CORALVILLE − Kennedy Blades, one of the world’s bright wrestling phenoms, was in bed resting after the NCAA Championships semifinals and before her finals match on March 7.
Blades was mentally preparing for her finals match. She was telling herself to have fun, get the job done and remind herself why she came to Iowa in the first place.
“‘Kennedy, this is why you came to college,'” Blades told herself. “‘To win an NCAA title.'”
Blades didn’t need to wrestle in college. In fact, she initially chose not to out of high school by picking Arizona State for her education and training with the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. She was already one of the top stars in United States wrestling with an Illinois high school state title, Fargo titles and an Olympic Trials runner-up at the age of 17.
After qualifying the second time around for the U.S. Olympic team in 2024, she started to ponder what else she could do. She considered Iowa in high school, and given the growth of the program, she decided to make a change and make a run at an NCAA title.
That goal became reality on March 7. While she won an NCWWC title last year, having the official NCAA branding on her title meant that much more. It was not a dream realized, because the dream never existed for kids like Blades growing up. But after years of growth, efforts from those in the wrestling community and more, the NCAA sanctioned the sport. Blades joined Iowa teammates Val Solorio and Kylie Welker as NCAA champions on Saturday at Xtream Arena.
By tournament’s end, the Hawkeyes fell short to a strong McKendree Bearcat squad. While Iowa is the lone power-four program and was expected by many to roll, the tournament favorite Bearcats outpaced Iowa 171-166.
The season ended with a bitter taste, providing added motivation this offseason for all 10 Iowa wrestlers who can return next season.
While disappointing for the program, the Hawkeyes relished the accomplishment of becoming an NCAA sport.
The inaugural NCAA Championships had all that wrestling fans come to expect from a national tournament. Whether it was the thrilling team-race, North Central and Iowa fans building the rivalry with dueling chants at one another, and high-flying action, it all produced an event that was entertaining from the first whistle.
“Different styles, the grittiness, the fight, all of that came out,” Iowa coach Clarissa Chun said. “That’s what’s really fun, to see the growth of the sport and the depth of the sport.”
Like Blades, Welker didn’t need to be a college wrestler, either. Blades made the U.S. Olympic team, won silver in Paris in the summer of 2024 and became a superstar in wrestling with her trademark suplex without a single college match under her belt. Welker, a multi-time age-group World champion and Senior World bronze medalist, had all the tools needed to make that happen outside of college wrestling, too.
They chose Iowa not just to further their wrestling, but to experience something they never thought would be possible. When they watched the men’s NCAA Championships, they didn’t see that avenue for them in their wresting careers.
On March 7, what was never thought possible became reality. Iowa didn’t get what it wanted in Coralville with a NCAA team title, but the Hawkeyes got to experience the thrill that comes with an NCAA Championships event and secure individual glory that sounds a little more official with the branding on the trophy.
“I never would have thought that I would be able to become an NCAA champ, but it has a nice ring to it,” Welker said.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Iowa women’s wrestling falls short of NCAA title, but makes history
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
