When Angelo Ferrari first stepped foot on campus in August, he had visions of becoming one of the all-time Iowa men’s wrestling greats.
Ferrari, who experienced the Iowa City campus numerous times before as a recruit, could now compete in “Wrestletown”, USA, as a Division-I student-athlete, a feat every wrestler strives to achieve.
Hailing from Melissa, Texas, the young prodigy had an illustrious career at Melissa High School, achieving a record of 27-2 and earning second place at the Texas State Championships as a freshman.
That success translated over the next three years, during which Ferrari won three state titles and went a perfect 102-0 in his last three seasons of high school.
If three state titles were not enough, Ferrari also won three IRONMAN championships in his respective weight class. The IRONMAN Wrestling Tournament is widely regarded by many wrestling aficionados as the toughest high school wrestling tournament in the country.
This remarkable run of achievements helped Ferrari earn the No. 1 pound-for-pound high school wrestling ranking by FloWrestling and Matscouts for 2024.
When it came time to choose a college, Ferrari felt the long-standing excellence and tradition of Iowa wrestling couldn’t be beat.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Hawkeye gang,” Ferrari said live on FloWrestling after committing in May 2023. “[Visiting Iowa] it’s like Alabama football. It’s always been like that. It’s crazy.”
As he entered his freshman campaign, Ferrari knew the competition in Iowa City would be much harder than his days in high school and that he would have to work for a starting role. Second-year Gabe Arnold ultimately secured the start at 184 pounds to begin the season, going 3-0 in each of his matches.
Ferrari plans to redshirt this season, but NCAA rules allow a wrestler to compete five times before sitting out the remainder of the campaign. Iowa head coach Tom Brands immediately knew one duel that would be perfect for his young grappler – the annual Cy-Hawk clash against in-state rival Iowa State.
When asked why the decision to start Ferrari at the 184-pound bout was made, Brands gave a simple yet effective answer.
“Just shaking it up,” Brands said before the duel. “Shaking it up.”
Iowa looked to win its 20th straight duel against the Cyclones, and it did just that, prevailing 21-15 on Nov. 23. The victory was special for the Hawkeyes, but it marked Ferrari’s first time on the mat in front of the raucous crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
With Iowa holding a narrow 14-12 edge, it was up to Ferrari to extend the lead. He would enter his match as the underdog, facing No. 15 Evan Bockman.
But Ferrari was the aggressor from the start, recording an early takedown in the first period to draw first blood. Bockman bounced back with an escape to end the frame, but Ferrari remained in control.
The freshman picked up right where he left off in the second, collecting an escape and a takedown to increase his lead to 7-1 after two. With the Hawkeye faithful cheering behind him in the final period, Ferrari rode the momentum to a dominating 8-2 triumph.
“I live for these moments, there’s nowhere I’d rather be on a Saturday night than Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” Ferrari said after the match. “I love it out there.”
For Ferrari, the bold coaching decision by Brands was not a surprise — it was an opportunity.
“You know, it was kind of last-minute. I was extremely pumped, excited, you know. I told my parents, and I just felt ready,” Ferrari said. “I have the best partners in the country all around me. I’m wrestling better guys than this guy every day. How can I not dominate out there?”