You’ll notice inconsistencies if you scroll through the University of Iowa women’s wrestling roster on its home page. Some wrestlers are using last year’s weights, some are using this year’s weights, and two are competing at weights that don’t exist.

Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades is listed at 165 pounds — a current men’s college weight.

Simon Fraser transfer Katja Osteen is listed at 190 pounds — a men’s college weight disbanded after the 1998 season. 

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. The deck is so stacked that Iowa is drawing aces at every weight. It would take an upset comparable to the 1980 Miracle on Ice to dethrone the Hawkeyes this season. 

Oh, by the way, the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships are on March 7-8 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The Hawkeyes get a home mat advantage in front of the world’s largest fan base. 

Iowa’s biggest stars might be on a pitch count, but they’ll arrive when the stakes are high. 

The 1-2-3 punch of Macey Kilty (145), Blades (160), and Kylie Welker (180) appear unstoppable. All three have reached the best-of-three finals at the Olympic Trials and made Senior World teams.

Kilty is a 2023 World silver medalist who recently made the 2024 World team at 65 kg.

Blades won a 2024 Olympic silver medal at 76 kg.

Welker is a returning NCWWC champion who recently made the U23 and Senior World team at 72 kg. 

That’s in addition to three returning national college champions and three finalists. Under the current system, each team can qualify 15 for the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships. 

Iowa returns nine All-Americans from last year’s team.

And that doesn’t include Kilty and Blades. 

And that doesn’t include U.S. Open champion Nanea Estrella who was injured.

And that doesn’t include the injured two-time Super 32 champion Nyla Valencia.

And that doesn’t include multiple All-American transfers from other teams. 

And that doesn’t include a stellar incoming freshmen class who will vie for starting spots. 

GULP! 

Here’s a guess at Iowa’s starting line-up.

103: Emilie Gonzalez is a returning national champion and Sterling Dias, her teammate, finished second. Rianne Murphy and Val Solorio are incoming freshmen who competed on FloWrestling’s Who’s Number One in high school. 

110: Ava Bayless is a returning national champion. It’s unknown if or when Valencia will return from her injury.

117: Brianna Gonzalez — Emilie’s twin sister — is a returning national finalist. She fell to graduated teammate Felicity Taylor in the 2024 NCWWC finals after defeating her at regionals.

124: Karlee Brooks finished fifth at the 2023 U17 World Championships after spending a year in and out of the Elite Accelerator Program at the Olympic Training Center. Ava Rose was last season’s 123-pound starter, going 3-2 at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships.

131: Skye Realin was an All-American for McKendree (NCAA) and Central Methodist (NAIA). Emily Frost went 3-2 at the college national championships at 130 and didn’t place. 

138: Reese Larramendy — a two-time U20 World teamer — is the returning 143-pound NCWWC champion but dropping down makes room for Kilty. Luft is a returning All-American (fifth at 136) and Nanea Estrella is a U.S. Open champion. Cadence Diduch made the 2024 U20 World team and defeated Luft, 10-0, at Women’s Nationals in Spokane. Emmily Patneaud was a 2022 All-American for McKendree. One of these wrestlers likely drops to 131.

145: Macey Kilty is a 2023 Senior World silver medalist. Larramendy could also land here. Ella Schmit is a returning All-American (7th at 143). 

160: Kennedy Blades is a 2024 Olympic silver medalist. Haley Ward went 0-2 at college nationals at 170. 

180: Kylie Welker is a 2024 NCWWC champion. Katja Osteen was a two-time All-American for Simon Fraser. Naomi Simon was a 2024 U20 World bronze medalist and four-time Iowa high school state champion. 

207: Foeller is a three-time national finalist for three schools (McKendree, Central Methodist, Iowa). Sam Calkins was the #1 200-pound high school recruit in the country. Alivia White went 23-4 last season. 

Iowa's Roster Options 

Placings at college national championships in parenthesis

103 Pounds
Emilie Gonzalez (1st)
Sterling Dias (2nd)
Rianne Murphy
Val Solorio

110 Pounds
Ava Bayless (1st)
Nyla Valencia
Rianne Muprhy

117 Pounds
Brianna Gonzalez (2nd)
Ava Rose

124 Pounds
Karlee Brooks
Ava Rose

131 Pounds
Skye Realin (4th-5th)
Emily Frost

138 Pounds
Reese Larramendy (1st)
Nanea Estrella (2nd)
Lilly Luft (5th)
Emmily Patneaud (5th)
Emily Frost
Cadence Diduch

145 Pounds
Macey Kilty
- 2023 World silver
Reese Larramendy (1st)
Ella Schmit (7th)

160 Pounds
Kennedy Blades
- 2024 Olympic silver
Kylie Welker (1st)
Haley Ward
Rose Cassioppi

180 Pounds
Kylie Welker (1st)
Kennedy Blades - 2024 Olympic silver
Katja Osteen (6th-6th)
Naomi Simon

207 Pounds
Jaycee Foeller (2nd)
Sam Calkins
Alivia White