Iowa women’s wrestling decisively takes 2025 NWCA National Duals title

CEDAR FALLS — Iowa women’s wrestling has won another national title.

The Hawkeyes claimed their second NWCA National Duals championship in as many years with a 28-13 win over North Central College on Saturday at the UNI-Dome.

A year after needing a passivity point in its last bout to defeat North Central in the 2024 National Duals first-place match, the 2025 Hawkeyes had a less dramatic path to this year’s National Duals title.

“We stepped in the tournament knowing that every point mattered, and we learned from last year,” Iowa 180-pound wrestler Kylie Welker said. “That mentality never changed.”

The Hawkeyes won the first four bouts by decision to claim a 12-3 lead. That includes Brianna Gonzalez’s improbable comeback from a 7-1 deficit to win by a 10-7 decision. It also includes unranked Cali Leng’s win over seventh-ranked Janessa George (without letting George score a point).

“We have to fight for everything, and they did,” Iowa Coach Clarissa Chun said. “They were ready for that fight.”

North Central cut into that lead with an Amani Jones win via a 15-3 tech fall, but the Hawkeyes won the next four bouts to easily claim a National Duals crown. The third of those four wins — Kennedy Blades’ win via tech fall — officially clinched the National Duals title.

“When we have Macey (Kilty) and then Kennedy and then me, it’s like the triple whammy,” Welker said.

The only other bout that North Central won was at 207 pounds, as Traeh Haynes defeated Iowa’s Alivia White via a 10-0 tech fall. It was a stark contrast from 2024, when North Central won six of the 10 bouts.

Iowa’s decisive 2025 win over North Central is especially impressive considering how dominant the Cardinals have otherwise been in recent years. Saturday’s finals marked North Central’s biggest margin of defeat since 2022 National Duals, and Iowa has been the only team to defeat North Central in a dual in either of the last two seasons.

“North Central is competitive,” Chun said. “They’re a great team. They’ve got a great lineup all across from 103 to 207. … It’s those hard-fought matches that you learn so much more about yourself.”

Iowa’s rematch against North Central followed a comfortable 33-11 semifinal win over McKendree University. The Hawkeyes got off to a relatively slow start before pulling away with either pins or tech falls in four of the last five bouts.

The Hawkeyes eased past Aurora and Wartburg in the first two rounds on Friday with 35-10 and 42-1 wins, respectively.

“We fought every match we could,” Blades said.

Iowa will have six more duals and one tournament before NCWWC regionals and nationals in late February and early March. The Hawkeyes are the reigning NCWWC champions after claiming a team title and six individual titles in 2024.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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