Iowa women’s wrestling wins three titles in second team performance at Soldier Salute

CORALVILLE — The expectations for the Iowa women’s wrestling program are to win big, win early, and win often. They met that expectation in their debut performance last month at the Missouri Valley Open, then did so again at Xtream Arena this week.

The Iowa women’s wrestling program made its second competitive appearance at the Soldier Salute, a first-year tournament that ran here Thursday and Friday. Despite competing unattached again — the 2023-24 season will be the first official season for the Iowa women — they put on a show for the home crowd.

Of the 10 Hawkeye women wrestlers who competed, three won individual titles: Sterling Dias at 101 pounds, Felicity Taylor at 116, Reese Larramendy at 143. Four more took second — Emilie Gonzalez (101), Brianna Gonzalez (109), Bella Mir (155), Kylie Welker (170) — and another, Ava Bayless (109), took third.

The 10 Iowa women who competed this week went 34-8 overall, which included 19 wins by technical fall and 9 more by pin. They were not eligible to contend for the team title, but quick math by Trackwrestling says the 10 Hawkeye wrestlers totaled 148 team points … which would’ve easily won the team title.

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While the Soldier Salute wasn’t the monster tournament that Missouri Valley was last month, it was another opportunity for the Iowa women to compete — which is what head coach Clarissa Chun was excited about the most.

“We don’t talk about wins, we talk about the process, and getting them to focus and do what they do best,” Chun said afterward Friday night. “We don’t want to put that pressure on them. Just go compete.”

Dias, a champion last month, was dominant again, going 3-0 and outscoring her opponents 26-0. She notched a 10-0 technical fall over a past All-American in the semifinals, then topped her teammate Emilie Gonzalez in the finals, 6-0. They met in the Missouri Valley finals last month too, where Dias won, 3-1.

Taylor, a member of the U.S. women’s freestyle World Cup roster earlier this month, also won at Missouri Valley last month. She was equally as dominant this week, recording a pin and two technical falls en route to another first-place finish.

Larramendy ran the gauntlet last month to win at Missouri Valley, then added a couple more marquee wins again this week. She finished 4-0 and notched wins over Life University’s Jamilah McBryde, who’s ranked fifth in the NAIA poll, and Army WCAP’s Brenda Reyna, a 2021 NCAA champion for McKendree.

Nanea Estrella had designs on joining them, but after a first-round technical fall at 136, she defaulted out due to a concussion. Brianna Gonzalez, Emilie’s twin sister, took second at 109, posting a 5-1 record in a 7-woman round-robin competition where she knocked off Iowa Wesleyan's Mia Palumbo, a returning NAIA national finalist.

The other four who competed this week did so for the first time as (unattached) Hawkeyes, and they collectively showed the program’s depth.

Ava Bayless took third behind Brianna Gonzalez at 109, going 4-2 with wins over the Nos. 2- and 3-ranked NAIA wrestlers (Palumbo and Indiana Tech's Tehani Soares, respectively). Bella Mir went 6-1 for second at 155, with three pins and two technical falls. Ella Schmit went 3-2 at 143, recording three pins after an 0-2 start.

Kylie Welker, Chun’s first commit and the biggest star on the Hawkeye roster, made her highly-anticipated debut this week, too. She recorded three quick technical falls, then ended with an injury default after injuring her knee in her final match Friday night. She walked off the mat under her own power, but in tears and obvious pain.

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Because she went last, Welker’s injury put a slight damper on an otherwise dominant performance. Between the Soldier Salute and Missouri Valley, the Hawkeye women have amassed a staggering 70-10 overall record, with 44 wins by technical fall and 11 more by fall. 

“I think they did great,” Chun continued. “A couple of them, it was their first time back, so it was good to see them go out there and do their thing. Can’t complain. We’re all so glad they got the opportunity to compete.”

The expectations for the first Division I Power 5 women’s wrestling program were always going to be high — especially at a school like Iowa, where wrestling is held in high regard. Two competitions in, the Hawkeye women are living up to the billing, even if all the results go on the books as unofficial and unattached.

The excitement surrounding the program seemingly knows no bounds, either. Chun’s second recruiting class is taking shape, with just as much firepower as the first. Come this time next year, a national team title will be part of the expectation. The Hawkeye women appear ready for the challenge.

Iowa women's wrestling results from the Soldier Salute

Sterling Dias, 101 pounds

• Quarterfinals: 10-0 tech fall over Anika Barker (William Penn)
• Semifinals: 10-0 tech fall over Alaina Sunlin (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Finals: 6-0 over Emilie Gonzalez (Iowa)

Emilie Gonzalez, 101 pounds

• Quarterfinals: 12-0 tech fall over Mya Turnmire (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Semifinals: 10-0 tech fall over Taylor Wilson (Indiana Tech)
• Finals: 6-0 loss to Sterling Dias (Iowa)

Brianna Gonzalez, 109 pounds

• Round 1: 10-0 loss to Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin)
• Round 2: Pin over Ava Bayless (Iowa)
• Round 3: 10-0 tech fall over Kory Phillips (Life University)
• Round 4: Bye
• Round 5: 10-0 tech fall over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech)
• Round 6: 10-0 tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Round 7: 6-0 over Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan)

Ava Bayless, 109 pounds

• Round 1: 11-0 tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Round 2: Lost by fall to Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa)
• Round 3: Bye
• Round 4: 4-1 over Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Round 5: 10-0 tech fall over Kory Phillips (Life University)
• Round 6: 10-0 tech fall over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech)
• Round 7: 8-7 loss to Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin)

Felicity Taylor, 116 pounds

• Quarterfinals: Pin over Leah Pekar (Tiffin)
• Semifinals: 10-0 tech fall over Emma Jones (Indiana Tech)
• Finals: 10-0 tech fall over Aleeah Gould (Army WCAP)

Nanea Estrella, 136 pounds

• Quarterfinals: 10-0 tech fall over Glenda Veiga (Indiana Tech)
• Defaulted from tournament due to concussion

Reese Larramendy, 143 pounds

• Round 1: 10-0 tech fall over Michaela Blume (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Quarterfinals: Pin over Elleni Johnson (Army WCAP)
• Semifinals: 13-5 over Jamilah McBryde (Life University)
• Finals: 7-0 over Brenda Reyna (Army WCAP)

Ella Schmit, 143 pounds

• Round 1: 11-1 loss to Maya Letona (Columbia)
• Consolation: Lost by fall to Elleni Johnson (Army WCAP)
• Consolation: Pin over Paige Lenhardt (Tiffin)
• Consolation: Pin over Isabelle Hawley (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Consolation: Pin over Trinity Coyne (Indiana Tech)

Bella Mir, 155 pounds

• Round 1: Pin over Aspen Barber (Army WCAP)
• Round 2: 10-0 tech fall over Grace Doering (Indiana Tech)
• Round 3: Pin over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan)
• Round 4: Pin over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia)
• Round 5: 10-0 tech fall over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin)
• Round 6: 4-1 over Erin Martin (Tiffin)
• Round 7: Loss by fall to Latifah McBryde (Life University)

Kylie Welker, 170 pounds

• Round 1: 10-0 tech fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech)
• Round 2: 10-0 tech fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech)
• Round 3: 10-0 tech fall over Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP)
• Round 4: Injury default to Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP)

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at@codygoodwin.