Kueter, Kennedy, Black earn World Team spots at U20/U23 trials
A long three days of wrestling out in Geneva, Ohio proved to be quite a fruitful one for the future of the Iowa Hawkeyes – as 14 current/incoming athletes competed at the Under-20 World Team Trials and Under-23 Nationals events.
By lunch time Sunday, a total of eight Iowa entries had earned podium (top eight) finishes, including three of whom secured individual titles and a subsequent berth on Team USA for varying World Championships to be held later this year.
That trio – comprised of current Hawkeyes Ben Kueter (U20 Freestyle) and Patrick Kennedy (U23 Freestyle), as well as incoming freshman Otto Black (U20 Greco-Roman) – all swept their best-of-three finals series.
Of course, three individual titles means that a host of others would’ve left the weekend unsatisfied to varying degrees. We’ll dig into a number of those performances as well, keeping an eye on what all of this might hint at for the upcoming collegiate season that now awaits in just five months.
So, with no time to waste let’s get to the weekend recap, starting with the latest in a long line of Hawkeyes to earn the right to represent the United States on the international stage.
Kueter runs the gauntlet, then makes massive announcement for next season
My biggest storyline entering the weekend was all-everything freshman Ben Kueter – for reasons both present and future, both on and off the mat.
Five matches, five wins, a second U20 World team berth and one incredibly interesting post-tournament interview later and he’d undoubtedly remained at the top of mind upon the conclusion of all the action.
Then, just two days after his winning performance he went ahead and rendered much of the impending speculation moot, announcing that he’d be focusing solely on wrestling for the upcoming season with the intention to return to the gridiron for spring practice in 2025.
I’ll have much more on the impact of this decision on both Kueter and the Hawkeyes in the coming days, but for now just know that he immediately projects to be Iowa’s starter at heavyweight next season – not to mention an incredibly intriguing threat on the national stage.
Back to the weekend that was though, Kueter entered with all of four college matches under his belt after joining the wrestling team at the turn of the New Year following six months spent on football.
The two most prominent matches of that miniscule sample size were a 9-1 loss to eventual national champion Greg Kerkvliet at Iowa’s home dual versus Penn State, and later, a 5-1 road win at Oklahoma State against 11th-ranked Konner Doucet.
Nearly three months (plus Iowa spring football practice) later, how would he look against a field of the very best young heavyweights in America?
Turns out he’d do just fine – posting wins over three different previous age-level World teamers on his way to the crown at 125 kilograms.
A first-period tech. fall in his opening match was routine enough, but from there Kueter would have only heavy hitters remaining in his path – starting with a controversial challenge tournament semifinal that easily could have thrown a wrench in his championship run.
Leading 4-0 in the first period against three-time U20 Greco World teamer (2022 bronze medalist) Aden Attao – an Oregon State redshirt freshman who finished third at 130kg at April’s Olympic Trials – Kueter took a shot to the face (and an already previously bloodied nose) from the top of Attao’s head and immediately turned his attention toward the mat official for a stoppage in action.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeye, the official ignored his signaling, and Attao was more or less allowed to hit an uncontested five-point throw, plus an additional two-point exposure before Kueter realized what was happening and started wrestling again.
Suddenly, a controlled 4-0 lead was now a 7-4 deficit as the first period came to a close.
A perturbed Kueter (and Iowa corner) regrouped during the intermission, and the Iowa City High graduate racked up a pair of second-period takedowns to regain the lead (8-7).
Still not quite out of the woods, disaster nearly struck again as Kueter slipped on a wet spot near the edge with just 15 seconds remaining – where he’d smartly ground himself to avoid giving up a step out point that would have put Attao in the lead via criteria.
On to the challenge tournament final, another (quite literally) massive test stood in the way in top-ranked 2025 Michigan heavyweight commit Nicholas Sahakian – an imposing figure (and 2023 U17 World teamer) who might be one of the few elite modern wrestlers to brush up against the 125kg (275.6 pound) weight limit.
Sahakian would open the scoring on a two-point exposure, but by the end of the first period Kueter had regained a 4-2 advantage.
From there, it was all Big Ben, scoring a variety of takedowns to pull away for an 11-2 victory and a spot in the best-of-three finals.
