2-time world medalist Sterling Dias commits to Iowa women’s wrestling

The Iowa girls’s wrestling program has added one other big-time recruit to its steady of star lightweights, as Sterling Dias, a world-class wrestler from SLAM Academy in Las Vegas, has dedicated to the Hawkeyes.

“I’ve identified (Iowa coach Clarissa Chun) for a really very long time,” Dias advised the Register. “But additionally the group typically. I fell in love with every little thing about it. I am glad to be part of the primary Iowa girls’s wrestling group.”

Dias is now the eleventh wrestler to affix the Iowa roster, however she is instantly probably the most credentialed.

She is a two-time Cadet world medalist, successful bronze in 2018 in Croatia and silver in 2019 in Bulgaria. She gained each medals at 40 kilograms (88 kilos), the lightest weight provided by United World Wrestling for the Cadet freestyle world championships.

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She can be a four-time nationwide champion — twice in freestyle, in 2018 as a Cadet and 2019 in 16U, and twice in folkstyle, each in 2019 at the 16U and Junior ranges. Extra lately, she gained a Nevada women state title at 106 kilos in February.

Dias is taken into account the No. 23 pound-for-pound girls’s highschool wrestler in America, in accordance with USA Wrestling. She is now the fifth wrestler from USA Wrestling’s pound-for-pound highschool rankings to decide to Iowa, becoming a member of No. 1 Kylie Welker, No. 14 Brianna Gonzalez, No. 16 Sam Calkins and No. 18 Reese Larramendy.

Moreover, six others have joined the Iowa program for Chun’s inaugural recruiting class:

Dias’s relationship with Chun stretches again almost a decade. She first met Chun when she was simply 8 years outdated, when Chun was nonetheless actively competing. Dias then realized below Chun when she made the 2018 and 2019 Cadet world groups (Welker, her future Iowa teammate, additionally made that 2019 world group).

“I used to be mesmerized by every little thing about her,” Dias stated. “I fell in love with every little thing in regards to the sport after I received actually into it, and she or he was positively one among my largest inspirations, as a feminine on the lowest weight class and being an Asian American.

“The factor about coach Clarissa is that she’s detail-oriented, and I really like after we get into depth with approach.”

That relationship helped Dias make her school resolution all these years later. She is worked up to study from Chun extra shifting ahead, and is worked up for the chance to symbolize the primary Division I Energy 5 girls’s wrestling program.

“I already know many of the different women on the group, in order that’s going to make it straightforward to leap proper into issues,” Dias stated. “I am actually excited to assist develop this sport much more.”

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and highschool sports activities for the Des Moines Register. Comply with him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.