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Kylie Welker after winning the 180 pound national championshipKylie Welker after winning the 180 pound national championship
Jerod Ringwald
Women's Wrestling

Kylie Welker Named NCAA Region V Wrestler of the Year

University of Iowa women’s wrestler Kylie Welker has been named the NCAA Region V Wrestler of the Year following a dominant 2026 season at 180 pounds.

by Eli Basler

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa women’s wrestler Kylie Welker has been named the NCAA Region V Wrestler of the Year following a dominant 2026 season at 180 pounds.

The redshirt junior finished a perfect 21-0, recording 15 technical falls and four pins. Welker secured her NCAA berth by winning the Region V title with four bonus-point victories, including a ranked win over No. 9 Kara Kuge.

She capped her season with an NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championship -- her third consecutive national title title (2024, 2025, 2026). Welker earned bonus-point wins in all four matches, defeating No. 2 Destiny Rodriguez in the finals.