Awaiting his arrival was Virginia Tech freshman Jimmy Mullen, courtesy of his title-winning performance at the US Open in late April over largely the same field Kueter had just gone through. Mullen also shares a rare connection with the Hawkeye in that both are pursuing football/wrestling aspirations at the Power-Five level – the Hokie as a defensive tackle.
Also similar are their past freestyle credentials, as Mullen was a 2021 U17 World silver medalist at 110kg, whereas Kueter struck gold on the U20 stage at 97kg back in 2022.
In their opening finals bout, the two periods would open in almost identical fashion, with Kueter doubling off for a takedown within the first 20 seconds. Sandwiched around a step out point, the score stood at 5-0 with just over two minutes remaining.
Mullen would finally capitalize on the double-underhook hold he’d been working for most of the match, taking Kueter feet-to-back to make it a one-point deficit (5-4).
A reattack with barely :30 left nearly sealed the deal for the Iowan, but a clearly tiring Kueter couldn’t finish and hung on the leg, giving Mullen the opportunity to scramble for a would-be winning score of his own.
Thankfully for the Black & Gold corner, Kueter found one last burst of energy and was able to wrestle through the sequence, locking around a leg as the final seconds ticked away.
Match #2 opened in somewhat similar fashion, as the Hawkeye took a 3-0 lead. This time, however, his opponent would get on the board before the break with a step out that Kueter did well just to limit to a single point.
An additional shot clock point for Mullen represented most of the second-period action until the two big men locked up upper body for a good 25 seconds, ultimately resulting in Kueter countering a throw attempt on the edge to make the score 5-2 (after review).
From there, the final 50-ish seconds were spent with Kueter smartly defending his lead, which would hold up for a second-consecutive decision win (5-3) and a spot on the U20 World team.
Given the quality of the field, the notable size difference that he still often faces at heavyweight, not to mention his overall sharpness/conditioning – Kueter said post-match that he’d had roughly three weeks of training to prepare for the Trials – this was yet another monumentally impressive showing from the Iowa freshman.
He simply does things that other athletes his size just can’t, yet also displays an awareness and composure during key moments/positions that are also rare unto themselves.
Even with his decision now made to focus solely on wrestling for the 2024-25 season, I’d highly encourage everyone to go back and watch the entirety of Kueter’s post-tournament interview (see below), during which he spoke insightfully about both the competition he’d just gone through as well as his thought process on the potential dynamics of his dual-sport aspirations going forward.
Knowing what we do now about his subsequent decision just two days later, the signs were certainly there that something along these lines was being thought about heading into the Trials.
Bottom line, the young man is an absolute freak, and fans are in for a treat anytime he chooses to apply his bountiful talents anywhere.
(But we sort of knew that already.)
PK has a day (and then some) en route to U23 Nationals win
Another Hawkeye champion this weekend, Patrick Kennedy was about as drama-free as it gets in stream rolling his way to a U23 title at 79 kilograms.
The junior-to-be bonus’d his way through the field, notching seven tech. falls in as many matches by a combined score of 75-4.
Most impressive of all was his best-of-three final, where he faced off against the returning U23 World teamer at 74kg, Cornell’s Julian Ramirez.
Ramirez, a three-time Round of 12 finisher at NCAA’s who also owns a win over two-time national champion David Carr from last year’s CKLV invite out in Las Vegas, had absolutely nothing for Kennedy in either match.
A quick takedown plus four-consecutive trap-arm gut wrenches was all she wrote in Bout #1, and PK showed no let up in Bout #2 on his way to another first-period tech. fall.
Outside of Ramirez this 79kg field wasn’t exactly the most credentialed of the weekend, but even still, Kennedy absolutely ran through it. And the fact that he did so up at a weight class essentially equal to 174 pounds leaves one to wonder whether his initial aim for the 2024-25 lineup will be at neither of the weights so many have previously hypothesized (157/165).
Instead, it could be an all-out battle between him and Gabe Arnold (whom we’ll get to in a bit) at 174.
Regardless of what happens, it’s a pretty good ‘problem’ for Tom Brands & Co. to have to solve if you ask me.
Black bombs his way onto U20 Greco squad
Iowa’s first World teamer of the weekend won’t actually be an ‘official’ Hawkeye for another few months.
That’s because 2024 recruit Otto Black has yet to begin his first year on campus in Iowa City.
However, when he does it’ll be as a U20 Greco-Roman World teamer for the United States.
