll hopefully make for some large brackets as this still young Iowa team looks to shake off any nerves in the early going.
One wouldn’t characterize the projected field as a murders’ row of competition. But programs like Baker (KS), Central Methodist (MO), Grand View (IA), Lindenwood (MO), Missouri Valley and Northern Michigan have all produced All-American caliber wrestlers of late.
@ Life University (dual) – Friday, November 8th (6:00 p.m.)
The marquee (scheduled) dual of this season will also be Iowa’s very first.
*Other yet-to-be-determined elite matchups will likely take place down the road.
The #1 NCAA dual/tournament team in the country from a year ago (Iowa) returns the backend of a home-and-home series with Life University (GA) – an NAIA powerhouse that also won its bracket at NWCA National Duals this past January before finishing runner up to Menlo (CA) in the team race at the national tournament.
These two programs met in Iowa City on January 21st in a dual absolutely dominated by the Hawkeyes. But just as Iowa got even stronger this offseason, so too did the Running Eagles – who return just about everyone of consequence plus an excellent freshmen/transfer class to boot.
Now on its home turf down in Marietta, Georgia, this is a team that will very much have Iowa’s attention. It should garner that of Hawkeye fans as well.
@ Eagle Madness Open – Saturday, November 9th (9:00 a.m. start)
Iowa will wring as much as it can out of its trip to the Southeast by competing in the Eagle Madness Open the morning after Friday night’s dual.
This is Life’s home tournament, so you’d expect much of their talented roster to be entered. Things could get even spicier if King University (TN) – last year’s NCWWC third-place finisher – sends a contingent as well.
The Tornado are listed among the teams entered on TrackWrestling, but the school’s own schedule says the team will be in Michigan that weekend instead.
If King is absent, look toward NAIA schools such as Indiana Tech and the University of the Cumberlands (KY) to add several high-end wrestlers of their own to the field.
Iowa Duals I – Saturday, November 16th (1:00 p.m. start)
This year’s home schedule begins with a pair of duals in mid-November.
First up that afternoon, Cornell College makes the 30-minute trip from Mount Vernon (IA) to get its first taste of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
That’ll be followed immediately by Dual #2 against William Jewell (MO).
The Cardinals are a program on the rise and one that returns a pair of wrestlers who spent much of last season ranked inside the top 10 at their respective weight classes, one of whom was seeded fourth at the national tournament.
They’ll be joined by an incredibly credentialled redshirt freshman lightweight – two-time U17 World finalist (2021 champ) Erica Pastoriza.
Iowa returns both national finalists at the now-103-pound weight class (Emilie Gonzalez and Sterling Dias), and a matchup between either of them and Pastoriza would have some serious intrigue.
@ Missouri Valley Open – Friday/Saturday, November 22nd-23rd
To give you an idea of how stacked the Missouri Valley Open is on a year-to-year basis, of the 40 combined NCAA/NAIA national finalists at last season’s end 15 of them placed at least in the top eight in a bracket somewhere at the Missouri Valley Open four months earlier.
That’s almost 38 percent of the eventual national finalists.
And that figure neglects to include the various elite high schoolers and senior-level competitors who were also in the field and will be again in 2024.
Other than King and North Central (IL), Iowa can expect to see most of the other top contenders across both NCAA and NAIA divisions in Marshall (MO) when this massive pre-Thanksgiving tournament arrives next month.
December
@ Jewell Duals – Saturday, December 7th (10:00 a.m. start)
Among the notable schools currently registered on Track for this dual tournament in Liberty, Missouri are hosts William Jewell, Lindenwood and first-year program Fort Hays State (KS).
I think Fort Hays State could threaten to be a top 10-12 team at the national tournament in March given some of the talent it has brought in over the past two years.
Meanwhile, perennial national title contenders McKendree (IL) have the Jewell Duals listed on their schedule as well. That could make for a very entertaining head-to-head matchup should the Bearcats face off against the Hawkeyes at/near full strength.
@ North Central College Open – Sunday, December 15th (9:00 a.m. start)
A year ago, Iowa sent a small group of (at the time) mostly prospective backups and redshirts to this open tournament hosted by the school they’d eventually battle with for National Duals/Team titles.
On the other hand, North Central trotted out quite a few of its ‘big guns’ for its home open and dominated the field.
I wonder if things will be different in 2024 given that the Hawkeyes won’t be splitting their team between a tournament in Las Vegas and US Women’s Nationals down in Fort Worth (TX) less than a week later this time around.
All the heavy hitters from last year’s college season – top-four NCWWC and National Duals finishers Iowa, North Central, King and McKendree – have this date on their respective calendars, as does trophy contender Grand Valley State (MI).
We’ll have to see who ultimately takes the mat in Naperville (IL), but this has the potential to be an absolute barnburner of an event leading into the Christmas break.
Soldier Salute – Sunday/Monday, December 29th-30th
Iowa’s final competition of 2024 will be at the third annual Soldier Salute tournament hosted by the Hawkeyes just down the road at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Life University will also be attending for the third year in a row and provides stiff challenges at a plethora of weight classes.
