Iowa women’s wrestling notes: Hawkeyes stacked at 145 pounds ahead of second annual Trailblazer Duals

IOWA CITY — Iowa women’s wrestling already had plenty of talent at 145 pounds.

Reese Larramendy was the national champion in that weight class last year. Bettendorf native Ella Schmit had a team-high 15 pins and finished seventh at NCWWC Nationals.

Yet head coach Clarissa Chun still found a way to make Iowa even more competitive at 145 with the addition of Macey Kilty — a two-time U.S. Olympic Team alternate.

“It’s awesome to have someone that’s going to push you every day and someone that you get to be challenged by,” Larramendy told The Gazette. “That’s a huge thing. … What this room has been since the first day is having the best, your biggest competition inside the room, and that really is a blessing.”

Before the season even began, that competition was helpful as each wrestler prepared for junior or senior world-level competition. Kilty was a senior world bronze medalist this year, and Larramendy was a U20 world team member.

“When Reese was training for the U20 Worlds, Macey and Ella were there in individual practices to help Reese get better or get ready for the U20 World Championships,” Chun said.

The Hawkeyes have been dominant at the 145-pound weight class so far this year. Schmit won a title at the Luther Hill Open with two pins and two tech falls. She got a pin in Iowa’s dual victory over Hastings College, and Larramendy got a tech fall over Life University. Larramendy then defeated Schmit the next day to win a title at Life’s Eagle Madness Open.

When the calendar turns to March and Iowa is competing for more titles at NCWWC Nationals, the Hawkeyes appear to have multiple realistic contenders for a national championship at 145.

“This is the last year we can have 15 at college nationals, and honestly it’s been great,” Chun said last month at the team’s preseason media day.

Freshman Kiara Djoumessi — a 2023 and 2024 IGHSAU state champion — also is listed on the roster at 145. She was 48-0 as a junior in high school and 46-0 as a senior.

Here are some other notes ahead of the Hawkeyes’ first home meet of the 2024-25 season:

Two big wins in Georgia last weekend

The Hawkeyes began the dual season last week with a 46-1 win against Hastings College and a 30-14 win against Life University in Marrietta, Ga. Hastings was the No. 11 NAIA team, and Life was the No. 1 NAIA team.

The next day, Iowa won six individual titles at Eagle Madness Open. Rianne Murphy (103 pounds), Cali Leng (124 ), Nanea Estrella (138), Larramendy (145), Naomi Simon (180) and Jaycee Foeller (207) all finished first in their weight classes.

First of four opportunities to see Hawkeyes in Corridor

Saturday’s Trailblazer Duals will be the first time this year the Hawkeyes are competing in the Iowa City/Coralville area in the 2024-25 season, but it certainly will not be the last time.

The Soldier Salute will be Dec. 29-30 at Coralville’s Xtream Arena. Iowa will be hosting another set of duals on Jan. 18 against Augustana College and Grand Valley State.

This season’s NCWWC national champions will be crowned in Coralville as well on March 7-8, as Xtream Arena hosts the event that previously was at Cedar Rapids’ Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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