Black, who just missed medaling at U17 Worlds back in 2021, sat in Friday’s best-of-three final at 63 kilograms (~138.9 pounds) after winning the most recent US Open.
His eventual opponent, Amryn Nutter, would give him little trouble from there.
The Coloradoan-turned-Hawkeye rolled to consecutive bonus points victories, including a fall in 1:25 to clinch the series sweep.
As most know, Greco is hardly the greatest predictor of collegiate (folkstyle) success. That said, it sure is fun to watch him bomb dudes on their noggin in this setting.
Arnold falls achingly short for second straight year
Just about 365 days ago Gabe Arnold walked off the mat at U20 World team trials having come about as close as one could get to earning a spot on that very team.
In a cruel twist of fate, the Iowa freshman found himself doing the very same thing this weekend – losing in the best-of-three finals at 79 kilograms for the second-consecutive year.
A pair of comfortable victories in the challenge tournament quarters/semis – including a 5-2 decision over Iowa State’s MJ Gaitan (an NCAA Round of 12 finisher in March) – set Gabe up to face highly touted 2025 Penn State commit William Henckel for a spot in the best-of-three finals.
In what was a cagey affair throughout, Arnold led 3-2 with :30 to go when Henckel finally got the Hawkeye’s (right) leg. As Henckel looked to finish the takedown it would be Arnold who turned the tables instead, displaying some incredible balance to counter for a takedown of his own to cement the win.
That victory paved the way for another soon-to-be Iowa/PSU matchup, this time against 2024 commit Zach Ryder – a two-time U17 World bronze medalist currently ranked fifth overall in his class by Flo.
In Match 1, the two competitors traded four-point moves early in each period, the latter of which left Arnold ahead on criteria.
Almost immediately thereafter, Ryder would regain the lead on a step out point, 5-4, and other than a near step out score of Arnold’s own the Hawkeye would be unable to generate enough offense to go back in front.
Match 2 saw Arnold pull ahead yet again on criteria in the second period, this time after a much more aggressive approach led to his getting to Ryder’s legs on multiple occasions.
But much like the previous bout it was the PSU commit who would quickly respond – scoring a takedown with 52 seconds left after an Arnold throw-by attempt allowed him to get in on a shot of his own.
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A 4-2 final score is how things would end, but I think it’s probably an earlier sequence that’ll have the Iowa crowd (including Gabe) most ruing this missed opportunity.
With Ryder already on the 30-second shot clock in the opening period, Arnold snatched an ankle on a beautiful shot and had the leg elevated across his thigh while looking for the finish.
But rather than attempting to elevate the leg or push for a simple step out, Arnold locked around the body near the edge of the mat looking for a big move and accidentally got carried out-of-bounds by his own momentum in the process.
So, instead of a step out point plus the ensuing shot clock point that would’ve given him a 2-0 lead, the Hawkeye found himself trailing 1-0.
Yes, he’d eventually regain the lead anyway in the second period, but that sequence dramatically altered the strategy for the rest of the match thanks to the initial unforced error.
Don’t get confused, Arnold is still a massive piece of the future of Iowa wrestling. But in a sport full of heartbreak, I’m sure this one is going to sit with him for quite a bit as he turns his attention toward the season ahead.
Tough loss limits Ayala’s otherwise impressive U23 showing to third place
Another hot topic of conversation entering the weekend was how 125-pound NCAA runner up Drake Ayala would fare competing at 61 kilograms (~134.5 pounds), and what (if anything) it meant for his weight class of choice for next season.
In this writer’s opinion, he sure didn’t look all that different from the Drake we’ve come to know.
Other than his lone defeat of the weekend, a sluggish 10-8 decision in the Round of 16 to Bucknell’s Kurtis Phipps in which he got off to a slow start and couldn’t overcome an eight-point deficit, Ayala was outstanding.
Across his other half-dozen contested matches, the Fort Dodge native teched all six opponents by a combined margin of 67-5 – including runaway wins over 133-pound national qualifier Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) and two-time top-four NCAA placer at 125 pounds, Anthony Noto (Lock Haven).
For context, Phipps – a 133-pound Round of 12 finisher at NCAA’s this past season – would ultimately go on to reach the finals himself where he’d lose a pair of decisions to three-time U20 World teamer (bronze in 2023) Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State.
Look, at this point I wouldn’t jump to any sort of conclusion as to Ayala’s weight class next season.
