What to know as Iowa women’s wrestling competes in 2024 NCWWC Regionals

IOWA CITY — The road to the national championships for Iowa women’s wrestling will begin Friday in Indianola.

That’s where the NCWWC Regionals will pit the Hawkeyes against other nearby women’s wrestling programs as they look to qualify as many wrestlers as possible for next month’s national championships.

Here is what to know ahead of Friday’s tournament:

What are the Hawkeyes competing for?

While Friday’s tournament will net team scores for each school, the Hawkeyes’ individual results will be of paramount importance on Friday.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class will qualify for a spot at NCWWC Nationals, which will take place March 8-9 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids.

More qualifiers for NCWWC Nationals would obviously mean more opportunities to win individual national titles. Qualifying as many wrestlers as possible also would give the Hawkeyes a better chance of winning a team title in Cedar Rapids — something that is far from a foregone conclusion, especially given the strength of North Central College.

Three Hawkeyes — Marlynne Deede, Rose Cassioppi and Kylie Welker — already have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. For the rest of the team, a NCWWC national title could be their ticket to qualifying. That starts with a top-four finish on Friday.

How many Hawkeyes can wrestle at NCWWC Regionals?

Iowa can take 15 wrestlers to Indianola. The Hawkeyes must have at least one wrestler at each weight class and then can bring a second wrestler in five weight classes.

All 15 wrestlers from Iowa will have the opportunity to earn a NCWWC Nationals berth although only the top wrestler in each weight class will contribute to Iowa’s team score.

For example, if Iowa’s Sterling Dias and Emilie Gonzalez both finish in the top four of the 101-pound class, they can both go to NCWWC Nationals next month. However, only one of them — whoever finishes better — will affect the team score.

How difficult will the competition be?

Alongside Iowa — the No. 2 team nationally in tournament rankings and No. 1 team in dual rankings — other ranked teams in the region include No. 4 McKendree University, No. 11 William Jewell College, No. 16 Wartburg and No. 22 Lindenwood.

Iowa is undoubtedly the favorite to finish on top in team points in Indianola although McKendree could prove to be an especially formidable foe. In five different weight classes, McKendree has a wrestler ranked in the top five nationally. That includes Shelby Moore, the No. 1 wrestler at 123 pounds.

Other teams competing in the regional include Buena Vista University, Simpson College, Eureka College and Quincy University.

Could Iowa’s change at 123 pounds impact Friday’s tournament?

Felicity Taylor is expected to wrestle at 116 pounds, a team spokeswoman confirmed to The Gazette, after wrestling up at 123 pounds throughout the season.

The switch to 116 pounds positions Taylor nicely for a run at a collegiate national championship, which also serves as one of her last opportunities to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

At the same time, Taylor’s move to 116 creates a void at 123 for a team that already has relied on freshmen at 130 and 136 pounds. Taylor dominated at 123 pounds, losing only once as a Hawkeye this season. (The one loss was to top-ranked wrestler Amani Jones of North Central, and it was via decision.)

Ava Rose, a freshman from Princeton, N.J., is the most likely candidate to step in at 123 pounds. Rose finished second in last month’s Indiana Tech Warrior Open, with her one loss coming via decision to Life University’s Anna Krejsa.

Rose, who will face formidable competition at 123 pounds in Friday’s regional, will need to place in the top four to give the Hawkeyes a chance to gain team points at NCWWC Nationals in her weight class.

How to watch?

Tickets for the NCWWC Regionals at Simpson College are available for $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. It will be livestreamed on Rokfin, which requires a subscription.

The tournament will begin at 10 a.m.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com