This year’s NWCA National Duals has a Hoosiers feel to it — a David vs Goliath storyline within the NCAA women’s competition. 

NCAA women’s freestyle wrestling is an emerging sport, so all three divisions (I, II, and III) compete in the same tournament. And there’s only one Power Five program: The University of Iowa.

The Hawkeyes enter their inaugural season with a powerful team and a powerful line-up. Many of the country’s best wrestlers made their way to Iowa City for an opportunity to wear the coveted black and gold singlet. 

Iowa is recognized worldwide for its wrestling program.

On the opposite side of the bracket is North Central — a tiny D3 program in Naperville, Illinois. The following question was asked by no fewer than 10 people on the UNI-Dome floor during the first day of the competition: “Where is North Central, anyway?

The differences between these two programs are glaring. 

Iowa: Division I, Power Five
North Central: Division III

Iowa: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
North Central: Gregory Arena

Iowa: A full slate of athletic scholarships.
North Central: Zero athletic scholarships.

Iowa: Three full-time coaches for one women’s team.
North Central: Two full-time coaches for the men’s and women’s teams.

Iowa: A combined four Olympic and four World medals on the coaching staff.
North Central: A combined zero appearances at the DIII NCAA Championships on the coaching staff.

Iowa: A media scrum gathered around head coach Clarissa Chun after the quarterfinals.
North Central: Head coach Joe Norton left the competition floor anonymously.

Iowa: Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Spencer Lee
North Central: Kevin Bratland, Robbie Precin, Cody Baldridge

Here’s the irony, though. North Central is seeded first and Iowa is seeded second. Who is David and who is Goliath is up for debate. 

The Cardinals return 21 All-Americans and four national champions on a team that won the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, which is the national tournament for all NCAA women’s programs. 

In the court of public opinion, North Central doesn’t stand a chance. Iowa’s larger-than-life image makes it hard for the casual fan to understand how a Cardinal could take down a Hawkeye. 

These two teams are still on track to meet in the finals after the first day of competition. 

North Central received a first-round bye and then defeated Lindenwood 42-3 in the quarterfinals.

Iowa opened with a 49-1 win over Adrian followed by a 39-4 victory over Presbyterian.

Maybe it's more like Wonder Woman vs Supergirl. 

King and McKendree will have their say on whether North Central and Iowa reach the finals. Both have strong but somewhat shorthanded teams. Each is missing two key starters who will likely be available for the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships. 

The task is tall for both squads in a dual format but make no mistake: King and McKendree have a legitimate shot in March.

A North Central vs Iowa final will be the biggest dual in women’s college wrestling history and it will feature the biggest wrestling match in NCAA women’s history. 

North Central’s Yelena Makoyed and Iowa’s Kylie Welker are expected to face off at 170 pounds in a match that could decide the dual. Both are legitimate contenders to make the U.S. Olympic team at 76 kilograms.

Welker is scheduled to leave next week for the Zagreb Open — an international ranking tournament in Croatia. However, her biggest test of the month might come on a mat in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Makoyed is a three-time NCWWC (NCAA) champion (2021-23) who returned for her final semester of eligibility. Welker, a freshman, reached the 2020 Olympic Trials finals as a teenager. Both qualified for the final 2024 Olympic Trials in April. 

The two met twice last year with each taking a match. Rivalries make matchups, and none is bigger than this. 

North Central vs Iowa is a dual like no other in college wrestling history. This is must-watch television. 

The finals go down at 1:30 PM Central LIVE on FloWrestling.

Quarterfinal Results
North Central over Lindenwood, 42-3
McKendree over Colorado Mesa, 31-12
King over Sacred Heart, 32-12
Iowa over Presbyterian, 39-4

Semifinal Matchups
North Central vs McKendree
King vs Iowa

Quarterfinal Upsets Highlight NAIA Women’s Tournament

Everything went according to plan on the NCAA side, but not so much in the NAIA division. 

Top-seeded Life University took care of business by defeating Missouri Baptist (36-10) and Cumberlands (29-16), and second-seeded Menlo dispatched Baker (40-6) and Campbellsville (32-12) to reach the semifinals. 

Fourth-seeded Southern Oregon, winners of the 2023 National Duals and the 2023 NAIA Championships, fell to fifth-seeded Providence during the final match of the dual. Alexis Tupuola was behind 8-2 but secured a fall with 27 seconds remaining to lift her team to a 22-21 win. 

Sixth-seeded Texas Wesleyan topped third-seeded Grand View, 24-19, by winning six of 10 matches. 

Quarterfinal Results
Life over Cumberlands, 29-16
Providence over Southern Oregon, 22-21
Texas Wesleyan over Grand View, 24-19
Menlo over Campbellsville, 32-12

Semifinal Matchups
Life vs Providence
Texas Wesleyan vs Menlo

Schedule

Saturday, January 6
9 AM — NCAA & NAIA Women (Consolations/Eight Mats)
10:30 AM — NCAA & NAIA Women (Semifinals & Consolation/Eight Mats)
12 PM — NCAA & NAIA Women (9th, 11th, 13th, & 15th Place Matches/Eight Mats)
1:30 PM — NCAA & NAIA Woman (1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th Place Matches/Eight Mats)