Not only is the sample size competing at ~133 pounds too small to accurately gauge what a bump up might look like, it’s also possible that he just didn’t feel like cutting a bunch of weight at this point in the offseason.
Is it something to monitor going forward? Absolutely.
For now, though? It was still a pretty darn good showing from Drake other than the match against Phipps.
Other results from Hawkeye starters
Three other members of Iowa’s 2024 postseason lineup – all first-year starters – saw action between U20/U23 divisions – Caleb Rathjen (U23 – 70kg), Zach Glazier (U23 – 92kg) and Bradley Hill (U20 – 125kg).
Rathjen and Glazier would both finish fifth, dropping from the championship side of the bracket in the semifinals and quarterfinals respectively.
Hill would go 1-2, losing via decision to a pair of opponents bested by his teammate Kueter.
Among the three, the single biggest win of the weekend probably goes to Glazier, who defeated Oregon State two-time All-American Trey Munoz (6th in 2023 and 3rd in 2024 at 184 pounds) in a 3-2 decision that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicates.
Meanwhile, Rathjen gritted out narrow victories over a pair of two-time Round of 12 placers at 149 pounds – a status he’ll be hoping to eclipse if he finds a spot in the lineup next season.
Other news and notes
In addition to those already mentioned, six more Hawkeyes competed in the U23 division this past weekend – Joey Cruz (57kg), Jesse Ybarra (61kg), Jace Rhodes (65kg), Isaiah Fenton (74kg), Drake Rhodes (74kg) and Sebastian Robles (79kg).
You’ll be able to find all their individual results listed at the end of this article, but the most notable among them was a seventh-place finish from Joey Cruz at 57kg, as well as a run to the quarterfinals by Jesse Ybarra at 61kg.
Meanwhile, top 2025 commit Leo DeLuca did not ultimately compete at U20 Trials, apparently due to an undisclosed injury.
DeLuca, ranked sixth overall in the Class of 2025 by Flo, projects as the latest 125-pound hammer for the Hawkeyes come 2025-26.
Short time
Again, I will be back with some sort of write up in the coming days as to my thoughts on the broader effects of the Ben Kueter decision, of which there are many.
Until then, I hope this recap was informative for any of you who may have missed out on the freestyle action this past weekend as well as enriching for those who were able to tune in and enjoy it.
As a reminder, with their results this weekend Kueter, Kennedy and Black will be members of Team USA later this summer/fall.
Kueter (U20 Men’s Freestyle) and Black (U20 Greco-Roman) will join four Hawkeye women’s U20 qualifiers – Brianna Gonzalez (53kg), Cadence Diduch (62kg), Reese Larramendy (65kg) and Naomi Simon (76kg) – in Pontevedra, Spain in early September (2-8).
Meanwhile, Kennedy (U23 Men’s Freestyle) will travel to Tirana, Albania in late October (21-27) to pursue a gold medal of his own.
That’ll do it for me. As always, thank you for reading and I’ll talk to you guys again real soon.
‘Till next time.
U20 World Team Trials results
Gabe Arnold (79 KG) – Second Place
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VPO1 MJ Gaitan (Cyclone RTC), 5-2
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VSU Nicholas Fox (Panther Wrestling Club), 10-0
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VPO1 William Henckel (Blairstown Wrestling Club), 5-2
Zack Ryder (M2 Training) VPO1 Gabe Arnold (HWC), 5-4
Zack Ryder (M2 Training) VPO1 Gabe Arnold (HWC), 4-2
Bradley Hill (125 KG)
Nicholas Sahakian (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) VPO1 Bradley Hill (HWC), 7-3
Bradley Hill (HWC) VSU Nicholas Pavlechko (M2 Training Center), 10-0
Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC) VPO Bradley Hill (HWC), 7-0
Ben Kueter (125 KG) – First Place
Ben Kueter (HWC) VSU Connor Barket (Indiana), 10-0
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC), 8-7
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Nicholas Sahakian (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 11-2
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Jimmy Mullen (SERTC- Virginia Tech), 5-4
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Jimmy Mullen (SERTC- Virginia Tech), 5-3
U23 Nationals results
Joey Cruz (57 kg) – Seventh Place
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU Braden Hahlen (Lake Erie RTC), 10-0
Joey Cruz (HWC) VPO1 Evan Tallmadge (New Jersey), 10-7
Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club) VPO1 Joey Cruz (HWC), 3-1
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU1 Ethan Perryman (Cyclone RTC), 15-4
Joey Cruz (HWC) VIN Jeremiah Reno (Arkansas RTC)
Joey Cruz (HWC) VIN Maximo Renteria (Beaver Dam RTC)
