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Iowa women's wrestling shines in pair of Senior Night duals

by:Tanner Lafever•01/19/25•

TannerLafever

Iowa senior night photo
The top-ranked Hawkeyes dominated on Senior Night in Iowa City - including a runaway victory over #4 Grand Valley State. (Photo Credit: Iowa women's wrestling Twitter)

It’s been a long, fulfilling week for members of the Iowa women’s wrestling program.

On Wednesday, at the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville (Tenn.), Division I schools voted in favor making women’s wrestling the 91st official NCAA championship sport.

Two days later, that vote was supported and ratified by the DII and DIII ranks as well.

In between, Iowa hosted a Thursday night premiere for the upcoming ‘LadyHawks’ FloWrestling docuseries – which will chronicle the program’s inaugural 2023-24 season.

And finally, Saturday arrived with business to take care of on the mat, plus Senior Night festivities to boot.

When it was all over – including back-to-back dominant wins in its home finale – Iowa’s head coach had one goal next:

“I’m going to try and sleep in tomorrow – soak it all in,” said Clarissa Chun.

“The season is almost over and it’s crazy to think that. A lot of times we’re always looking to the next, and we have to stop and remind ourselves to enjoy these moments – because they fly right by.”

Hopefully both her team and fans of Iowa women’s wrestling heed that advice following Saturday’s night’s performance.

The #1 Hawkeyes extended their unbeaten dual record this season to 15-0, earning bonus points in all 10 bouts of a 44-1 shellacking of Augustana (IL) before winning 8/10 in a 35-7 blowout of #4 Grand Valley State (MI).

That latter result is where most of the focus should lie. GVSU has a darn good lineup with multiple highly ranked wrestlers – both talented freshmen and credentialed transfers.

As has been the case since the Iowa program’s inception a few years ago, the Hawkeyes were just better.

I’ll recap the night that was – then ideally follow Chun’s lead.

“I’m going to try and sleep in on Sunday,” she said.

You’ve earned it, coach.

Almost perfect

As I foretold in my weekend preview, Iowa’s dual with Augustana was more or less a matter of an unstoppable force meeting an eminently ‘movable’ object.

The Hawkeyes rolled (as expected), only missing a shutout thanks to a pair of match points scored by Augustana at 145 pounds.

As if perturbed at the missed opportunity, Iowa would respond in spectacular fashion.

First, the nation’s newly-minted #1 wrestler at 160 pounds – Kennedy Blades – brought Carver-Hawkeye Arena to its feet:

Blades’ high-flying tech. fall preceded back-to-back pins at 180 and 207 – both impressive for their own reasons.

#6 Naomi Simon stuck unranked Sawyer Graham in just 0:53. That may not sound noteworthy, but just 45 minutes earlier Graham had thrown and pinned #2 Sabrina Nauss (GVSU).

Simon had no such issue, pushing her excellent freshman record to 24-2, winning via bonus in every single match.

At 207, sixth-ranked Alivia White may have done her teammate one better. The sophomore hit a feet-to-back fireman’s carry (at heavyweight) before settling in for the 0:41 fall.

It was that kind of dual for the Hawkeyes – who sought to energize a lively home crowd at every turn.

Grit and grind

#4 Grand Valley State always presented Saturday’s sternest test – particularly at a few weights.

Unfortunately, one never materialized – as U23 World champ, #1 Sage Mortimer, didn’t take the mat for GVSU.

Instead, Iowa’s #5 Emilie Gonzalez won via forfeit at 110 pounds.

Thankfully, three other premier showdowns did take place.

At 103, #3 Sterling Dias led #4 Rayana Sahagun 2-0 entering intermission. But an activity point and four-point throw on the edge quickly flipped things in favor of the visitor.

Dias converted a double leg to close the gap (5-4), then seemingly had another dead-to-rights in the waning moments. However, mat officials never awarded the takedown, and a lengthy review from an Iowa challenge went for naught as well.

Iowa suffered another narrow defeat at 138, as #3 Nanea Estrella lost 4-3 to #2 Katie Lange.

Lange – a 2023 national champion – dictated much of the action. Estrella couldn’t find her patented blast double, and when she finally found a score (converting an arm-spin to a go-behind) it was too little too late.

Lange prevailed 4-3 this go around, but it wouldn’t shock me whatsoever if Nationals brings an enticing rematch.

Sandwiched between the tough defeats, Iowa got a huge win from Cali Leng at 124.

The seventh-ranked sophomore reversed a November result (a 1:45 fall) to get the 2-2 criteria win over #4 Aspen Blasko.

Leng hit a beautiful ‘Dresser dump’ late in the first period to take the lead, then staved off repeated upper body attempts from Blasko to earn the biggest win of her Iowa career.

“I’ve been working my snap downs a lot and I felt like her leg was kind of there,” said Leng of the match-winning sequence.

“I knew I could pull the trigger, and I felt powerful – so I guess I just did it.”

Time to shine

Besides the three aforementioned slugfests against the Lakers, it was all Iowa all the time.

#1 Brianna Gonzalez cruised past talented freshman Kiely Tabaldo, 11-0.

She’d be followed by Leng’s win at 124, and then a Senior Night sendoff to remember for Emmily Patneaud.

The rock-solid 131-pounder dominated the first period before sticking Hanna Palise for the fall with 42 seconds remaining.

