Iowa’s Sterling Dias back on mat, back to having fun

CORALVILLE — The setback was suffered in the first event of the season.

Iowa women’s wrestling sophomore Sterling Dias — the defending national runner-up at 101 pounds — saw her national championship aspirations take a hit when she reaggravated a shoulder injury Nov. 2 in the 103-pound finals of the Luther Hill Open.

After nearly two months of rehabilitation, Dias returned to the mat Sunday at the third annual Soldier Salute college wrestling tournament at Xtream Arena.

“I dwell too much on the outcome sometimes,” Dias said after splitting her first two matches in pool play. “I think the biggest thing is, I get to wrestle. That is the greatest gift that I could ever receive. Obviously due to some injuries, I haven’t been fortunate enough to wrestle. So being able to come back out here and compete in front of a home crowd, regardless of wins and losses, even though it’s hard.

“I never like to lose, but it is part of the process.”

Dias — ranked second at 103 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association — opened the tournament with a pin in 2:06 over Macie Anderson of Life University. In the afternoon session, Dias dropped a hard-fought, 2-1, decision to Life’s Katherine Hernandez.

Dias (5-2) rebounded to pin Veronica Greene of Baker University in 1:31.

“Sterling is a great person, a great competitor,” Iowa Coach Clarissa Chun said. “She brings a lot of energy to the team and the program. It’s great to have her back on the mat competing. It is something she has been looking forward to, is getting back out there and doing what she does best, enjoying and having fun out there …

“There are pieces of her that are very much there, like she never stepped away. … She is probably the hardest critic on herself and she wants to execute more and that is the great thing. There are more matches ahead of her.”

A Las Vegas native, Dias finished her freshman campaign with a 31-4 record, falling in the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships to teammate Emilie Gonzalez. This season, the top-ranked wrestler at 103 pounds also is in the Iowa wrestling room … freshman Rianne Murphy.

“That is what is expected at the University of Iowa’s wrestling room,” Dias said. “I knew that is what I wanted. I knew coming in it was not going to be easy. I wanted that challenge. I wanted that grittiness. I wanted that competitiveness between teammates.”

Dias, second-ranked sophomore Ava Bayless (110) and top-ranked sophomore Brianna Gonzalez (117) all are defending tournament champions at Soldier Salute.

At 138 pounds, Iowa sophomore Lilly Luft made her season debut and posted one of 14 wins for the Hawkeyes in Session 1.

Both the Iowa women (14 points) and men (53.50) led the team standings in their respective divisions after the first session.

The tournament concludes Monday with sessions from 11-3 and 5-7:30.