Iowa men's and women's wrestling teams to compete in Soldier Salute

The Iowa men’s and women’s wrestling squads will be back in action on Friday and Saturday in the second annual Solider Salute at Xtream Arena. The tournament, which recognizes and honors former, current, and future service members, will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.

The top-ranked women currently hold a 7-0 record. Last year, competing unattached, Sterling Dias, Felicity Taylor, and Reese Larramendy all won titles at the Soldier Salute.

The third-ranked men are 5-0 on the season. Last year, the Hawkeyes crowned eight individual champions en route to winning the Soldier Salute team title.

Friday
Session 1 – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Session 2 – 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday
Session 3 – 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Session 4 – 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Soldier Salute is AJ Ferrari registered to compete unattached at 197 pounds. The former Oklahoma State grappler recently took an official visit to Iowa, according to his social media. It is suspected he will compete for the Hawkeyes starting second semester.

Ferrari won an NCAA title for the Cowboys in 2021. Authorities alleged that Ferrari sexually assaulted a woman in early July 2022, and he was removed from the wrestling team shortly after. He was then charged with a felony count of sexual battery in August 2022. The office of the District Attorney dismissed the case in October 2023 after the victim decided to be relieved from further participation in the prosecution because of the emotional damage the case was causing her.

Ferrari’s younger brothers, Anthony and Angelo, also signed with Iowa. Anthony Ferrari will compete unattached in the Soldier Salute at 149 pounds.

Nelson Brands, who was suspended in May for sports gambling, recently announced his suspension appeal was denied by the NCAA, ending his collegiate career. Head coach Tom Brands said his nephew will stay with the team and coach while competing for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.

Men’s bracket

Rankings by FloWrestling

*= Competing unattached

Tom Brands said individual performances throughout the tournament will help determine the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

No. 2 Missouri, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 7 Nebraska, and No. 12 Minnesota are among the 16 teams that will be represented in the tournament.

125 POUNDS

No. 15 Drake Ayala (9-1)

Joey Cruz (6-3)

133 POUNDS

No. 10 Brody Teske (4-2)

Cullan Schriever (1-0)

Jesse Ybarra (5-1)

Jace Rhodes (4-1)

Kale Petersen* (0-0)

141 POUNDS

No. 1 Real Woods (5-0)

149 POUNDS

No. 9 Victor Voinovich (7-2)

Caleb Rathjen (6-1)

Joel Jesuroga (8-3)

Cade Siebrecht (4-1)

Anthony Ferrari*

157 POUNDS

No. 2 Jared Franek (10-0)

Carter Martinson (0-0)

Isaiah Fenton* (5-1)

165 POUNDS

No. 7 Michael Caliendo (9-1)

Patrick Kennedy (2-1)

Drake Rhodes (8-2)

174 POUNDS

No. 6 Gabe Arnold* (7-0)

First-years are allowed to wrestle in five dates of competition during their initial year of enrollment without using a season of eligibility. Arnold has wrestled attached in three dates of competition so far.

Will Carano (4-2)

184 POUNDS

Aiden Riggins (6-3)

Aidan McCain (1-1)

197 POUNDS

AJ Ferrari*

HEAVYWEIGHT

Bradley Hill (7-3)

Gage Marty (4-1)

Easton Fleshman (4-1)

Women’s bracket

Rankings by National Wrestling Coaches Association

*= Competing unattached

Life University, the top-ranked women’s NAIA program, will also participate in this year’s Soldier Salute. Several usual starters for the Hawkeyes are not competing this weekend, including top-ranked Emilie Gonzalez at 101 pounds, second-ranked Felicity Taylor at 123 pounds, and top-ranked Marlynne Deede and Kylie Welker at 155 and 170 pounds, respectively.

101 POUNDS

No. 2 Sterling Dias (12-1)

109 POUNDS

No. 2 Ava Bayless (11-1)

116 POUNDS

No. 3 Brianna Gonzalez (13-0)

123 POUNDS

Ava Rose (10-6)

Cali Leng (7-6)

Isabella Ngo (5-4)

130 POUNDS

No. 10 Emily Frost (11-4)