Six Hawkeyes place in top five at Senior Nationals, earn berth to 2024 Olympic Trials

The Olympic Trials will take place April 19-20 at the Bryce Jordan Center, home of Penn State wrestling.

December 17, 2023

No. 1 seeded 125-pound Iowa’s Spencer Lee looks to the crowd after wrestling No. 16 seeded 125-pound Michigan’s Jack Medley during session two of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Lee defeated Medley by technical fall, 17-0.

The Iowa men’s and women’s wrestling programs will be represented at the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Spencer Lee, Tony Cassioppi, Austin DeSanto, Alex Marinelli, Marlynne Deede, and Rose Cassioppi each placed in the top five of their respective weight classes at Senior Nationals to qualify for the Olympic Trials on April 19-20 in State College, Pennsylvania. The trials will be held at the Bryce Jordan Center, home of Penn State wrestling.

Lee, Marinelli, and Deede made the finals match at 57, 74, and 76 kilograms, respectively.

Lee was the only Hawkeye to earn gold with a 6-2 victory over former Nittany Lion Nico Megaludis in the title bout. Lee previously qualified for the Olympic Trials at the Bill Ferrell Memorial Invitational in November. The three-time national champion looks the healthiest he’s been in a while.

He dealt with knee issues his entire college career and was upset in the NCAA semifinals by Purdue’s Matt Ramos last March when he was vying to become Iowa’s lone four-time national champ.

Marinelli finished second after falling to Quincy Monday in the finals by technical fall.

Deede started 3-0 with wins over Hannah Sjostrom, teammate Rose Cassioppi, and top-seeded Skylar Grote. She then was pinned in 3:36 by Precious Wieser in the championship bout.

Siblings Tony and Rose Cassioppi each finished in fifth place at 97 and 76 kilograms, respectively, to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Tony Cassioppi defeated fellow Hawkeye Jacob Warner in the fifth-place match to keep Warner from qualifying for the Olympic Trials. The sixth-year veteran has not wrestled in a dual for Iowa this season, as Tony Cassioppi is involved in the sports gambling investigation and awaiting the NCAA’s decision on his eligibility.

Rose Cassioppi went 4-2 in the tournament with wins by fall, decision, and two technical falls. She lost to Brooklyn Hays in the consultation semifinals and then beat Tifanni Blaubitz, 3-1, in the fifth-place bout.

Two great Hawks and both are headed to the 2024 @USAWrestling Olympic Trials! #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/9elhpU9O8g

— JoshSchamberger (@JoshSchamberger) December 17, 2023

DeSanto earned fifth place at 65 kilograms after a 9-6 victory over former Michigan grappler Alec Pantaleo.

Hawkeye Wrestling Club members Jaydin Eierman (65 kilograms) and Jeremiah Moody (74 kilograms) also competed but fell short of the fifth-place threshold to qualify.

Iowa women’s wrestlers Ava Bayless (50 kilograms), Emilie Gonzalez (50 kilograms), Brianna Gonzalez (50 kilograms), Alexandra Baudhuin (57 kilograms), Nanea Estrella (62 kilograms), and Esther Han (62 kilograms) either did not place or medically forfeited at Senior Nationals.

The men and women still have several more chances to punch their ticket to the Olympic Trials in State College, including at the Pan American Championships in February and the final Olympic Trials Qualifier in March.

About the Contributors

Kenna Roering, Sports Editor

she/her/hers

Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.

Ayrton Breckenridge, Managing Visuals Editor

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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.