The No. 1-ranked Iowa women’s wrestling program found success in a weekend trip to South Carolina.
Iowa bested No. 6 Presbyterian in Saturday’s Throwdown at the Yorktown in Charleston, before nabbing five titles at the Blue Hose Challenge in Clinton.
Iowa Cruises Past Presbyterian
The Hawkeyes bested the Blue Hose, 35-9, in Saturday’s Throwdown on the Yorktown, securing three pins and four technical falls in the process. Fourth-year Kennedy Blades held the fastest pin of the day, with the contest at 180 pounds lasting only 19 seconds.
Of 10 individual matches against Presbyterian, Iowa collected eight wins, with unranked fourth-years Nyla Valencia and Skye Realin securing victories over ranked opponents.
“The Yorktown is actually called the Fighting Lady, so I felt it was fitting the Hawks came out fighting,” head coach Clarissa Chun told HawkeyeSports. “We felt the love and support all around us today. There was a really great energy on the flight deck, and it was actually pretty breezy so you really took in the entire atmosphere. I’m so glad our women got to enjoy this unique opportunity.”
Chun was quick to compliment Presbyterian’s efforts, as well as those of Blades and second-year Cadence Diduch, both having wrestled in a different weight class than usual.
“In an environment that would be easy to get distracted, our women wrestled hard,” Chun said. “Presbyterian is a tough team and we knew they were going to scrap with us. I feel like we are in a good place in our process. A huge shoutout to Cadence and Kennedy for wrestling up a weight class for the team. I’m proud of what we accomplished as a team today.”
Hawkeyes Battle at Blue Hose
Sunday’s Blue Hose Challenge saw five champions crowned from Iowa’s ranks, as well as top-three finishes for all 11 Hawkeyes present. Nine of Iowa’s wrestlers also made it to the finals.
No. 4-ranked Valarie Solorio claimed a title at 103 pounds, following wins over Indiana Tech, Presbyterian, and Mount Olive, as well as a decisive victory over her teammate – second-year Rianne Murphy – who took second place.
While Blades and fellow fourth-year Kylie Welker did not compete in Clinton, Iowa’s freshmen representatives took to the mats with vigor.
First-year Harlee Hiller took second place at 117 pounds, recording a win over Lindsey Wilson and two unattached competitors on her way to the championship match. The Evanston, Illinois native won her first and third matches by technical fall, as well as her second by a 3:24 pin.
Meanwhile, first-year Bella Williams took home a title at 131 pounds. A native of Edmond, Oklahoma, Williams snagged three wins by technical fall over Allen, Campbellsville, and Life, before defeating Emmanuel with a 4-0 decision in the championship.
Up next
Iowa travels to Marshall, Missouri, for next weekend’s Missouri Valley College Open on Nov. 21-22. The event was the largest women’s largest women’s collegiate wrestling tournament in the country last year, featuring over 50 teams and more than 700 competitors.
The action is set to commence at 12:00 p.m.