Trever Anderson (Panther Wrestling Club) VFA Joey Cruz (HWC), 1:20
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU Shane Corrigan (Ranger Wrestling Club), 10-0
Drake Ayala (61 kg) – Third Place
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Charlie Bunting (George Mason University), 11-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU1 Jacob Macatangay (Boilermaker RTC), 14-3
Kurtis Phipps (Buffalo Valley RTC) VPO1 Drake Ayala (HWC), 10-8
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Isaiah Schaefer (Maurer Coughlin/Mater Dei), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Gary Steen (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Anthony Noto (Mat-Town USA), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VIN Aaron Nagao (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU1 Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club), 12-2
Jesse Ybarra (61 kg)
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VSU Zein Bazzi (BTS), 11-0
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VSU1 Marckis Branford (Viking Wrestling Club), 12-2
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VPO1 Julian Farber (Panther Wrestling Club), 7-6
Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club) VPO1 Jesse Ybarra (HWC), 7-6
Anthony Noto (Mat-Town USA) VPO Jesse Ybarra (HWC), 4-0
Jace Rhodes (65 kg)
Jace Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Aldo Hernandez (Boone RTC), 12-2
Jace Rhodes (HWC) VPO1 Ismael Ayoub (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 5-3
Haiden Drury (Brunson UVRTC) VPO Jace Rhodes (HWC), 7-0
CJ Composto (Pennsylvania RTC) VSU Jace Rhodes (HWC), 10-0
Caleb Rathjen (70 kg) – Fifth Place
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Jordan Craft (Ranger Wrestling Club), 10-0
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Sam Ewing (Bulls Wrestling Club), 11-0
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Ethan Fernandez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 7-4
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Jackson Arrington (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 8-6
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Jaivon Jones (Arkansas Regional Training Center), 10-0
Paniro Johnson (Cyclone Regional Training Center) VPO1 Caleb Rathjen (HWC), 8-3
Edward Scott (Wolfpack Wrestling Club) VPO1 Caleb Rathjen (HWC), 7-1
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Chance Lamer (Central Coast RTC), 5-4
Drake Rhodes (74 kg)
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Luke Ahrberg (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 15-4
Grant Mackay (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) VPO1 Drake Rhodes (HWC), 11-3
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU Jayden Dobeck (Boone RTC), 10-0
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Blake Saito (Brown Regional Training Center), 17-6
Bryce Lowery (Indiana RTC) VSU1 Drake Rhodes (HWC), 12-1
Isaiah Fenton (74 kg)
Chandler Amaker (Chippewa Wrestling Club) VPO1 Isaiah Fenton (HWC), 9-8
Isaiah Fenton (HWC) VSU1 John Altieri (Clarion RTC), 13-3
Dylan Brown (Broncho Wrestling Club) VSU Isaiah Fenton (HWC), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (79 kg) – First Place
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU1 Aaron Cramer (Southern Illinois RTC), 13-2
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Nolan O’Boyle (Tar Heel Wrestling Club), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Logan Messer (George Mason University), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU1 Lucas Uliano (Boone RTC), 12-2
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Clayton Whiting (Minnesota Storm), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Julian Ramirez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Julian Ramirez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 10-0
Sebastian Robles (79 kg)
Austin Keal (Arkansas RTC) VPO1 Sebastian Robles (HWC), 7-5
Sergio Desiante (RTC South) VPO1 Sebastian Robles (HWC), 12-3
Zack Glazier (92 kg) – Fifth Place
Zach Glazier (HWC) VSU Greyson Gardner (Burg Training Center), 10-0
Zach Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Martin Cosgrove (Pennsylvania RTC), 6-2
Wyatt Voelker (Panther Wrestling Club) VPO1 Zach Glazier (HWC), 2-1
Zach Glazier (HWC) VSU Chase Horne (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 10-0
Zack Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Trent Munoz (Beaver Dam RTC), 3-2
Seth Shumate (Ohio Regional Training Center) VSU Zack Glazier (HWC), 11-0
Zack Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Levi Hopkins (Buies Creek Wrestling Club), 10-1
