Skip to main content
iowa logo

#1 Iowa caps regular season with five champs at Grand View Open

by:Tanner Lafever•about 11 hours•

TannerLafever

Rianne Murphy
Rianne Murphy (103 pounds) was one of five individual champions for #1 Iowa on Saturday. (Photo Credit: IA Wrestle - Instagram)

There were several points of intrigue for Iowa women’s wrestling entering Saturday’s loaded Grand View Open.

After nearly 12 consecutive hours of action (yes, seriously) there may now be even more questions than answers. But through it all, the Hawkeyes did one thing we’ve grown very accustomed to seeing – win (a lot).

22 of Coach Chun’s pupils got after it in Des Moines – 19 in the ‘Gold Division’, three in the ‘Silver’.

Here’s a snapshot of how they fared:

The Hawkeyes won titles at each of 103, 110, 145, 180 and 207 pounds, and did so without six likely postseason starters (five of whom are ranked #1 nationally) taking the mat.

All of this came amongst a competitive field littered with collegiate talent, prep/post-grad entries and several credentialed senior-level athletes – from both the US and abroad.

I’ll highlight some of that competition throughout this recap. But we’ll start with three weight classes with which some really difficult decisions may need to be made between now and Iowa’s regional qualifier on February 22nd.

Great options galore at 110

We’ve known all year long that Iowa had three 110-pounders capable of scoring major points at the national tournament. Heck, two of them – Ava Bayless and Emilie Gonzalez – just won individual national titles 11 months ago.

But a third name entered the mix this season in true freshman Val Solorio. And the Pennsylvania product has refused to make things easy on both the competition as well as her Iowa coaches.

After Saturday, the latter of those parties is now squarely under the microscope, as only two Hawkeyes per weight class can qualify for NCWWCs.

Why? Because for the first time this season Solorio defeated one of her title-winning teammates in official competition.

The freshman kept #5 Gonzalez at bay for the entirety of their semifinal bout in an 8-0 victory.

It’s rare for any opponent to beat Gonzalez, much less to hold her scoreless. But the result was even more surprising given their prior meeting barely a month ago at the Soldier Salute – won 6-2 by Gonzalez.

Solorio’s subsequent 7-0 loss in the finals to #2 Bayless would appear to boil things down to either her or Gonzalez for Iowa’s second-and-final postseason spot at 110.

It certainly won’t be an easy decision for the coaching staff. Then again, it’s also the best kind of ‘difficult decision’ to have to make – one with only great options.

Besides Solorio’s big win, her teammates weren’t too shabby either.

Bayless went unscored upon in five matches – winning four by bonus. Gonzalez finished the day 5-1 with five tech. fall victories – two of them against four-time All-American and returning third-place finisher Samantha Miller (McKendree).

Gonzalez teched four-time All-American Samantha Miller twice on Saturday.

What to do at 131?

Another weight class with several legitimate postseason options – maybe as many as FOUR – is 131 pounds.

The favorite entering the year was U23 World teamer Skye Realin. However, we haven’t seen her since mid-November – when she began her Iowa career 6-0 with six bonus point wins.

That left a trio of contenders in action this weekend.

#10 Emily Frost was Iowa’s postseason rep a year ago (finishing in the Round of 12). Emmily Patneaud has All-American credentials (5th in 2022 for McKendree). Karlee Brooks was a prized incoming recruit (ranked #1 in the country at 120 pounds).

Any of the three could help Iowa in March. Any of them could earn a spot on the podium.

Here’s how it shook out with all three in the same bracket on Saturday:

Emmily Patnead (5th)

  • 4-2 record, won 8-0 vs. Brooks

Karlee Brooks (6th)

  • 4-3 record, won 8-6 vs. Frost, lost 8-0 to Patneaud

Emily Frost (DNP)

  • 3-2 record, lost 8-6 vs. Brooks

Of the losses that didn’t occur against each other, Patneaud/Brooks/Frost also fell to McKendree’s Viktorya Torres (3rd place at 136 in 2024), Wayland Baptist’s Mercy Adekuoroye (a three-time Senior African champion from Nigeria) and Dickinson State’s Jumoke Adekoye (a two-time Senior African champion from Nigeria).

And those latter two weren’t even the top Nigerian wrestlers in the field(!) – a distinction that goes to a pair of 2024 Olympians wrestling for William Penn.

(Like I said, this tournament was chock full of talent.)

So, I’m not sure which direction Iowa goes for the postseason.

Patneaud is rock solid and finished highest this weekend. Brooks has only competed twice all season and looks somewhat undersized at 131. Frost held it down in 2024. And Realin’s status is a total question mark.

Again – a good ‘problem’ for the Hawkeyes.

Heavyweight happenings

Iowa also had three entries on Saturday at 207 pounds. However, my eyes were on two specifically whose own postseason goals could be up for grabs.

We don’t yet know whether Coach Chun will elect to bring another heavyweight besides #1 Jaycee Foeller. But both #6 Alivia White and two-time All-American Katja Osteen can make a compelling case to join her.

The (potential) decision only got trickier this weekend, as Osteen defeated White 9-1 in the championship match. Two previous meetings this season had both gone in favor of White (2-1 and via fall). She’d also earned several impressive wins in recent weeks – incl. a 10-0 victory over the #3 wrestler at the weight.

Now, it seems like a true either/or situation for the Iowa coaching staff – IF they take a second heavyweight.

Neither Osteen (TF/TF/fall) nor White (zero points allowed) had any trouble reaching the final. Once there, the result was never really in doubt after Osteen hit a four-point throw shortly after the opening whistle.

