2026-27 Iowa women’s wrestling roster breakdown

As of Monday, the University of Iowa has officially commenced its latest academic calendar. And that means it’s time for a brand-new Hawkeye roster breakdown – this one for the women’s wrestling program. (You can read yesterday's version for the men, HERE.) On the official team website, you’ll find Clarissa Chun’s (mostly accurate) updated 2026-27 roster. (I add that ‘mostly accurate’ caveat because – per an annual tradition – there are several minor errors within the initial publication.) Those aside, it’s still instructive to highlight the composition of this year’s team – which seeks to return Iowa to national championship status after it came up achingly short last March. I’ve corrected said errors for the purposes of this article and offer the disclaimer that weight classes certainly can/will change by the time the season rolls around. For now, I’ve listed returning athletes at the weight at which they finished last season. Meanwhile, you’ll find Iowa’s five incoming freshmen at their most probable spots based on recent competition. So, with that out of the way, let’s dive into the 2026-27 Hawkeyes. Absences and Additions It’s been more than five months since I wrote my early 2026-27 lookahead for the Iowa women, and a few key elements have changed since then. To start, the Hawkeyes saw their first coaching departure in program history, as assistant Tonya Verbeek took a job with USA Wrestling. Two weeks later, World bronze medalist Jenna Burkert was officially tabbed to step into the vacated role. https://twitter.com/IowaW_Wrestling/status/2055385228911481226 Then in early June, two-time national champion Kennedy Blades announced she’d be forgoing her final year of collegiate eligibility. This major – though not totally unforeseen – bit of news necessitated a commensurate move. And Iowa acted quickly to bring in the most qualified alternative available – landing 2025 Final X runner up Brooklyn Hays in early July. Weight Classes ( _ ) indicates which year of eligibility an athlete is currently in out of five allowed under new NCAA rules. 103 pounds Val Solorio (3rd) Sterling Dias (5th) Rianne Murphy (3rd) Madison Nieuwenhuis (1st) 110 pounds Emilie Gonzalez (5th) 117 pounds Brianna Gonzalez (5th) Harlee Hiller (2nd) Taylor Whiting (1st) 124 pounds Cali Leng (4th) Isabella Gonzales (2nd) Ava Rose (4th) Everest Leydecker (1st) 131 pounds Karlee Brooks (3rd) Bella Williams (2nd) Emily Frost (4th) Mia Goodwin (3rd) Sam Sachs (2nd) 138 pounds Lilly Luft (4th) Danni Swihart (4th) Carley Ceshker (1st) 145 pounds Reese Larramendy (5th) Cadence Diduch (3rd) Nora Akpan (1st) 160 pounds Brooklyn Hays (5th) Adriana Palumbo (2nd) 180 pounds Kylie Welker (5th) Naomi Simon (3rd) 207 pounds Libby Dix (2nd) Notes: Without any notable changes in weight class (as of yet), something that catches my eye is how things might shake out at 110 and 207 pounds. Iowa returns just one athlete who competed at either weight last season, and none of its six newcomers figure to add their names to the mix. Thankfully, Clarissa Chun has plentiful talent at the weights below them (103/180) – which, in addition to opportunity, could facilitate movement that’ll help to sure up the depth at both. I’ve also heard that Iowa is very high on its five-woman freshmen class – even beyond crown jewel Everest Leydecker. So, just how many of them might vie for key roles in year one on campus? And how will second-year athletes Sam Sachs and Adriana Palumbo – both of whom missed all of last season due to injury - fare in their own collegiate debuts? Remaining Eligibility Five years left = 5 Four years left = 6 Three years left = 6 Two years left = 5 One year left = 6 Notes: We’re in a brand-new era of NCAA eligibility rules, and that means several things for the Hawkeyes. Chief among them is that all athletes who haven’t previously redshirted now have five total years to compete. As an example, returning NCAA champion Val Solorio and All-American Karlee Brooks – both juniors – now have three years of eligibility remaining instead of just two under the old rules. Likewise, senior Lilly Luft (fourth at NCAAs) will have an additional year to compete beyond this one – if she chooses. Like several Hawkeyes, returning NCAA champion Val Solorio now has an extra year to compete thanks to newly established eligibility rules. (Photo by: University of Iowa Athletics) In fact, 12 different (returning) Hawkeyes now have an ‘extra’ year to compete. However, among those who don’t are the five remaining members of Iowa’s inaugural 2022 recruiting class. And that means this will still be the final season for fans to watch these historic Hawkeyes in a Black & Gold singlet: Kylie Welker (3x national champion) Reese Larramendy (2024 national champion, 3x All-American) Emilie Gonzalez (2024 national champion, 2x All-American) Brianna Gonzalez (2024 national runner up, 3x All-American) Sterling Dias (2024 national runner up, 2x All-American) Home State California (x4) – E. Gonzalez, B. Gonzalez, I. Gonzales, S. Sachs Iowa (x3) – L. Luft, N. Simon, L. Dix Wisconsin (x3) – T. Whiting, C. Ceshker, K. Welker Illinois (x2) – H. Hiller, C. Diduch Michigan (x2) – M. Nieuwenhuis, D. Swihart Nevada (x2) – S. Dias, R. Larramendy New York (x2) – E. Frost, A. Palumbo Arizona – E. Leydecker Florida – V. Solorio Hawaii – K. Brooks Indiana – R. Murphy Minnesota – N. Akpan New Jersey – A. Rose Ohio – C. Leng Oklahoma – B. Williams Utah – B. Hays Virginia – M. Goodwin *28/30 roster spots filled* Notes: For the fifth time in as many years, California boasts the most representation of any state on Iowa’s roster. And once again, this latest complement of Hawkeyes exhibits the program’s nationwide appeal. Everest Leydecker becomes the first Arizona native in program history – as does fellow freshman Nora Akpan out of Minnesota. In total, athletes representing 17 different states will make up the 2026-27 Hawkeyes. Transfers Augsburg University/United States Olympic Training Center – Brooklyn Hays Notes: A growing trend since it’s first competitive varsity season, Iowa’s roster will be almost entirely homegrown in 2026-27. The Hawkeyes had eight, eight and four transfers on the roster from 2024-26 as the program built up from scratch. Now, Brooklyn Hays is the lone team member who didn’t arrive at Iowa directly out of high school. And her ‘transfer’ isn’t all that typical either. https://twitter.com/IowaW_Wrestling/status/2074565891069546512 Hays last competed collegiately for Augsburg (MN) in 2022-23 – the year prior to Iowa’s inaugural season – when she placed sixth at nationals. The three years since have been spent living at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Class of 2027 commits N/A Notes: The Hawkeyes – per their typical recruiting timeline – don’t yet have any commits for the Class of 2027. But you can expect that to change in a major way over the next few months. At least eight roster spots will be available at the conclusion of this season, with the potential for several more. Among those being vacated will be five held by the remaining members of Iowa’s inaugural recruiting class – each of whom has either won or wrestled for an individual national title in their career(s). Needless to say, how the 2027 class comes together for Clarissa Chun & Co. will be pivotal in the continued championship aspirations of the program. And rest assured, I’ll have coverage throughout the fall/winter as Iowa pursues the nation’s best young talent to build out its future roster.