Olympian Kennedy Blades signs with Iowa
- Thread starter jrod65
- Start date
Figured this was going to happen. Her sister has been in IC already.
This isn't just me being a homer, but they may end up with 8 champs this year. With multiple weights being Hawk v Hawk finals.
With so many elite level ladies coming to IC, now would be the perfect time for other D-1 programs to start a women's program.
Especially B1G programs.
With the weight class changes, plus the additions of Kilty and Blades, plus having Estrella and Valencia returning from injury, plus only losing 2 wrestlers from last year's national championship team, plus having a few hammers come off of redshirt.....it's going to be a very interesting year. Whoever earns postseason spots on this team will have definitely earned it. Going to be lots of fun watching these ladies dominate!
I dunno. It’s seems like when Iowa started theirs, the vocal voices quieted down and seemed satisfied. I like that Iowa is going to dominate but some other big names need to jump in.
Some notes on possible starters at each weight
103: E Gonzalez - defending champ, S Dias-defending runner up, V Solorio talented incoming freshman
110: A Bayless - defending champ, N Valencia - injured last year, might be better than Bayless, R Murphy - incoming talented freshman
117: B Gonzalez - defending runner up(lost in finals to teammate Taylor)
124: A Rose - rd12, K Brooks incoming freshman with a bright future
131: L Luft - 5th at higher weight after bumping up due to injury, E Frost rd12, S Realin - U23 rep, previous 5th NAIA
138: N Estrella - injured in season last year, was highly ranked. previous NAIA finalist, C Diduch - incoming talented freshman
145: R Larramendy - defending champ, Ella Schmit - defending 7th
160: going Welker here - defending champ, B Mir defending 5th
180: Kennedy Blades- Olympian, R Cassioppi - rs last year, N Simon talented incoming freshman
207: J Foeller - finalist at 191, K Osteen - 6th in 23
There are others like H Ward and A White that could make jumps, but are stuck behind hammers. Biggest questions for me are what weights some might end up at. Welker settling in at 160 after wrestling 72kgs recently? Will Foeller go up to 207, or down to 180? Can Estrella make 131 with Kilty and Korina Blades(assuming she joins her sister) at 138? No idea, but here's what I consider the strongest 15 options for Nationals:
103 -E Gonzalez, Dias
110 - Bayless, Valencia
117 - B Gonzalez
124 - Brooks
131 - Estrella
138 - Kilty, Korina Blades
145 - Larramendy, Schmit
160 - Welker, Mir
180 - Kennedy Blades
207 - Foeller
Excellent breakdown, jrod. Matches a lot of my thoughts as well.
Potentially all 10…would take some leaps in growth by some and everything going perfectly.
124 may be our only "hole" but I certainly wouldn't count out Rose or Brooks from placing high. The rest of jrod's proposed lineup definitely looks full of potential champions.
Great news about the Blades sisters.
Rumored that Okie State was going to start a women's team, but now that Smith has retired, that may be off the table.
I'd like to see the Hawkeye team vs the Japan National team at Carver Hawkeye.
Rumored that Okie State was going to start a women's team, but now that Smith has retired, that may be off the table.
I'd like to see the Hawkeye team vs the Japan National team at Carver Hawkeye.
While it would be cool to have the Japanese team come to Iowa, like Turk alluded to, it would be a very lopsided outcome.
Japan is THE standard of Sr level women's wrestling. Their lineup has World and Olympic champs/medalists at pretty much every single weight. They outplaced the US Sr team at Worlds by 60 points last year. It would not be a close dual.
It would be an outstanding event regardless.
Hosting Japans U23 team for a dual would be more appropriate and still awesome.
Iowa
Lock Haven
Presbyterian
Sacred Heart
And anyone thinking any D1 schools are going to add women's wrestling should re-think that. Every school is too scared to add anything until after the NIL, pay athletes, noncap scholarship fallout happens.
RTCs as we know them may be extinct. Money that was being raised to keep Senior level athletes is being pushed onto student athletes.
Lock Haven
Presbyterian
Sacred Heart
And anyone thinking any D1 schools are going to add women's wrestling should re-think that. Every school is too scared to add anything until after the NIL, pay athletes, noncap scholarship fallout happens.
RTCs as we know them may be extinct. Money that was being raised to keep Senior level athletes is being pushed onto student athletes.
Brianna wrestling at 117 just amazes me..just like 116 last year. She is the same height as her twin at 103…at 4’9. Seems like just from height Valencia at 5’2 and Ava at 5’1 would flip places with Brianna
Sterling has to be getting close to pushing up. A normal woman at 4’11 it would be no big deal…but she has far more muscle than your typical 4’11 woman.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see Welker at 180 and Kennedy at 207…not from a what weight they can make, but from a perspective of they both would be overwhelming favs to win at those weights and give a healthy Mir a good chance at 160.
Would have to assume Calkins has put in the work to make 207…throw in Cass and White and Haley….upper weights are a beast.
Going to be many ladies that would be All Americans left in the stands.
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I just assumed she was coming but has Korina Blades officially announced she was coming also. Sorry if this was already covered and I missed it.
