What Ben Kueter's decision means for him and the Hawkeyes

This past Monday evening has the potential to be one of the more momentous occasions for Iowa Hawkeye athletics in recent memory.

Now look, I realize in the era of Caitlin Clark, Cooper DeJean, Spencer Lee, Luka Garza, etc. that statement seems like a pretty bold one to make.

But based upon several factors that’ll I’ll detail in this piece; it isn’t quite as far-fetched as it may seem on the surface.

I’m talking of course about the announcement from Ben Kueter that he’d be dedicating the next 10 months solely to the sport of wrestling.

Surrounded by the best! My family And I are excited for the future. GOD IS GOOD✝️ @Hawks_Wrestling @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/fWl8B6lzPV

— Ben kueter (@Benkueter1) June 3, 2024

By now, most of you probably know the Cliffs Notes version of the Iowa City native’s remarkable story.

A crude summary of his four-sport high school career would have to include running a leg on a sprint relay team that finished runner up at the storied Drake Relays, as well as starting in the outfield for a baseball team that reached the state tournament semifinals.

Move over to the gridiron – the other half of Kueter’s dual-sport collegiate ambitions – and he’d become a four star, Under Armour All-American linebacker, again leading a Little Hawks program to the state semifinals all the while amassing 199 tackles (64 for loss) and 18.5 sacks as a high school upperclassman.

But those lofty accomplishments still couldn’t compare to what he did on the mat.

One of just six undefeated, four-time state champions in the storied history of Iowa boys high school wrestling (the legendary Dan Gable went 3/3 unscathed from 1964-66), the City High graduate finished his career 111-0, registering bonus points in a whopping 105 of those matches (including 74 pins).

And somehow even that doesn’t quite do it justice.

Of those other prestigious, undefeated Iowa four-timers, not a single one of them won a state title at a weight class heavier than 138 pounds – and all but one (Des Moines Roosevelt’s John Meeks) won their first of four titles at either 98 or 103 pounds.

Kueter won his freshman year at 160 pounds, his next at 195 and each of his last two at 220.

The lightest weights in high school are typically filled by the youngest athletes, making them comparatively easier (not easy) to win at the state tournament – obviously a prerequisite for any four-time champion, much less an undefeated one.

Kueter was already in rarified air with his quartet of titles and spotless record, but he truly stands alone given the weight class(es) at which his journey both started and finished.

That said, around the country lots of high school wrestlers have won four state titles – plenty of them without taking a loss too.

Upon moving up to the Division I level those (impressive) credentials alone are far from enough for someone like me to feel confident that future greatness is likely in store.

There is, however, one last part of Kueter’s prep story that makes for about as compelling a case as you’ll find:

Americans who have reached the U20 men's freestyle World finals prior to their senior year of high school since 2000:
2022 — Ben Kueter
2018 — Aaron Brooks
2017 — Gable Steveson
2016 — Spencer Lee
2015 — Spencer Lee
2014 — Aaron Pico
2013 — Kyle Snyder

— Andy Hamilton (@Andy_Hamilton) August 15, 2022

As Iowa wrestling savant Andy Hamilton notes, Kueter’s appearance (much less subsequent victory) in the Under-20 Men’s Freestyle World Championship finals back in 2022 was its own rarity in the modern era of the sport in this country.

But it also hints at, if not strongly suggests, a future of near-endless possibilities should he turn his full attention toward wrestling just as he has pledged to do from at least now all the way through the 2024-25 season.

Remember that part in the open about this decision having “the potential to be one of the more momentous occasions for Iowa Hawkeye athletics in recent memory”?

Let’s dig a little deeper into why that is.

This ‘road’ has been traveled before, and to incredible success each time

Of the five names on that list Kueter joined by making (and winning) the 97-kilogram U20 World Championship final two years ago, four of them have gone on to become Olympians for Team USA.

The only one that didn’t was phenom Aaron Pico, who elected to forego future collegiate and international wrestling pursuits entirely by jumping straight into a mixed martial arts career following his runner up finish at the 2016 Olympic Trials as a 19-year-old.

Had Pico taken the more traditional path with the sport, you wouldn’t find someone who didn’t believe that numerous NCAA individual titles and possible World/Olympic medals were in store for his future.

As for the rest of them, how’s this for a track record?

Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)

• 3x NCAA champion
• 3x Olympian at 97kg (gold in 2016, silver in 2021, TBD in 2024)
• 7x Senior World medalist (three gold, two silver, two bronze)

Gable Steveson (Minnesota)

• 2x NCAA champion (forwent final year of eligibility)
• 2x Hodge Trophy winner (the wrestling equivalent of the Heisman)
• 2021 Olympic gold medalist (125kg)
• 2023 Senior World Championships qualifier (pulled out prior to competition)

Spencer Lee (Iowa)

• 3x NCAA champion
• 2x Hodge Trophy winner
• 2024 Olympian (57kg)

Aaron Brooks (Penn State)

• 4x NCAA champion
• 1x Hodge Trophy winner
• 2023 U23 World gold medalist
• 2024 Olympian (86kg)

It’s entirely plausible that by early August both Spencer Lee and Aaron Brooks will have earned Olympic gold medals of their own, making this select ‘club’ somehow even more impressive than it already is.

That’s the sort of company Kueter’s early accomplishments on the mat have him amongst.

