Iowa Women's Wrestling is coming off a dream 2024-2025 season. The Hawkeyes captured their second consecutive National Championship after a dominating performance. The Hawkeyes finished with a team total of 201.5, well above North Central's 181 points.
Iowa crowned three individual champions and had 15 All-Americans. All three Hawkeye National Champions completed perfect seasons.
One of those wrestlers was junior Kennedy Blades. Blades was named the National Women's Wrestling Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 160-pound championship. On Wednesday, Blades received more recognition.
Capping of a dominant season 🤩 @kennedyblades has been named the 2025 Women's College Wrestler of the Year@USAWrestling x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/M4MFdhgrV7
— Iowa Women's Wrestling (@IowaW_Wrestling) April 8, 2025
Blades was named the USA Women's College Wrestler of the Year after a perfect 25-0 2024-2025 season.
Blades capped off her perfect season by defeating No. 2 Kaylynn Albrecht in the 160-pound Championship match. Blades defeated Albrecht by a first-period technical fall to take the crown in her first collegiate season.
Blades easily ran through the 160-pound tournament bracket, scoring four technical falls, and did not allow a single point to her opponents (43-0).
During her perfect 25-0 season, Blades achieved 23 technical falls and two pins. Only two of her matches went to the second period, including a match that finished in 38 seconds.
Before joining the Hawkeyes, the Chicago native won a silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
Blades was a force during the 2024-2025 season and was a key Hawkeyes' National Championship squad member. The Hawkeyes were ranked No.1 at the beginning of the season and never relinquished that ranking.
The team finished a perfect 19-0, and Blades was key to that success. With Blades on the roster for her senior year, the Hawkeyes will attempt a three-peat during the 2025-2026 season.