No. 1 Iowa is entering its first postseason under official NCAA status after a historic 14-1 regular season schedule. The Hawks dominated Central and Cornell College without giving up a point to open the season before beating Presbyterian, Colorado Mesa, Oklahoma State, Grand View, William Jewell and Sacred Heart by a combined 221-41.
WOMEN'S WRESTLING: How Iowa got its start
But what began as an unstoppable dual run culminated in a legendary upset when the Hawks dropped a narrow 23-21 defeat to North Central at the NWCA National Duals. This marked the first competitive crack in what had been a flawless dual résumé.
Iowa rebounded and stormed back with wins over Grand Valley State, Otterbein, Lehigh, Ursinus, William Jewell, McKendree and William Penn.
Let's take a closer look at the Hawks' 2025-26 season stats as the team heads into regionals ahead of the first NCAA women's wrestling tournament.
Team Overview
- Overall dual record: 14-1 (Win pct. 91.7%).
- Home duals: 5-0 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
- Neutral site: 8-1 after Yorktown, For Her and NWCA National Duals
- Hawks swept both the Yorktown and For Her Dual tournaments
- Iowa came in third at the NWCAs
- Duals with a winning margin of 20+ points: 7 of 12
(Central, Cornell, Oklahoma State, Colorado Mesa, Otterbein, William Jewell, Sacred Heart)
Across the season:
- Iowa won the majority of bouts in every dual, including:
- 8 of 10 bouts vs. No. 9 Lehigh
- 6 of 10 bouts vs. North Central, despite the loss
- Iowa averaged 8.4 match wins per dual, 2 pins per dual and five techs
Key Dual Scores
- 44-0 vs. Central — dominant opening duel
- 43-0 vs. Cornell — another shutout performance.
- 39-4 vs. Oklahoma State — strong non-conference victory against rising club team
- 42-1 vs. Otterbein — bonus-point output; eight techs
- 37-7 vs. No. 9 Lehigh — eight bout wins with five bonus points; three techs + four falls
- 23-21 loss to No. 3 North Central — first dual loss in program history.
Key Individual Performers & Impact
Iowa’s success has been driven by its lineup depth. The Hawkeyes returned 11 All-Americans, with four wrestlers finishing the season undefeated including the following three expected regional starters:
No. 1 Kennedy Blades (160 lbs)
- 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist
- 2025 NCWWC national champion
- Undefeated in dual competition
- Logged an 11–1 technical fall in the NWCA National Duals semifinal vs. North Central
- Secured a 48-second fall vs. No. 9 Lehigh, one of the fastest pins of the season
- Earned bonus points in 100% of her matches
No. 1 Kylie Welker (180 lbs)
- 2025 NCWWC national champion
- Undefeated in dual competition
- Knotched a perfect 27-0 record for the 2024-25 season
- Earned an 8–2 decision in the NWCA National Duals semifinal vs. North Central
- Picked up a first-period fall vs. No. 9 Lehigh
No. 2 Reese Larramendy (145 lbs)
- 2024 NCWWC National Champion
- Delivered one of Iowa’s biggest individual wins of the season, a 10-4 upset over No. 1 Bella Mir at the National Duals
- Ended the season 19-0 with 83.3% bonus
- Teched her first 11 opponents of the season
What’s Next
It is no secret that the Hawks have a dynasty in the making, but North Central’s upset shows other programs could close the gap. With the first NCAA women’s wrestling championships on the horizon, regional play has never been more important.
The team will travel to the regional championships in Indianola, Iowa, on Friday, February 20.
