Iowa women’s wrestling beats Sioux Falls to go undefeated in dual competition

The Hawkeyes finished dual competition 16-0 and will be back on the mat Feb. 23.

January 31, 2024

Iowa’s NCAA No. 1 101-pound Emilie Gonzalez is named winner of a match against Missouri Valley College NAIA No. 19 101-pound Sage Beltran during the Iowa Duals between No. 1 Iowa, Life University, and Missouri Valley College at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. The Hawkeyes defeated Missouri Valley, 42-0, and Life University , 35-6.

The Iowa women’s wrestling squad earned a 39-7 win over the Sioux Falls Cougars to finish its inaugural season undefeated in dual competition.

Iowa improved to 16-0, while Sioux Falls fell to 6-2. The Hawkeyes outscored their opponents 593-108 in dual competition.

“It was amazing to feel the support from the Hawkeyes faithful,” head coach Clarissa Chun told Hawkeye Sports. “The gym was filled with over 500 people, and it felt like a lot of Iowa fans out there. It was so special to feel like we were in a home crowd. This was a great opportunity for some of our girls in the lineup to get some great matchups with Sioux Falls. I am really grateful for the Sioux Falls program for inviting us to dual here because it is so important to grow this sport and have competitions in these different areas, especially places like South Dakota.”

Second-year Emilie Gonzalez got Iowa off to a quick 4-0 start at 101 pounds with a win over Ava McNeal. Then, her twin sister Brianna followed with a 12-2 win over Paige Denke. Iowa forfeited the 109-pound match.

With the Hawkeyes leading 8-6, first-year Cali Leng knocked off Reianna Ogden in the 123 -pound match to give Iowa a 12-6 lead.

At 130 pounds, Emily Frost pinned Telia Peters 90 seconds into the match. The win gave the Hawkeyes a commanding 17-6 advantage.

Fourth-year Emmily Patneaud joined the party at 136 by pinning McKenna Hendrickson. This marked Iowa’s second straight pin and gave them a firm grasp on the dual.

Second-year Ella Schmit kept the momentum going at 143 pounds after racing past Brinley Green, and Bella Mir earned the third Hawkeye pin of the day in her victory over Ciana Grate at 155 pounds.

After Iowa took a 31-6 lead, the Cougars forfeited the 170 match, clinching a victory for second-year Kylie Welker.

First-year Alivia White defeated Zoe Adam via an 8-4 decision to close out another Hawkeye win.

Up next

Iowa will have nearly a month off to prepare for the NCWWC Regionals on Feb 23. The event will be held at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

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.

Isabella Tisdale, Photojournalist

(she/her)

Isabella Tisdale is a photojournalist for The Daily Iowan and is a senior at West High school. In her free time, she stage manages for the theater program at West High. She plans to double major in political science and journalism.