They’ll be joined by a strong contingent of NAIA schools – including the fourth (William Penn), sixth (Texas Wesleyan), 11th (Baker) and 15th-place (Indiana Tech) finishers from last season’s NAIA national tournament.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Brady Cook injury
Mizzou QB doubtful to play vs. Alabama
- 2Hot
AJ McCarron slams Bama
'Everyone's worried about f-----g TikTok'
- 3
Coach Prime
Deion Sanders, Colorado are for real
- 4
Not alright, alright
McConaughey admonishes Texas fans
- 5
Travis Hunter
Deion Sanders shares Buffs star will play Saturday vs. Cincinnati
The Soldier Salute also marks the only date of the college season that Iowa fans can watch the men’s and women’s programs compete side-by-side at the same venue.
(I highlighted the other portion of the tournament in my ‘first thoughts’ article on the men’s schedule.)
Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind event if you’re a Hawkeye wrestling fan.
January
@ NWCA National Duals – Friday/Saturday, January 10th-11th
The UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls (IA) will once again play host to the NWCA National Duals.
Iowa returns as the reigning champs having won last year’s tournament in about as dramatic a fashion as you could imagine.
The top 16 squads in the country will compete over two days to determine the best dual team of them all.
What a ‘novel’ (awesome) concept, huh?
(I’m talking to you, NCAA Division I men’s wrestling.)
Iowa Duals II – Saturday, January 18th
Iowa’s second (and final) event of the 2024-25 season held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be a pair of duals against Augustana College (IL) and Grand Valley State (MI).
I touched on Grand Valley State (GVSU) a bit earlier in this preview, but know this, the Lakers – entering their first official season of competition much like Iowa was a year ago – are an immediate challenger to finish in the top five (or better) at the national tournament.
GVSU boasts an exciting freshmen class and a pair of title-favorite/contending transfers. This is without a doubt the premier dual of the four on Iowa’s home slate this season.
@ NYS Journeymen Duals – Saturday, January 25th
The Hawkeyes round out the first month of 2025 with a quartet of duals to be staged in Albany, New York.
Iowa will square off against a trio of top 10 finishers from the 2024 national tournament – #6 Sacred Heart (CT), #7 Lock Haven (PA) and #8 Presbyterian (SC) – plus Buffalo State University (NY).
Both Sacred Heart and Presbyterian return much of their talent from a year ago. Presbyterian also has the added benefit of a strong crop of incoming recruits to bolster its lineup.
February
@ Grand View Open – Saturday, February 1st
In their last major (open) tournament of the season the Hawkeyes will compete 90 minutes west of Iowa City at the Grand View Open.
Des Moines annually plays host to a deep, talented field comprised (mostly) of NAIA competitors. Last year seven of the top 11 team finishers at the NAIA National Championships were in attendance.
The event also attracts non-collegiate entries from both the Senior and high school levels – one of whom was current Iowa true freshman Karlee Brooks 8.5 months ago.
Brooks bonus’d her way to a title at 123 pounds defeating NAIA, NCAA and Senior-level opponents in the process.
@ NCWWC Region VII Championships – Saturday, February 22nd
For the second-consecutive year Iowa’s path to qualifying for the national tournament goes through Indianola (IA).
11 other programs will join the Hawkeyes in the ‘Region VII’ qualifier – hosted by Simpson College. The top four finishers at each weight class will earn a berth at NCWWC Nationals to be held two weeks later.
This is the first season in which the number of qualifying regions has expanded from six to eight. That means a record 320 athletes will qualify for the 2025 national tournament – up from 240 in 2024.
Iowa qualified 15 of a possible 15 wrestlers for nationals at its regional a year ago.
March
NCWWC National Championships – Friday/Saturday, March 7th-8th
An all-time great team-race came down to an all-time great finish at last year’s NCWWC National Championships.
The Hawkeyes look to repeat in 2025 and will get the opportunity to do so in some familiar confines as Xtream Arena in Coralville (IA) serves as host site for the national championships.
It isn’t hyperbole to say that last season’s tournament was the highest-quality field in the history of the event. And as the sport of women’s wrestling continues its skyrocketing trajectory at all ages/levels in the United States it’s my full expectation that NCWWC’s this season will surpass the previous mark once again.
Hawkeye fan or not – if you can make it down to Coralville next March, I’d highly recommend it.
Last season was my own first-ever experience at the event and I’m ecstatic to be going back again here in just a few months.
Short Time
Hopefully I’ve done a decent job outlining the season ahead.
I realize there are still plenty of folks to whom various aspects of Iowa women’s wrestling remain somewhat unfamiliar – be it different tournaments, other programs of note, rules, regulations or even some of the Hawkeye wrestlers themselves.
My hope is to provide as much useful background information as I can so that when it comes to the actual competition(s) you guys can just sit back and enjoy the great wrestling.
Somehow, we’re now just 10 days away from the start of the 2024-25 season.
It’s going to be awesome for me to cover and hopefully equally so for all of you to follow along in whatever capacity you can.
Thanks as always for reading this (latest) story and I’ll catch you again real soon.
‘Till next time.
