Notes: NCAA Region V Championships

THIS WEEK
The top-ranked University of Iowa women’s wrestling team travels to Indianola, Iowa, for the NCAA Region V Championships on Friday and Saturday. Competition begins at 11 a.m. (CT) both days. The top three wrestlers from each weight class will secure a spot at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships.

FOLLOW ALONG
The NCAA Region V Championships will be streamed live on FloWrestling. Links to the live stream and live stats are available on the Iowa women’s wrestling schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

NCAA REGIONAL SEEDING
Eight Hawkeyes earned the No. 1 seed in the regional, while two Hawkeyes are No. 2 seeds. The lineup includes:

1 - Valarie Solorio (103)
1 - Nyla Valencia (110)
2 - Brianna Gonzalez (117)
2 - Cali Leng (124)
1 - Karlee Brooks (131)
1 - Lilly Luft (138)
1 - Reese Larramendy (145)
1 - Kennedy Blades (160)
1 - Kylie Welker (180)
1 - Katja Osteen (207)

IN THE RANKINGS
- Iowa is ranked No. 1 nationally in the latest (Feb. 12) National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll.
- The Hawkeyes have a ranked wrestler in all 10 weight classes.
- Four Hawkeyes are ranked No. 1 in their weight class. They include: Skye Realin (138), Reese Larramendy (145), Kennedy Blades (160), and Kylie Welker (180).
- No. 2 Valarie Solorio (103), No. 4 Nyla Valencia (110), No. 6 Brianna Gonzalez (117), No. 8 Cali Leng (124), No. 4 Karlee Brooks (131), and No. 2 Katja Osteen (207) round out the rankings.

FOR HER DUALS CHAMPIONS
Iowa defeated Ursinus, No. 17 William Jewell, No. 2 McKendree, and William Penn (No. 3 NAIA) to become the inaugural For Her Duals Champions on Feb. 8. The Hawkeyes were a combined 33-7 on the day with five falls and 18 technical falls. Freshman Isabella Marie Gonzales won the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award after notching a pin (5:30) against Victoria Baez Dilone (William Penn), the No. 4 ranked wrestler in the NAIA, in the championship dual.

HAWKEYES CROWN 6 AT GRAND VIEW OPEN
Iowa crowned six champions at the Grand View Open on Feb. 7. Thirteen Hawkeyes collected top-three finishes. Valarie Solorio (103), Nyla Valencia (110), Bella Williams (131), Reese Larramendy (145), Kylie Welker (180), and Katja Osteen (207) each won their respective brackets.

SHE’S BACK!
Kylie Welker returned to the lineup at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 9-10. The junior went 3-for-3 on the weekend, collecting wins against Sacred Heart’s Madeline Hodges (TF, 10-0), North Central’s Jael Miller (Dec. 8-2), and Grand Valley State’s Maddison Ward (TF, 10-0). Welker is 13-0 on the year. Eleven of her 13 wins have come via technical fall.

BONUS POINTS FOR BLADES
Kennedy Blades is a perfect 10-0 on the season, winning all 10 of her bouts by technical fall or pin. The senior is outscoring her opponents 75-1. Blades has registered 43 dual points for the Hawkeyes so far this season.

A FORCE AT 145
Reese Larramendy is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 145 pounds. The junior is 29-0 on the season. Twenty-three of her 29 victories have come via technical fall or pin. The junior is outscoring her opponents 271-14.

OHHHHHH-STEEN
Katja Osteen is 18-0 on the year competing at both 180 and 207 pounds. She has five ranked wins on the season. Four of those five ranked wins came at the North Central College Invitational on Dec. 14. The senior defeated No. 8 Isabella Phillips (Gannon), No. 5 Mia Gaetjens (Adrian College), No. 6 Abbie Miles (Northern Michigan), and No. 3 Shenita Lawson (North Central) on her way to the 180-pound title. Osteen is now the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 207 pounds.

OPEN CHAMPIONS
Fourteen different Hawkeyes have claimed a total of 32 open titles this season. Seven Hawkeyes have won three or more titles on the year. They include: Skye Realin (Waldorf, Blue Hose, Missouri Valley Open), Valarie Solorio (Luther Hill, Blue Hose, Mike Duroe, Grand View), Cali Leng (Luther Hill, Waldorf, Mike Duroe), Karlee Brooks (Luther Hill, Missouri Valley, Mike Duroe), Nyla Valencia (Blue Hose, Mike Duroe, Grand View), Katja Osteen (North Central, Mike Duroe, Grand View), and Reese Larramendy (Blue Hose, Missouri Valley, Mike Duroe, Grand View).

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
Iowa returns 11 All-Americans from the 2024-25 season, including Ava Bayless, Kennedy Blades, Sterling Dias, Jaycee Foeller, Brianna Gonzalez, Emilie Gonzalez, Reese Larramendy, Cali Leng, Rianna Murphy, Naomi Simon, and Kylie Welker.

The roster boasts one three-time All-American (Jaycee Foeller; ‘22, ‘24-25) and seven two-time All-Americans: Bayless (‘24-25), Dias (‘24-25), Brianna Gonzalez (‘24-25), Emilie Gonzalez (‘24-25), Larramendy (‘24-25), Katja Osteen (‘22-23), and Welker (‘24-25). Six Hawkeyes have earned the distinction once: Blades (‘25), Leng (‘25), Lilly Luft (‘24), Murphy (‘25), Ella Schmit (‘24), and Simon (‘25).

NCAA SPORT
The 2025-26 season marks the first year of women’s wrestling as an NCAA championship sport. The first NCAA women’s wrestling championship is set for March 6-7 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. It will include teams from Division I, Division II and Division III.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to the mat on March 6-7 for the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.