IOWA CITY, Iowa – Felicity Taylor, a four-time national finalist and 2021 national champion, will transfer to the University of Iowa women’s wrestling program, it was announced Tuesday by head coach Clarissa Chun.
“Once I knew that we had an opportunity to bring Felicity back home I knew we had to try,” said Chun. “She is a great leader in the sport of women’s wrestling and in Iowa. I think it creates a lot of hope and opportunities for aspiring athletes from Iowa.”
“For me it was valuable to get her coming from a program that has won national team titles. She brings a lot of leadership to the team as far as the culture and getting the team to come together, building each other up, and pushing each other to move the program forward. We are excited she is coming back to Iowa.”
Taylor, a native of Spillville, Iowa, spent the past four years at McKendree University in Illinois, where she helped the Bearcats win three national team titles. She was the NCWWC National Champion in 2021, while finishing as the 116-pound national runner-up in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Taylor has also excelled on the national scene, winning both the U.S. Open and U23 National Tournaments and qualifying for Final X. It is the final leg of USA Wrestling’s Senior World Team Trials process.
Taylor has earned a spot on the U23 World Team, where she will represent the United States at the World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, in October. She has also represented USA at the UWW Junior Pan American Championships in Brazil in 2019 and Senior U23 National Championships in Hungary in 2020.
Before joining the Bearcats, Taylor won 109 matches at South Winneshiek High School, becoming the first Iowa girl to reach the 100-win milestone. She was a four-time women’s freestyle All-American and she became the fourth Iowa girl ever to win a Junior National title.
Taylor will compete unattached in 2022-23. Iowa announced in September 2021 it would become the first Division I Power Five school to add women’s wrestling. The Hawkeyes begin competing in 2023-24.
2022 Signing Class
Ava Bayless (Greenville, Penn.)
Sam Calkins (Brentwood, Calif.)
Sterling Dias (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Nanea Estrella (Makawao, Hawaii)
Brianna Gonzalez (San Lorenza, Calif.)
Emilie Gonzalez (San Lorenza, Calif.)
Reese Larramendy (Reno, Nev.)
Bella Mir (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Ella Schmidt (Bettendorf, Iowa)
Felicity Taylor (Spillville, Iowa)
Nyla Valencia (Morgan Hill, Calif.)
Kylie Welker (Franksville, Wis.)