Iowa’s third 207-pounder in the field, Sam Calkins, took fourth place – losing twice to Leilani Sanchez (Wayland Baptist) via fall.

Champions crowned

110 and 207 pounds aside, Iowa also won ‘Gold Division’ titles at three other weights on Saturday.

At 103, it was yet another all-Hawkeye final. #1 Rianne Murphy and #3 Sterling Dias squared off for the second time this season, but the first since opening weekend – a match that ended early due to an injury to Dias.

The sequel was largely controlled by the freshman. Murphy got to Dias’ legs several times in the first period to help her take a 5-0 lead into the break. Things slowed in the second period as Dias searched for an opening, and no more points were scored.

Prior to their matchup, both lightweights impressed.

Dias picked up two bonus-point wins before a semifinal shutout of NAIA #3 Alexis Miller (Oklahoma City), 3-0.

Murphy, meanwhile, earned a trio of first-period pins – bumping her tally to 16 so far this season.

Murphy made quick work of NAIA #6 Judy Sandoval (Grand View) in the semifinals.

Those 16 falls would lead the Hawkeyes this season were it not for another head-hunting true freshman.

At 180 pounds, #6 Naomi Simon registered falls #18 and #19 en route to her second tournament title as a Hawkeye. In so doing, the Decorah native maintained her remarkable 100 percent bonus rate this season (32/32 wins).

Lastly, Iowa’s final ‘Gold Division’ champ of the day came at 145 pounds.

#2 Reese Larramendy went a perfect 5-0 – winning a couple of tighter early bouts before comfortable semifinal/finals victories.

Those latter two were both high-quality wins for the reigning national champ. An 8-2 win versus All-American teammate Ella Schmit is never easy. And in the final Larramendy outclassed NAIA #5 Krista Warren (Grand View) in a bout that was far closer to a tech. fall than the 10-5 score might suggest.

Semifinal slides

Iowa had three more semifinalists on Saturday – including the aforementioned Ella Schmit (145).

Both #3 Nanea Estrella (138) and Rose Cassioppi (160) fell just short of a finals berth as well.

Estrella lost in a rematch with McKendree freshman Haylie Jaffe (a U17 World bronze medalist). Their previous bout in December went 8-0 in favor of the Iowa senior. But this time, Estrella uncharacteristically struggled to open up the freshman in a 7-1 defeat.

Perhaps even more surprising, Estrella lost again in the consolations – 8-4 to NAIA # 6 Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist). In that match, Estrella’s aggression cost her, as Suarez hit two or three slide-by takedowns to defeat the Hawkeye.

The day did end on a slightly better note for the Hawaiian native, however, defeating #9 Nicole Moore (Fort Hays State) for fifth place.

Wrestling her first competitive matches since November, Cassioppi went 4-2 in her return.

Three consecutive tech. falls moved the redshirt freshman into the semis – where she’d fall 5-0 to NAIA #6 Micah Fisher (Cumberlands). Cassioppi then split a pair of consolation matches to take fourth place at 160 pounds.

Ella Schmit also took fourth in her (145 pound) bracket. Still knocking off some rust after her own lengthy absence, the Bettendorf native finished 3-2.

Her only matches that went the full six minutes were both losses – in the semis against Larramendy (8-2) and in the third-place match (a back-and-forth 6-4 decision).

Final notes

Iowa had just 4/19 non-placers in Gold Division action – including 131-pounder Emily Frost (denied by her own teammate, Karlee Brooks).

The other three were Ava Rose (1-2 at 124), Lilly Luft (0-2 at 138) and Cadence Diduch (2-2 at 138).

Rose won her first bout to reach the quarters before being eliminated via a pair of decision losses.

Luft had the misfortune of a hellacious draw at 138 pounds. First, the sophomore – wrestling only her third competitive match of the season – drew NAIA #4 Samantha Barragan (Texas Wesleyan).

The two traded scores before Luft, needing another takedown, was pinned just before the final whistle.

That loss, plus a narrow 8-5 defeat by #6 Cadence Diduch to #9 Nicole Moore pitted the two Hawkeyes against one another in an elimination bout.

Diduch would prevail, 6-2, then advance again with another good win (10-0) over #10 Alexis Gomez (McKendree). The true freshman was ultimately eliminated by Jordan Suarez (the same foe who’d go on to beat Estrella.)

And finally, three other Hawkeyes also competed on Saturday courtesy of the ‘Silver Division.’

Freshman Mia Goodwin (competing unattached), redshirt frosh Danni Swihart and graduate student Alexandra Baudhuin all had strong performances.

The three combined for a 16-3 record in contested matches, with Goodwin winning her bracket at 124 pounds.

Short time

If you couldn’t yet tell, Saturday was a hectic day of wall-to-wall action for Iowa women’s wrestling.

A 9:00 a.m. start wasn’t capped off until an 8:55 p.m. finish (give or take a minute or two).

Through it all the Hawkeyes did plenty of winning, learned plenty of lessons and gave their coaches plenty to think about.

I mentioned that the Regional Qualifier for NCWWCs isn’t for another 20 days (February 22nd).

Between now and then Clarissa Chun and her staff will have to evaluate which 15 wrestlers (no more than two per weight class) they’ll select for Iowa’s postseason lineup.

I certainly don’t envy the difficult task ahead of them – ‘good problems’ though they’re confronted with.

Between now and February 22nd, be sure to follow along at Hawkeye Report and/or my social media. I’ll have continuous coverage of the #1 women’s team in the country as it seeks to repeat as national champions.

We’re officially in the postseason now, folks.

I for one, cannot wait to get things underway.

You may also like