Iowa Women's Wrestling had a dominant 2025 season. The Hawkeyes capped the 2025 season with an NCAA Wrestling Championship title, their second consecutive team title. Iowa finished with three individual champions and 15 All-Americans.
Iowa had three wrestlers complete perfect seasons and were crowned NCAA champions. The USA Wrestling Federation recognized Iowa's dominance and nominated those three wrestlers for a major award.
Not one, not two, but 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 finalists for Women’s College Wrestler of the Year 🤩
— Iowa Women's Wrestling (@IowaW_Wrestling) April 1, 2025
Blades, Kilty and Welker went a combined 80-0 on the season.#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/ptK4phb4AQ
Iowa Women's Wrestlers Kennedy Blades, Macey Kilty, and Kylie Welker combined for an 80-0 perfect season, with three NCAA Championship titles en route to being named as finalists for wrestler of the year.
Kennedy Blades, 160 pounds
Iowa junior Kennedy Blades had a dominant first season as a collegiate wrestler. The Chicago, Illinois native joined the Hawkeyes after winning a silver medal at 160 pounds in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Blades dominated the 160-pound weight class in her first season. She finished the season with a perfect 25-0 record and an NCAA Championship title at 160 pounds. All 25 wins came via fall or technical fall.
After the NCAA Championships, she was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler.
Macey Kilty, 145 pounds
Kilty completed her first and only collegiate season in dominating fashion. Kilty finished with a perfect 28-0 record, including an NCAA Championship title at 145 pounds.
In 2024, Kilty finished as a Senior World Bronze Medalist (65 kg) and an Under-23 World Silver Medalist (62 kg).
Before joining the Hawkeyes, Kilty was a two-time silver medalist at the World Junior Championships.
Kylie Welker, 180 pounds
Iowa sophomore wrestler Kylie Welker finished a perfect 27-0 season en route to a NCAA Championship title at 180 pounds. She did not surrender a point the entire season. Welker is also the only wrestler in Iowa history to win back-to-back NCAA titles.
Welker has been ranked in the top three in her weight class during her two-year career in Iowa City.
In 2024, Welker was also crowned the Under-24 World Champion (72 kg) and a Senior World Bronze medalist. Before joining the Hawkeyes, Welker was the runner-up at the Under-20 National Championship in 2020.
This will be the third year the USA Wrestling Wrestler of the Year award is presented. The winner of the 2024 award will be announced on Tuesday, April 8.