Iowa women’s wrestling set to compete in North Central Collegiate Invitational

The top-ranked Hawkeyes last competed on Nov. 17-18 at the Missouri Valley College Open and took home six individual titles.

December 9, 2023

Ayrton Breckenridge

The Iowa women’s wrestling team cheers during the Trailblazer Duals between No. 3 Iowa, No. 6 Sacred Heart, No. 13 Presbyterian, and No. 11 Lindenwood at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Iowa women’s wrestling made history on Sunday, hosting the first women’s wrestling dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes defeated Presbyterian, 44-1, Lindenwood, 43-0, and Sacred Heart, 40-4.

After nearly a month away from the mat, the Iowa women’s wrestling squad will return to action on Dec. 10 in the North Central Collegiate Invitational in Naperville, Illinois. Iowa currently sits at 4-0 on the young campaign.

The Hawkeyes last competed on Nov. 17-18 at the Missouri Valley College Open in Marshall, Missouri. Iowa took home six individual titles at the invitational, while four wrestlers finished runner-up in their respective weight classes.

North Central College will host the 30-team event, which is one of the largest tournaments on the women’s wrestling calendar this season. The Cardinals currently sit at 6-0 on the season after a 42-4 win over Augustana College. This is North Central’s fifth season in program history.

Some of the teams competing in the invitational include Lindenwood, Iowa Central Community College, Gannon University (PA), Indiana Tech, and Joliet Junior College.

Iowa and Lindenwood are familiar with one another, as the Lions competed in the Trailblazer Duals, which was the first women’s wrestling dual meet inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won, 43-0.

Iowa Central wrestled in the Missouri Valley College Open, but its trip did not go as planned. The Tritons’ highest finisher was Rose Rother, who placed eighth.

Iowa Central’s last event was on Nov. 29 against in-state rival Indian Hills, where the Tritons fell, 32-18, to the top-ranked Warriors.

Gannon University enters the tournament fresh off a 25-19 win at home versus D’Youville University. The Golden Knights and Hawkeyes faced each other in the season-opener at the East Stroudsburg Invitational.

Indiana Tech comes into the event with an overall record of 7-4. The Warriors competed in a dual against Gannon and came out on top, 30-16. Indiana Tech’s most recent dual ended in a 30-14 win against the University of the Cumberlands.

Joliet Junior College will feel right at home for this event, as it is located only 46 minutes from Naperville. The Wolves are currently in their inaugural season and last competed in the Lindenwood Duals on Nov. 18-19.

Other tournament nuggets

After beginning the season ranked No. 8 in the country, Iowa jumped to No. 1 after dominating its first three competitions — a dual meet against East Stroudsburg, the Princeton Open, and the Trailblazer Duals.

Since then, the Hawkeyes have kept a stranglehold on the top spot, and no one seems to be on their level thus far.

Fifth-year Marylnne Deede wrestled in the NCWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 21 in State College, Pennsylvania. She defeated Life University’s Latifah McBryde, 8-3, in her only match of the night.

This will mark the Hawkeyes’ fourth multi-team invitational of the season.

About the Contributors

Brad Schultz, Sports Reporter

(he/him/his)

Brad Schultz is a sophomore at the University of Iowa majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Sports Studies. This is first year working as a sports reporter and he has a deep passion and love for sports. Outside of the Daily Iowan, Brad is a contributor for Saturday Blitz, a college football site, with his content primarily covering Iowa and the Big Ten.

Ayrton Breckenridge, Managing Visuals Editor

(he/him/his)

Ayrton Breckenridge is the Managing Visuals Editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and cinema. This is his fourth year working for the DI.