Solorio, Blades, and Welker Claim NCAA Titles

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The second-ranked University of Iowa women’s wrestling team finished second at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championships in Coralville, Iowa, on Saturday. Three Hawkeyes — Valarie Solorio, Kennedy Blades, and Kylie Welker — earned individual titles. 
Top-ranked McKendree took the team title with 171 points followed by Iowa with 166. North Central finished third with 123.5 points.

“It’s about their effort together as a team and their individual effort for the team,” said head coach Clarissa Chun. "I’m so proud of our women for fighting every match. It was a battle out there. We can’t hang our heads on how we competed and performed, because we absolutely battled. It just speaks to the depth of women’s wrestling in this country.”

IN THE FINALS
At 103 pounds, No. 2 Valarie Solorio secured her first national title with two decisive wins to close the tournament. The sophomore pinned No. 6 Trinity Pendergrass of Quincy in 0:40 in the semifinals before claiming the championship with a 13-1 technical fall over No. 4 Rayana Sahagun of Grand Valley State.

At 160 pounds, No. 1 Kennedy Blades claimed her second straight national title. The senior defeated No. 4 Stella Steigler (King) in a 9-1 decision in the semifinals, before pinning No. 3 Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg in 1:19 in the championship match. 

No. 1 Kylie Welker won her third straight national championship at 180 pounds. She pinned No. 4 Shenita Lawson of North Central in 1:53 in the semifinals before earning an 11-0 technical fall over No. 2 Destiny Rodriguez of McKendree in the finals.

Top-ranked Reese Larramendy finished second at 145 pounds. She advanced to the finals with a 13-1 technical fall over No. 5 Alexandra Szkotnicki of McKendree. In the finals, Larramendy fell to second-seeded Bella Mir (North Central) by fall (2:26). The junior is now a three-time All-American. She claimed the national title in 2024 before playing third in 2025. 

ON THE PODIUM 
No. 5 Brianna Gonzalez earned third-place at 117 pounds. After falling to No. 1 Yu Sakamoto of McKendree by 17-10 decision, the redshirt junior posted a 3-2 decision over No. 16 Jenna Anderson of Presbyterian and a 4-2 decision over No. 2 Karissa Turnwall of Emmanuel to take third. Gonzalez is now a three-time All-American. She placed fifth at the national tournament in 2025 and was the national runner-up in 2024. 

At 110 pounds, No. 5 Nyla Valencia finished fifth in her national tournament debut. The redshirt junior dropped her semifinal match to No. 1 Audrey Jimenez of Lehigh by 13-2 technical fall. She responded with a 12-1 technical fall over No. 7 Teegan Sibble of East Stroudsburg in the consolation bracket before finishing fourth following a medical forfeit in the placement match against No. 4 Gabriele Tedesco of McKendree. 

At 138 pounds, No. 4 Lilly Luft finished fourth. She dropped a close 4-3 decision to No. 1 Katerina Lange of Grand Valley State in the semifinals. The junior responded with a 12-2 technical fall over No. 7 Kylie Rule of Wartburg. In the finals, she dropped a close 5-3 decision to No. 3 Haylie Jaffe of McKendree. Luft is a two-time All-American (5th, 2024). 

At 207 pounds, No. 5 Katja Osteen earned fourth. The senior fought through the consolation bracket with a fall (0:51) over No. 14 Elizabeth Stricklin of D’Youville, a 9-4 decision against No. 8 Maria Aiono of Presbyterian, and an 8-4 decision over No. 3 Caroline Ward of North Central. In the finals, Osteen fell to No. 4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg) in a 2-1 decision. Osteen ends her career as a three-time All-American (6th - 2023; 5th - 2022). 

No. 4 Karlee Brooks finished seventh at 131 pounds.  The redshirt sophomore battled through the consolation bracket,  earning a 14-7 decision over No. 14 Jazmene Molina of Western New England. After a 3-2 loss to No. 7 Janida Garcia (Emmanuel), Brooks closed the tournament with a 10-0 technical fall over No. 13 Makayla Paclib to finish seventh in her national tournament debut. 

NOTABLES
- The Hawkeyes claimed three individual champions. 
- All three champions won their matches with bonus points
- Nine Hawkeyes earned All-America honors. 

RESULTS
103 – #2 Valarie Solorio (1st)
WIN #15 Rebekah Jean-Baptiste (Emmanuel),  TF 11-0
WIN #7 Genesis Ramirez (Aurora), Dec 7-1
WIN #6 Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy), Fall 0:40
WIN #4 Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley St.) TF 13-1

110 – #5 Nyla Valencia (4th)
WIN #14 Kellie Kennedy (Otterbein), TF 10-0
WIN #4 Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree), Dec 4-4
LOSS #1 Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh), TF 13-2
WIN #7 Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg) TF 12-1
LOSS #4 Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree), Medical Forfeit

117 – #5 Brianna Gonzalez (3rd)
WIN #12 Josey Wehr (Eastern), TF 12-0
WIN #13 Icart Galumette (Delaware St.), Fall 5:03
LOSS #1 Yu Sakamoto (McKendree), Dec 17-10
WIN #16 Jenna Anderson (Presbyterian) Dec 3-2
WIN #2 Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel), Dec 4-2

124 – #13 Cali Leng (DNP)
LOSS #4 Shelby Moore (McKendree), Dec 1-1
WIN #10 Sophie Bowers (Wartburg), Fall 5:48
LOSS #6 Savannah Witt (Eastern), Dec 9-1

131 – #4 Karlee Brooks (7th)
WIN #13 Makayla Paclib (Pitt.-Johnstown), TF 12-2
LOSS #5 Abigal Mozden (Mount Union), Fall 1:48
WIN #14 Jazmene Molina (Western New Eng), Dec 14-7
LOSS #7 Janida Garcia (Emmanuel), Dec 3-2
WIN #13 Makayla Paclib (Pitt), TF 10-0

138 – #4 Lilly Luft (4th)
WIN #13 Kalyse Hill (Mount Olive), Fall 2:45
WIN #5 Jacinda Espinosa (Lindenwood), Dec 4-1
LOSS #1 Katerina Lange (Grand Valley St.), Dec 4-3
WIN #7 Kylie Rule (Wartburg), TF 12-2
LOSS #3 Haylie Jaffe (McKendree), Dec 5-3

145 – #1 Reese Larramendy (2nd)
WIN  #16 Nichole Moore (Fort Hays St.), TF 12-1
WIN #8 Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian), TF 12-2
WIN #5 Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree), TF 13-1
LOSS #2 Bella Mir (North Central), Fall 2:26

160 - #1 Kennedy Blades (1st)
WIN #16 Vida Beckel (Emmanuel), Fall 2:03
WIN #8 Keeley Kehrli (Simpson), TF 10-0 
WIN #4 Stella Steigler (King), Dec 9-1
WIN #3 Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg), Fall 1:19

180 – #1 Kylie Welker (1st)
WIN #16 Genevieve An (Lehigh), 0:35
WIN Azariah Moore (Lock Haven), TF 11-0 
WIN #4 Shenita Lawson (North Central), Fall 1:53
WIN #2 Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree), TF 11-0 

207 – #5 Katja Osteen (4th)
WIN #12 Talisha Lewis (Felician), Fall 1:13
LOSS #4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg), Dec 2-1
WIN #14 Elizabeth Stricklin (D`Youville), Fall 0:51
WIN #8 Maria Aiono (Presbyterian), Dec 9-4
WIN #3 Caroline Ward (North Central) Dec 8-4
LOSS #4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg), Dec 2-1