IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa student-athletes Ava Bayless (women’s wrestling) and Kalen Walker (men’s track and field) were named January’s Student-Athletes of the Month, the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced.
Bayless, a sophomore from Greenville, Pennsylvania, finished 8-0 during January, including four wins over ranked opponents. Of the eight wins, Bayless won six via technical fall, while outscoring her opponents 74-10. She also helped lead Iowa to a 9-0 dual record and the NWCA National Duals title.
In Iowa’s final home meet of January, Walker set the program’s 60-meter record with a 6.58 at the Black & Gold Invite. The Eddyville, Iowa, native finished the month with the best time in the Big Ten and eighth-fastest mark in the nation.
Bayless and the women’s wrestling team are set to compete at the NCWWC Regionals on Feb. 23 in Indianola, Iowa, while Walker and the track and field team prepare for the upcoming Big Ten Championships in Geneva, Ohio, on Feb. 23-24.