A fall, also known as a pin, is the act of pressing both of an opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a count of one second at the collegiate level. While it results in an immediate victory, it’s arguably one of the most high-level skills in women’s wrestling.
Redshirt senior Katja Osteen has done it eight times this season.
“It’s easier sometimes to tech, but going for those pins gets big scores, and that’s what we’re going to need as a team to win nationals,” Osteen said. “We’ve been working on a lot of pinning combinations, and it’s just exciting to keep doing what we’ve been doing all season and show everyone on the big stage.”
A native of Simi Valley, California, where she attended Royal High School, Osteen has spent the past two seasons, her final years of eligibility, at Iowa, partaking in a sport that has seen rapid growth.
While Hawaii sanctioned high school wrestling for girls back in 1998, California didn’t follow suit until 2011, with Osteen’s home state joining a growing list that included Texas and Washington.
As a freshman at Royal, Osteen earned USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week and won a state title. Her high school career also saw her be a two-time Team MVP and female athlete of the year. Despite Osteen’s accomplishments at the high school level, her eventual home at the University of Iowa came years after she entered the college world.
While the Hawkeyes were the first NCAA Division I, Power Four institution to field a program, Iowa wouldn’t compete as a team until the 2023-24 season. By that point, Osteen was a resident at the U.S. Olympic Training Facility, following two seasons at Simon Fraser, located in British Columbia, Canada.
“That was so awesome,” Osteen said. “That was right before the Olympics, so I was with that team and training with everyone, and that was so awesome. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Osteen also appreciated the effort poured into her, despite not personally having a chance to attend the games in Paris.
“Especially as someone who didn’t have an Olympic weight class, something to go for internationally, the fact that the coaches took me in and believed in me, kept developing me to be ready for my collegiate season, was pretty awesome,” Osteen said.
By the time of the 2024-25 season, Iowa’s second as a program, Osteen was wrestling for the Hawkeyes at 180 pounds. She captured a 22-11 overall record, aided by eight tech falls and eight pins as well as a 2-0 showing in dual competition.
As the end of the 2025-26 season draws nearer, Osteen has shattered her previous numbers, this time wrestling at 207 pounds while her teammate, Kylie Welker, holds the line at 180.
“Katja is awesome,” junior Lilly Luft, one of Osteen’s teammates, said. “Katja, overall, is just a really great teammate. She’s always there, encouraging and super strong, and we know that we can always rely on her. Being able to even bump up a weight is super incredible.”
In the competitions leading up to this season’s NCAA Regional Championships, Osteen nabbed a perfect 18-0 record, with her fastest pin coming in 30 seconds at a home dual against Otterbein. At Regionals, battling a recent case of strep throat, the senior placed second at 207, following a 4-1 decision loss to No. 6 Rewa Chababo of Wartburg.
“I really empathized with her and her situation when she was here, but she’s a fighter, and her presence brought a lot of great, positive energy,” redshirt junior Nyla Valencia said about Osteen. “Even though she didn’t get the outcome she wanted, she’s still just as deserving to go to Nationals. I’m really happy that she was here. She’ll bounce back.”
Osteen, for her part, has expressed excitement as well as determination to make a run in her final season.
“It’s kind of a lot of pressure, but pressure makes diamonds,” Osteen said. “I know a lot of us are just itching to get on that mat and show what we can do.”