In two seasons as a Hawkeye, Patneaud has wrestled two matches at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

She won them both via fall.

#Efficiency

As all big duals have this season, this one was over the moment it reached 145 pounds.

Two-time World medalist Macey Kilty sported her newly earned #1 NCAA ranking for the first time, though it’d be hard to say it mattered given a 10-0 tech. fall over #9 Elleni Johnson looked a lot like what Kilty had been doing before ‘rising’ to number one.

Next up, the latest, greatest episode of the ‘Kennedy Blades show.’

I mean, what else is there to really say at this point?

Kennedy Blades is awesome, and Iowa women’s wrestling fans are the biggest beneficiaries of her greatness.

Two more shutouts would close the dual as #1 Kylie Welker (10-0) and #6 Alivia White (5-0) took care of business at 180 and 207 respectively.

Senior summary

I’ve mentioned several times that it was Senior Night in Iowa City.

Nanea Estrella, Jaycee Foeller, Macey Kilty and Emmily Patneaud led Iowa out of the tunnel. And while only two capped their career(s) with a home win – Foeller sat out with a minor injury – the group has unquestionably left its mark on Hawkeye history.

Patneaud – a 2022 All-American (5th) for McKendree – spent time at two schools before Iowa. Since becoming a Hawkeye, she’s 30-13 with 19 bonus point victories, all the while overcoming a previous knee injury.

Foeller – currently ranked #1 at 207 pounds – followed a similar path to Iowa City. A back-to-back national finalist for McKendree (NCWWC) and Central Methodist (NAIA), she’d do the same in Year 1 as a Hawk.

She may not have topped the podium (yet), but the Missouri native has been everything Iowa could’ve asked for.

Over a year-and-change she’s 51-9 wrestling for Coach Chun & Co.

27 of those wins have come via either tech. fall or pin.

Nanea Estrella was another transfer addition to the Hawkeyes, arriving from Menlo (Calif.) circa 2022.

After her initial redshirt season (taken by all Iowa wrestlers in 2022-23), the Hawaiian had her 2023-24 season ripped away by a Lisfranc injury suffered last December.

That means her one and only chance to represent the Hawkeyes in the postseason will be this year. Tonight’s loss aside, here’s betting she makes the most of it.

And finally, what can you say about Macey Kilty?

The Wisconsinite has lived up to the billing in every way since deciding to give college wrestling (and Iowa) a try last July.

Iowa fans have gotten to watch a two-time World medalist wrestle for the Hawkeyes on 19 separate occasions this season.

Kilty has delivered every single time.

Short time

It’s been a long, fulfilling week for members of the Iowa women’s wrestling program.

Though of far less interest to readers of this recap – it felt very much the same for me.

Back-to-back nights of duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena have been an absolute joy to cover in person. And though it’ll be the last such instance this season for the Hawkeye women, I’m already looking forward to returning next year.

So, as I turn the light out on tonight’s recap, I think I’ll take another hint from Coach Chun’s post-dual comments.

(In addition to the sleeping in on Sunday part.)

“A lot of times we’re always looking to the next, and we have to stop and remind ourselves to enjoy these moments – because they fly right by,” said Chun.

I’m going to do my best to enjoy the reward that is covering this team – and Hawkeye wrestling at large.

Because this season really has flown by now that I’m starting to think about it…and I’d like to soak in as many moments (in the moment) as I can.

Full results

#1 Iowa – 44, Augustana (IL) – 1

  • 103 – #3 Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
  • 110 – #2 Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Jo Orozco (Augustana (IL)) TF 10-0
  • 117 – #1 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Liz Ramirez (Augustana (IL)) TF 10-0
  • 124 – #7 Cali Leng (Iowa) over Sandie Pfeil (Augustana (IL)) Fall 5:34
  • 131 – #10 Emily Frost (Iowa) over Moni Griffin (Augustana (IL)) TF 10-0
  • 138 – #6 Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Bri Bynum (Augustana (IL)) TF 10-0
  • 145 – #2 Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Aine Moffit (Augustana (IL)) TF 13-2
  • 160 – #1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Maryam Ndiaye (Augustana (IL)) TF 13-0
  • 180 – #6 Naomi Simon (Iowa) over Sawyer Graham (Augustana (IL)) Fall 0:53
  • 207 – #6 Alivia White (Iowa) over Angie Guy (Augustana (IL)) Fall 0:41

#1 Iowa – 35, #4 Grand Valley State (MI) – 7

  • 103 – #4 Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) over #3 Sterling Dias (Iowa) Dec 6-4
  • 110 – #5 Emilie Gonzalez (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
  • 117 – #1 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) TF 11-0
  • 124 – #7 Cali Leng (Iowa) over #4 Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 2-2
  • 131 – Emmily Patneaud (Iowa) over Hannah Palise (Grand Valley State) Fall 2:18
  • 138 – #2 Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over #3 Nanea Estrella (Iowa) Dec 4-3
  • 145 – #1 Macey Kilty (Iowa) over elleni Johnson (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
  • 160 – #1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Clarissa Agostini (Grand Valley State) Fall 0:38
  • 180 – #1 Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Emily Medford (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
  • 207 – #6 Alivia White (Iowa) over Aaliyah Grandberry (Grand Valley State) Dec 5-0

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