Now of course, historical trends aside, it’d still be wildly irresponsible to place those sorts of expectations on any athlete this age. The Hawkeye heavyweight could still have an immensely ‘successful’ and/or fulfilling career without approaching the incredibly lofty heights reached by the names previously mentioned.

I think it’s extremely important for folks to keep that in mind prior to/amidst whatever it is that happens next.

But…those other legendary names also happen to share one distinct difference from Kueter:

None of them spent substantial time dedicated to multiple sports during their high school years, much less upon reaching the collegiate level. They were full-time wrestlers, through and through.

What might happen if Kueter is afforded that same type of singular focus – be it for the next 10 months as he just committed to, or perhaps for the remainder of his athletic career?

Hawkeye impact

Before we get too far out over our skis contemplating the grander implications of this decision (whoops, too late) let’s zero in on the immediate impact for Kueter individually and the Iowa men’s wrestling team next season.

Based upon previous results (limited though they may be) one would project Kueter to enter the upcoming season ranked somewhere around tenth nationally at 285 pounds. For reference, Iowa’s 2024 postseason starter, redshirt freshman Bradley Hill, sits at #14 in FloWrestling’s projected rankings for 2024-25.

Six of eight All-Americans will return in the heavyweight division led by 2024 national champion Greg Kerkvliet from Penn State – who handed Kueter the lone loss of his college career to date, a 9-1 match back at a dual meeting in early February.

Other notable names include:

• Air Force-to-Oklahoma State transfer Wyatt Hendrickson, a back-to-back third-place finisher at NCAAs and a bonus point machine
• 2022 NCAA finalist Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State)
• Up-and-coming Ohio State sophomore Nick Feldman (fifth at NCAAs last year)

Assuming good health I think a fair baseline expectation for Kueter next season is an All-American (top eight) finish.

This is still Division I wrestling after all, and there’s a better-than-not chance the Hawkeye enters the year still a bit undersized relative to the other top contenders at his weight – 6/7 of whom atop Flo’s rankings also happen to be either fifth (one) or sixth-year seniors (five).

Kueter has intimated in the past that he believes 240-245 pounds is an ideal weight for both his wrestling and football endeavors – and did so again in his post-tournament interview following his victory at U20 World team trials this past Saturday.

Still in the 230-pound range at present, there’s some work left to do to reach that ultimate goal, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he can’t still excel in 2024-25 regardless of how close he comes to tipping the scales at his preferred size.

The aforementioned Kerkvliet weighed in right around 245 at their dual meeting, and modern heavyweight wrestling as a whole has continued to trend toward the top athletes competing at far below the 285-pound limit – utilizing athleticism, explosiveness and fluidity to dominate in ways previously unseen.

Now set for an extended period of training during which to build true wrestling conditioning as well as hone his technique inside the Iowa room I’d expect Kueter to present serious challenges for every opponent he faces next season.

Just as I’m somewhat leery of heaping outsized expectations (both immediate and beyond) upon a not yet 20-year-old kid, I’m equally reticent to put any sort of ‘ceiling’ on what he can accomplish.

But I suppose that’s the Ben Kueter predicament. Fair or not, he just sort of makes you believe that anything is possible.                                                       

Meanwhile, from a team perspective this news solidifies what should be an absolutely loaded back-half of the Iowa lineup.

Returning third-place finisher Michael Caliendo figures to man 165, while a battle between recent U23 World team trials victor Patrick Kennedy and stud redshirt freshman Gabe Arnold could be in store at 174. Add the return of 2023 All-American Nelson Brands (fifth at 174) plus one final season of the vastly improved Zach Glazier and 184/197 appear to be set as well.

Kueter’s presence makes for yet another Hawkeye upper weight who could conceivably go on a deep tournament run next March.

Combine all of that with the likes of returning 125-pound national runner up Drake Ayala, incoming transfer Kyle Parco (a four-time All-American at 149), a trio of past national qualifiers at 149/157 pounds and a couple of intriguing redshirt freshman at 133/141 and Iowa has the makings of an extremely competitive lineup.

Penn State remains the prohibitive favorite – an irksome reality for Hawkeye fans – but there probably isn’t another team outside of potentially a David Taylor led Oklahoma State that possesses the firepower to match Iowa if it performs close to its potential.

Following a season that was completely thrown out of whack by NCAA gambling-related suspensions before it ever began, that might not be the worst thing in the world.

(I realize that national titles are the standard for Iowa Wrestling, but we can still be realistic about what’s right in front of us, can’t we?)

What’s next?

This decision for the 2024-25 season now made, Kueter can turn his more immediate attention to the Under-20 World Championships – which he qualified for by winning the US Trials a few days ago.

Held in Pontevedra, Spain in early September (2-8), it represents not only an opportunity to test himself against the world’s very best but also a chance to see how much growth he can make with an entire summer spent in the most competitive training environment of his life.

From there, it’s another two months until the college season begins and six-plus until the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Again, I’ll say, expectations for Kueter should be framed within the context of an incredibly difficult sport filled with exceptionally talented, motivated competition.

There are no guarantees in wrestling – even for those of whom greatness may appear to be all but inevitable.

Even so, I’d be lying if I said Hawkeye fans weren’t within their right minds to dream the biggest of dreams for this young man.

He hasn’t accomplished any of the great feats put in front of him thus far simply because his name is Ben Kueter.

He’s ‘Ben Kueter’ because he has accomplished all those great feats regardless of the circumstances put in front of him.

And now, we all get to sit back and watch what happens next.

I for one can’t wait.