No. 2 Iowa women’s wrestling returned to the mat for the 2024-25 season opener at the Luther Hill Open in Indianola, Iowa, on Saturday.
The tournament was split up into two with each winner needing to advance in three matches to reach the championship. By the end, Iowa came away with a 58-17 record and six individual champions.
Rounds one and two
The No. 2 Hawkeyes picked up where they left off last season as all 10 wrestlers took care of business in their first matches.
Second-year Sterling Dias started things off for Iowa in the 101-pound weight class, earning two 10-0 technical fault victories over Chadron State’s Mana Chanthasone and Waldorf’s Edyn Hartman.
First-year 101-pounder Rianne Murphy also capitalized on the competition in her first two bouts. The Indiana product earned two quick victories against Waldorf’s Emily Porras and Chadron State’s Brianna Vollendroff via fall.
Iowa had two more semifinal berths for the 110 weight class in second-year Ava Bayless and first-year Valarie Solorio. Bayless snatched two technical fault victories in dominant fashion while Solorio topped Grand View’s Tristan Nitta in a 7-6 comeback victory to advance to the semifinals.
Third-year Kennedy Blades made her 160-pound Hawkeye debut and showed everyone why she is an Olympic silver medalist.
In her first matchup, Blades scored a fall victory over Cornell’s Emma Stevenson in 40 seconds. She continued her dominance with an 11-0 technical fault victory to advance to the third round.
In all, Iowa lost only two matches in the second round and advanced eight wrestlers to the semifinals.
Semifinals
Dias and Murphy continued their dominance to start session two. Dias took Missouri Valley’s Sage Beltran to the end of the first period before slamming the door with a 10-0 technical fault victory. Murphy took a faster approach with a 40-second win over Grand View’s Judy Sandoval via fall.
Similar results transpired in the 110-pound division for Solorio and Bayless. Solorio again used all the clock to secure an 11-4 decision over Kate Cooper from Lindenwood. Bayless had another commanding victory, snagging her third technical fault victory and earning a spot in the championship.
Blades continued hitting her stride when facing Northern Michigan’s Sophia Bassino, making quick work and earning yet another technical fall win in under one minute.
Overall, the Hawkeyes advanced 10 wrestlers for an opportunity in the final round.
Championships
Iowa had six athletes winning individual titles, with three pairs of Hawkeyes meeting in the championship bout.
Murphy topped Dias after an injury in the first period. Dias was trailing Murphy, 6-5, but forfeited after an injury in the first period, giving Murphy the win.
Bayless took advantage of Solorio’s youth with a decisive 5-0 decision win at 110 pounds. Finally, Bayless capped off her glorious Hawkeye debut with a victory over first-year Rose Cassioppi — her third technical fall decision on the day.
Other Iowa champions included third-year Skye Realin at 131 lbs, second-year Ella Schmit at 145 pounds, and first-year Naomi Simon at 180 pounds.
Up next
Iowa women’s wrestling travels to Marietta, Georgia, on Nov. 8 and 9 to compete against Life University.
On Friday, the Hawkeyes will take on the Running Eagles in a dual competition. Following that will be the Eagle Madness Open on Saturday. Events will start at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., respectively.